Fresh masa and Places to dance Latin music

Photo by Manu BAstien www.manuphotos.com

Thanks to two articles in the New York Times this week, I am finally able to answer two questions I am often asked: Where can I get fresh masa (corn dough made from corn that has been soaked in cal, calcium hydroxide) in the New York City area? And where can I go to do some Latin dancing? A few months ago, Shauna Page and Fernando Ruiz opened the sparkling clean Tortilleria Nixtamal 104-05 7th Avenue Corona Queens where they produce fresh masa made with corn soaked in cal (calcium hydroxide) and people are staring to take notice. I have been hoping for this for years and though it’s heaven compared to masa made from masa harina (dehydrated corn flour), it does not have enough cal flavor and aroma for my taste. Still I applaud their efforts and will drive out there whenever I want to make some extra special tamales. We have a tamal special every day and they don’t deliver so I cannot use it on a regular basis.

Latin Dancing

If there is one thing I love to do it is to go dancing to Latin music but I don’t like clubs that play only one kind of music (salsa, merengue, bachata or cumbias). But I hadn’t known of any places until the Times published an article. I’ll put in the link but also list the places because it costs now to download anything from the Times and I don’t want you to miss out.

AMOR CUBANO, 2018 Third Avenue, at 111th Street, East Harlem, (212) 996-1220; amorcubanorestaurant.com.

CAFE REMY, 7110 Third Avenue, at 71st Street, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn; (718) 745-0748; remyloungenyc.com.

CAMARADAS EL BARRIO, 2241 First Avenue, at 115th Street, East Harlem; (212) 348-2703; camaradaselbarrio.com.

F B LOUNGE, 172 East 106th Street, East Harlem, (212) 348-3929; fondaboricua.com.

52 PLAYGROUND PARK, 681 Kelly Street, Longwood, the Bronx, (718) 931-9500, Ext. 23; bronxarts.org.

FONTANA’S, downstairs, 105 Eldridge Street, Lower East Side; (212) 334-6740; nacotheque.com

GUANTANAMERA, 939 Eighth Avenue, at 55th Street, Clinton; (212) 262-5354; guantanameranyc.com.

LATIN QUARTER, 511 Lexington Avenue, at 47th Street; (212) 593-7575; lqny.com.

MISS FAVELA, 57 South Fifth Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; (718) 230-4040; missfavela.com

SANTOS PARTY HOUSE, 96 Lafayette Street, near Walker Street, TriBeCa; (212) 584-5494; santospartyhouse.com.

S.O.B’s: 204 Varick Street, at Houston Street, South Village; (212) 243-4940;sobs.com.

TAJ II: 48 West 21st Street, Flatiron district; (212) 620-3033; tajmondays.com.

TROPICANA THEATER & NIGHTCLUB, 1060 Home Street, at Westchester Avenue, Crotona Park East, the Bronx; (718) 617-7500; tropicanany.com.

THE LEGENDARY EL MOROCCO NIGHTCLUB & THEATER, 3534 Broadway at 145th Street, Washington Heights; (212) 939-0909; elmorocconyc.com

ZINC BAR, 82 West Third Street, at Thompson Street, Greenwich Village; (212) 477-9462 or (212) 477-8337; zincbar.com.