The Modern Mexican

the menu at cascabel says, "eat, drink, love tacos." and this is exactly what you will do at this new taqueria.

with the sudden boom in places dishing up mexican street food, it's easy to get overwhelmed by new-fangled taco combinations and attention-grabbing slogans. cascabel is also a bit gimmicky, as it's completely decked out in lucha libre (the stylish mexican wrestlers) icons. from the figurines behind the counter to wood block prints by brooklyn designer ulla florholmen and two large wrestlers painted on the wall, there is no lack of kitsch in this small laid-back café.

but don't get too distracted. the real star here is the food. these tacos truly pay homage to the cuisine, and you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get them. each metal plate holds two to an order and costs $7.50. all the tacos are made with two warm corn tortillas stuffed with fresh ingredients and are served with a side of fiery roasted chilies.

first up, we sampled the smoky chorizo tacos with paprika and onion. the crumbly meat misleadingly looked charred black, but it didn't taste burnt. it did, however, have a dry texture, but the oil from the meat managed to lubricate it nicely. a squeeze of fresh lime over the hearty tacos brought out the rich spices of the house-made chorizo as well.

on the opposite end, the pollo chipotle tacos were light and clean tasting. the chicken came out delicately spiced with a hint of smoky chipotles. it was so tender it didn't need any of the homemade hot sauces on offer. with a smidgen of avocado and green onion, these tacos went down easy, maybe too effortlessly, as i could have easily ordered more.

we paired our feast with the light and bubbly cristalino cava, which came in neat and slender water glasses. at $6 a glass, or $24 per bottle, it was definitely worth indulging in (all wine and bottled beer is $6).

my glass of the slightly spicy trapiche pinot noir complemented the sweet carne asada tacos. thought not as tender as the chicken, the sweet flavor and moisture of the grilled yucatan achiote-marinated hanger steak was enhanced with a dash of the caramely "house hottie" sauce and squeeze of lime. i couldn't really taste the oyster mushrooms the menu claimed this taco had, but i delighted in the crispy, salty onion that was sprinkled on top.

like so many restaurants these days, cascabel offers roasted berkshire pork butt. it's tasty in the carnitas taco and it gets even better when paired with a nice pickled red onion. the meat had a melt-in-the-mouth texture that contrasted with the spiciness of the roasted chili de arbol. a sprinkling of what tasted like crispy puffed rice dulled the heat a little, but a bit of roasted tomato sauce rounded out the meat and onion flavors, creating a taco unlike any of the other three we had.

while i was ultimately impressed with the tacos, the queso fundito ($6.50) disappointed me. a traditional mexican appetizer, this melted cheese and chorizo dish usually proves dull, and cascabel doesn't do any better. the oily cup of cheese tasted like just that, and the usual kick of chorizo got lost in gooey cheese and tortilla. oh well. instead, we were more impressed by the light and fresh-tasting quinoa and frijoles ($6), a side dish that balances the meatiness of the tacos. this hearty bowl has a bit of queso fresco in it, which blends nicely with the thick black beans, airy quinoa and tangy fresh cilantro.

for the most part, cascabel proved delightful, with a friendly and attentive service, delicious food and a fun atmosphere. our only complaint was the noise. near the end of our feast, the crowd was so loud we could barely hear each other. kind of surprising for a tuesday night, which felt more like a friday. although for tacos like these, i would be happy concentrating on which of the eight flavors to try next rather than an engaging conversation.

-- cascabel 1542 second avenue betw. 80th and 81st streets 212-717-7800 entrées: $5 to $12