Despite Schenectady’s not so great reputation, I know from experience that not only is Schenectady full of great restaurants, it’s full of great coffee, entertainment, and businesses as well. Following successful events like the Chili Chowdown and the 2nd Annual Schenectady Soup Stroll, Schenectady Restaurant Week offered a special 3 course menu with many participating restaurants for just $25. While I wish I could’ve tried out all the restaurant week menus, there are only so many nights in a week, and I found myself only able to get to one: Mexican Radio.
Similar to the city in which in resides, Mexican Radio has also had a poor reputation since it’s opening. High prices and notoriously slow service has bogged down what could be a great place to eat. I personally find the food tasty, but would opt to go during lunch hours where the menu prices are a bit more manageable. What makes Mexican Radio a stand out is the menu selection especially for those who are vegetarian and vegan. I am neither of those things, but these menu items do appeal to my sister, who was dining with me on this particular evening.
I was ultimately torn when looking at the menu because I know that the spicy shredded chicken tacos are a favorite of mine, but that the restaurant week menu was a deal too good to ignore. I decided to go with the restaurant week menu selecting the Bocadito Chili Pie for my appetizer of choice. It was a blend of steak, ground beef, chorizo, and hot peppers, three types of beans, covered with melted cheese and jalepeno slices. Essentially this was a chips and queso appetizer but brought to a whole other level. I probably could’ve been done with my meal after the chili as it was so hearty and flavorful, but I put my chips to the side and got ready for the main course.
My entree of choice was the Carnitas & Plantain Enchiladas with a side of rice and black beans. The enchiladas were a sweet and savory mix of pulled pork and sweet caramelized plantains, cheese, onions, and peppers. I only ate one enchilada and brought one home for leftovers. I was surprised at how much I actually liked the mix of pork and plantain. Usually I stick to chicken or beef when I get enchiladas so I was hesitant as to whether I would like something new. Spoiler alert- I did. My only complaint was the lack of tomatillo sauce across the top of my enchiladas. Maybe this is a personal preference, but I usually like to have a lot of sauce especially when eating corn tortillas.
Finally for dessert I chose Caramel Apple Pie Taquitos which were rich with cinnamon and sugar and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Still full from the first two courses I only ate one taquito and brought the other two home. They were even better the next night when I was able to heat them up and add some vanilla ice cream on top! My biggest complaint with the taquitos is that there was either too much dough or not enough apples, but I would certainly order them again.
If only every week was restaurant week, I would’ve loved to get the chance to try More Perreca’s, Chez Nous, and RARE Craft Steak (Formerly Marotta’s). Did you attend Schenectady Restaurant Week? Let me know your experience in the comments!