My favorite request in the world is, “Hey so can we get dinner in the city one night after work at one of your NYC foodie bucket list places please and thanks,” so thanks for that to my dear friend, Jenna. We chose Rocking Horse Cafe, and let me tell you, we chose wisely.

Rocking Horse is a vibrant restaurant in Chelsea that brings contemporary flare to traditional Mexican favorites.

Vibrance here applies to both the restaurant’s looks and its food. With its tangerine, cerulean, and lime colored walls, their decor fits their cuisine ideally. Rocking Horse’s bright, beaming walls match the bright flavors of the wonderful plates they serve!

First, predictably, we ordered some guac to share. We got the guac from the Happy Hour menu which was nice because it was only $5! But this was not just any guac. Guac is all about the texture for me, and this one was as perfect as it gets. It was both creamy and chunky– ideal for scooping onto fresh, crispy tortilla chips as big as our heads. And the chips kept coming even when we said “no, we really don’t need any more chips” … they knew we always need more chips.

The guacamole was topped with pickled red onions which gave a nice zing to our flavorful dip and was also accompanied by a creamy puréed tomato salsa, bringing a warm, rustic quality to the dish that complemented the otherwise fresh and bright elements.

We both ordered tacos as our main course! I got the Tinga de Pollo– tacos with applewood smoked pulled chicken, caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes, chipotle chiles with just the right amount of spice, and sprinkled with crumbly, salty cotija cheese and bitter microgreens. Each individual bite was so beautiful and balanced in flavor. Soggy tortillas are a pet peeve of mine, so I was very happy that the soft, handmade corn tortilla was a lovely base for these tacos that held together very well. These tacos were superb.

Rocking Horse’s brunch menu also looked amazing, so I definitely want to try that next time!

I love Mexican food, but I often don’t love how heavy it is, so I was also really pleased by how light, yet filling the food was at Rocking Horse. It left me feeling full, but not full enough that I couldn’t finish off my meal with doughnuts at Doughnut Plant!

Enjoy! 🙂 Love, The Perky Foodie