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Bed-Stuy Eatery To Serve 'Traditional' Northern Mexican Dishes, Chef Says

By Camille Bautista | June 16, 2015 3:14pm | Updated on June 16, 2015 7:08pm

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Halsey Street is getting a taste of northern Mexico.

Tepache, a new Mexican restaurant near Marcus Garvey Boulevard, is slated to open its doors later this month and serve up “authentic, traditional” fare, according to chef and owner Armando Soltero.

The eatery will offer menu items including fresh, table side guacamole, beef tongue taquitos and oxtail stew.

Soltero said he wanted to cook food from his hometown of Sonora after sampling a variety of Mexican restaurants in New York City.

“They didn’t have the flavor I was looking for and many places here offer food from the state of Puebla, further south,” he said. “I bring my flavors from the north with a lot of epazote and oregano.”

The restaurant at 361 Halsey St. takes its name after a popular fermented drink made from brown sugar and pineapple peels.

Everything, from the glass water bottles to the décor, will have northern influence to pay homage to Sonora’s Tarahumara and Yaqui Indian reservations, Soltero said.

Drinks are served in mason jars as a nod to the supplies given to the indigenous people to conserve water and food. Instead of the typical chips and salsa, Tepache will offer duritos, traditional fried snacks made with flour.

Sugar skulls will light up along the brick walls, which are meant to replicate the Mexican haciendas.

Soltero imported a variety of colorful Mexican tiles and clay flutes to adorn the 1,200 square-foot interior and exterior of the building.

“When people come, I want them to feel like they’re in Sonora. They don’t have to travel to go,” he said.

Additional items on the menu include cactus salad, chicken and chorizo burritos and queso fundido, or melted cheese with a choice of meat or vegetables.

Seating for a 1,600 square-foot backyard is still in the works and Tepache is awaiting a beer and wine license.

Beers include favorites like Tecate, Modelo, Corona, and Sol, and the eatery will offer fresh guava, horchata and watermelon drinks.

Tepache will rotate through daily specials and offer a brunch menu on the weekends. Expected hours are 11 a.m. through 12 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.