The logo for Danny Meyer's new taco venture, Tacocina. Image courtesy of Meyer's Instagram

What to expect from Danny Meyer’s New York taco stand

The man behind Shake Shack promises to bring his take on Mexican food to the Williamsburg waterfront

We don’t know just what style of Mexican cuisine Danny Meyer will offer at his newly announced taco stand, due to open for business at Domino Park in Williamsburg later this year. Though we can be fairly sure that Meyer’s venture, Tacocina, will satisfy some as yet unmet hunger within New York’s restaurant-goers.

“Meyer’s ability to introduce the most appropriate level of food, drink and hospitality into so many different organisations is one of his most remarkable achievements as a restaurateur,” explains Nicholas Lander in his book, The Art of the Restaurateur. “This intuitive sense for judging just what, how and where New Yorkers want to eat has brought him a remarkable strike record in opening a diverse range of restaurants.“

Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group has founded everything from the Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern through to the chic burger chain, Shake Shack. In every case, Meyer and his team pay an incredible amount of attention to close details, from new waiter’s names, through to correct lighting. Even when it doesn’t work out, he still knows how to close a restaurant in style; after his Indian restaurant Tabla shut its doors in 2010 following the financial crisis, he staged a jobs fair for his staff, inviting over other prospective employers, to make the closure less painful for all concerned.

 

Danny Meyer, as drawn by Nigel Peake for The Art of the Restaurateur
Danny Meyer, as drawn by Nigel Peake for The Art of the Restaurateur

Mexican food, though, seems like a safe bet, given the success of Enrique Olvera’s New York establishments, Alta and Cosme. If Meyer and co want to take a few tips from Olvera, they could do worse than get a copy of his book, Mexico from the Inside Out; for a more general take on cuisine south of the border, they could also try Mexico the Cookbook, and for all things taco-related there is, of course, Tacopedia.

Still, knowing Danny, he’s probably got this covered. For greater insight into how Meyer does it, and much more, order a copy of The Art of the Restaurateur; for more on Mexican food, take a look at these books.