Greenpoint has been without a Michelin starred restaurant ever since Daniel Burns’ Luksus, the former Nordic tasting menu at the Danish bar Tørst (615 Manhattan Ave.), departed in December 2017.
Now, the neighborhood has a new ‘star’: Greenpoint’s wood-fired taco destination, Oxomoco (128 Greenpoint Ave.), was awarded one Michelin star yesterday after opening less than six months ago in June 2018.
The culinary award is administered by the tire manufacturing company, Michelin. North Brooklyn restaurants Meadowsweet (149 Broadway) and Peter Luger Steak House (178 Broadway) held onto their single stars. Aska (47 S 5th St.) leads the local pack this year with two stars.
A single star identifies eateries with “high quality cooking, worth a stop.” Two stars signify “excellent cooking, worth a detour,” and three stars are for “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
Co-owners Chris Walton and Chef Justin Bazdarich teamed up to open Oxomoco after Bazdarich’s success establishing wood-fired pizzeria, Speedy Romeo, in the Lower East Side and Clinton Hill.
The restaurant serves brunch and dinner seven days a week with a menu focused on regional Mexican cuisine with a modern twist, like the slow cooked lamb barbacoa tacos.
The Michelin guide explains the decision: “Oxomoco refers to the Aztec goddess of the night. Much like the space, the cooking here is fun and vibrant, backed by a wood-fire oven used to incredible effect. Inspectors were impressed with the level of care put into everything from the tacos to the can’t-miss desserts.”