We laughed out loud at the comedy Board of Education, part of the Fresh Fruit Festival. It’s a comedy following two aimless millennials from being waiters at a gastropub to running for the board of education. Richard Spitaletta, who wrote it, also stars in it.

After the show, we walked around the corner to the newly opened Populares Mexican Restaurant, where I was invited as a guest.

We sipped Margies, both classic and unsweetened ($14) while nibbling on freshly made chips with four flavorful salsas: pico de gallo, spicy salsa rojo, and salsa verde, both fresh and cooked ($12), plus their housemade chunky guacamole ($16). We were happy while we waited for dinner service to begin.

Once it had, we sampled their crunchy glazed shrimp with garlic ($17) and their octopus with risotto and red peppers ($26). I’d recommend both.

For dessert, our adorable waitress Daniells’s side gig as a baker prepared the restaurant’s desserts ($10 each). We sampled her tiramisu and passion fruit mousse. Delicious.

If you’re in the hood, stop by.

Populares Mexican Restaurant
Lower East Side
51 Avenue B
New York, NY, 10009
popularesny.com/