Photograph from Laurieinbaltimore on Flickr

The hot pink goat that graced the entrance to Cabrito may have been recently stolen by a miscreant, but this hasn't stopped chef Dave Schuttenberg from devising delicious uses for the restaurant’s namesake protein. I stopped into the West Village eatery the other night for a cocktail, stuffed to the gills after eating pizza. Tacos were the last thing on my mind. But when the barman told me about goat belly tacos, an off-menu special, I had to try one. And I'm glad I did.

Schuttenberg buys so many goats that he created this dish to put the beast’s bellies to good use—and what a good use it is. Run, don’t walk and wrap your hands around one of these little suckers now. They're so mind-bogglingly good I could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I kid you not.

Tender chunks of rich, fatty goat belly are dressed with serrano chiles, celery, red onion and crumbled cotija cheese. Schuttenberg admits he's “totally addicted” to this off-menu special that’s been running for about a week.

I, too, have fallen under the spell of these deliriously tasty flavor bombs. The goat itself is gloriously fatty and all that greenery makes for a nice bright counterpoint, as does a judicious squeeze of lime.

Cabrito

50 Carmine Street, New York NY 10014 (map)
212-929-5050
cabritonyc.com