Crema

Went there for a Valentine's dinner and was so disappointed. Had average expectations going in, just wanted a decent local meal and came away extremely disappointed. The service was average-the waitress seemed bothered and judgemental. Each dish that we had included one ingredient that ruined it-be it pomegranate, apricot, pineapple and everything was over-sauced. Crema should stick to simplicity and it would be received much better. Will not go back.

Chef Julieta Ballesteros doesn't just cook, she creates, she inspires, she conjures. I have been a fan of hers since I first discovered her culinary magic at the old Mexicana Mama. Now in her own space and firmly in control of her domain her wizardry has come to full fruition. Don't walk run, run as if your taste buds depended on it, before she ascends to the heavens and out of reach of the working mans pocket book forever.

I would absolutely recommend this place. It's really quaint and cute (I can't wait to go back in the summer and sit in outside in the back) It seems as though they need to work on their service a tad more but the food is awesome. The guacamole is spiced to perfection, and the appetizers are full of flavor. I got the halibut encrusted with the bacon/crab meat. It was amazing. The portions are sizeable as well, so it's worth the bill.

Birthday lunch here, a little pricy for me to go often but for a special treat it was delicious. Margaritas were strong and made with fresh lime (though $12 which is way more than I would usually pay). We had pumpkin chipotle soup--amazing with a nice smoky burn and toasted pumpkin seeds on top for crunch. The salsas were creamy and not regular chunky tomato salsa, really good and unusual. I had the filet minon skewer which was good but getting it medium meant that the onion on the skewer didn't cook enough. I would definitely go back and try other dishes, maybe when I have my parents or friends in town.

Decided to try this place out even though there wasn't a main entree for under $17. For Mexican food, anything over $20 is overpriced. The restaurant itself is very finely appointed. The service staff - well, I wouldn't expect that the waiter would have to consult his list of specials several times while telling us what the specials were. Had guacomole appetizer (again - way overpriced, but good) and the chicken flautas - good, but again, way overpriced for the service and ambience provided.

We went to Crema on a Sunday night; the place was far from hopping. But it was still difficult to get any attention from the wait staff. Our waiter disappeared after bringing the appetizer and only showed up when it was time to collect the check. We never got to order a second round of drinks, and our water glasses were not refilled until the end of the meal. This was all the harder to understand because the wait staff was all around us -- they were chatting to the people at the table next to us, while ignoring all of the other patrons. While the food is good, it's more expensive than Mexicana Mama and the selection is more limited -- and it's comparable in quality to the Mama's. So: Crema and Mama tie for food quality, but Mama beats Crema on price, service, and selection. The only advantage that Crema has is that they take credit cards.

After waiting over an hour to be seated (the restaurant handled it well by comping us a round of drinks) we finally grabbed a table in this small but hip Chelsea restaurant. The sea scallop appetizer was remarkable as well as the entree I had which consisted of some sort of fish tacos (they were a special and not on the regular menu). The star of this place are the drinks though (of which I tried 4) with the standout being a rasperry sangria that the bartender whipped up on the spot. The staff does need to work on their attitude though. After tipping $10 on 6 drinks the bartender seemed visably upset. While I am not sure what he was expecting when drinks are $12 each, but I thought it was more than fair considering they took him all of three minutes to make. Would recommend overall but prices make it no bargain.