It's a Date Kinda Place at Ofrenda West Village

By: Finance Foodie

Last Thursday night, the Mister and I were faced with our usual conundrum: In a city as expansive as the Big Apple, where to go for dinner? We were feeling a little spicy (but wanted something a bit more festive than our usual burrito bowls at Chipotle), so we decided to check out Ofrenda, a cute and casual Mexican spot in the West Village. Having passed by this hard to miss spot on 7th Ave South numerous times, I was drawn in by its patio seating combined with the nice balmy Fall night.

The Man With the Thick Accent Cocktail 

Having been through a long week at work, I immediately ordered one of Ofrenda's much buzzed about cocktails when I sat down. The Man with the Thick Accent ($13) was just what the doctor ordered. Made with tequila, maraschino liqueur, smoked pineapple, egg white and sprinkled with a dash of cayenne pepper, this cocktail started the night right with a bit of sugar and spice.

Guacamole

To whet our appetites, we ordered two appetizers: the tried and true Guacamole ($12) and the more out of the box Camarón mini tacos ($13). When the Guacamole came out, I was a bit offput by its brown color, but the waitress explained that it was because of the roasted pasilla sauce. Brown color aside, the guac was good but interestingly flavored - light on the avocado flavor and heavy on the spice. The chips however, were crisp, hearty and a good match for the guac.

Shrimp Taco

The Camarón (shrimp) tacos were very tasty and flavorful - the roasted pineapple gave the dish a nice sweetness juxtaposed by the spicy jalapeno peppers. My only complaint was that it truly was appetizer sized - two bites and you're done!

Camarones Guisados

For my entree, I stuck to the seafood theme and ordered the Camarones Guisados ($26), a medley of plump Gulf shrimps, almonds, tomatoes and olives, served with garlic potatoes and a side of palmito rice. The shrimp were juicy and generously size, but the real standout was the palmito rice (unfortunately not pictured as it was gobbled up too fast). Not disgustingly oily like most fast food Mexican joints, this rice was rich in taste - and the spicy raisins sprinkled on top was a real icing on the cake.

Since our meal wasn't super heavy, the Mister and I splurged on dessert and ordered the Negra Modelo ($8), a chipotle brownie sundae served with a spoonful of whipped cream, caramelized bananas and Negra Modelo ice cream. The brownie tasted more like chocolate lava cake and whipped cream was slightly cloying, but it was nice to have a little sweetness to end a delicious savory meal.

Negra Modelo

Bottom line, if you're looking for a quaint candlelit date spot with a cool West Village vibe, Ofrenda is your golden ticket. Good food, good atmosphere, with portions that won't make you feel like a whale afterwards, Ofrenda is the kinda of place that will probably get you that second/third date call back - and we could all use a snuggle buddy (or two) for those upcoming winter nights, right?

Ofrenda 
113 7th Ave South
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-2305
ofrendanyc.com 
Cuisine: Mexican