B right, splashy greens, blues, pinks and purples declare the sweet treats to be found at Cositas Deliciosas: the ice cream, the shakes, the snow cones, the fresh fruit. But for me, it’s the savory regional Mexican dishes that speak loudest.
How many of us have even heard of tlacoyos, picaditas or cemitas? This small takeout spot has them all. I usually order the tacos, a slam dunk, but this time I decided to discover some new flavors, in turn finding portions about twice the size of my biggest estimate. So I called in some backup, and, working from the lightest dish to the heaviest, we expanded our palates as well as our stomachs.
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We started with the Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza ($16.99), a popular grilled street food from Central and Southern Mexico. The squash blossoms were lightly sauteed and folded into a supersized corn tortilla along with Oaxacan cheese and fresh jalapeño. The flavor was deceptively light and easy and paired well with the herbal, mildly spicy house verde.
Next we dug into the Black Bean Tlacoyos ($15.49) and the Picaditas con Pollo ($16.99). Both came three to an order and were massive versions of the standard offering. Somewhere between street tacos and a tamales (which are also on the menu), the tlacoyos were boats of thick toasted masa dough stuffed with beans, spicy rojo and cheese and finished with fresh diced onion. They were flavorful and remained moist and soft even hours later, when we went back for seconds. The Picaditas con Pollo were like oblong tarts, the edges of the crust boasting a perfect crunch. The chicken was tender and juicy and the rojo sauce was a perfect accompaniment. I only wish the avocado garnish had been proportionately generous.
We finished the meal with a Carne Enchilada Cemita ($13.74), a round Pueblan sandwich made with a soft sesame seed roll hollowed out and filled, literally, with smoked chili marinated pork, jalapeños, Oaxacan cheese, diced onion, avocado, mayo, chipotle sauce and a thin layer of refried beans to cap the bottom of the bread. The carne enchilada had a hefty smoky flavor, as did the chipotle sauce, but the avocado and mayo perfectly balanced it. The sandwich was massive, roughly the size of a Dixie dinner plate, and managed to hold its ingredients without getting soggy or falling apart. It was a feat of physics and a feast of flavor.
Cositas Deliciosas does a lot—too much, you might think, between the extensive sweet side of the menu as well as American dishes including burgers, wings, even shrimp cocktails. Thankfully, all that breadth hasn’t stopped them from making some really delicious Mexican food.
Cositas Deliciosas
271 Grand Ave, New Haven (map)
Daily 7am-9pm
(203) 782-4757
www.ordercositasdeliciosas.com
Written and photographed by Anna Konya.
