Tortuga's Mexican Village, Princeton

Oh Mexican food, how I love you so. Spicy, cheesy, meaty, carb-y... what's not to like? Cousin J (you remember her, yes?) introduced me to Tortuga's Mexican Village a few years ago when she was working in Princeton, and I have been a believer ever since. Its bright and colorful on the outside and inside, with awesome modern art on the walls (along with the necessary yet cliche sombreros and maracas), and the people are super friendly. Also they have the best salsa. Ever. Period. It's not in a swimmy puddle mess of tomato glop; it's good, honest chunks of tomato, onion, herbs and pepper in an almost vinegary base. Too yum. Craving it now... eek! It is SO good in fact that the first bowl is on the house and then they make you pony up for seconds (which I always do... it's magical.... I dream of this salsa... sad but true) Now when J first took me to this place she introduced me to the California burrito... I have since tried everything else on the (pretty extensive) menu, but I always go back to this dish. It is a grossly oversized burrito stuffed with a meat of your choice (on this day I chose beef but you can do pork, chicken, steak, chorizzo... pretty much anything they have), beans, rice, guacamole, cheese, tomato, lettuce (yes the lettuce is INSIDE), and sour cream. They they top it with red sauce and more cheese and bring it over on a burning hot plater of happiness. It's weird.. although the lettuce does get a liiiiitle wilty, it's still pretty cool and crunchy even though it's been through the salamander. Same with the sour cream... it stays cool and delish. This is my favorite item on their menu... it is sideless (the rice and beans are shoved into the burrito itself!) but super filling... I don't recall having ever finished one in a single sitting.

Matt ordered the Chile Relleno, which is basically a Mexican stuffed pepper dipped in egg batter and cooked up. I think he opted to have his filled with chicken. It was done really well... the batter wasn't too thick, the filling was nice and soft with a touch of heat and loads of cheese. The platter was huge, and overflowing with rice and beans. The cheese and sauce on top made it gooey and rich... it was definetley not considered a low fat meal. While it's not very pretty to look at, it was delicious to eat!

I love this place, and I wish I was able to get there more often. Their menu has all sorts of delicious options, and no, not everything is covered in cheese and sauce (although, why shouldn't it be? SO GOOD). They have salads, soups, and house specialties, which include seafood enchillads, lime marinated catfish, and pollo mole (my Mom's favorite dish... I should take her here!) One thing to note,though... Tortuga's Mexican Village is a cash only place... no credit cards wil be accepted. It's a small inconvenience to an otherwise fantastic place. Go there! Tell me how much you love their salsa!

Tortuga's Mexican Village

http://www.tortugasmv.com/

44 Leigh Avenue

Princeton, NJ

Phone: (609) 924-5143