Best "Real" Quesadillas in New York? (moved from Outer Boroughs)

[Fat and Happy Food Slut]

Looking for masa de harina empanada style quesadillas in New York City. I loved them in Guadalajara, but I haven't had much success finding them here. Used to like Hacienda's on 116th St, but they seem to have gone downhill a bit lately. Suggestions.

[bigjeff]

red hook soccer fields, get there this coming weekend (might be it's last). they don't seal the edges and there are plenty of other variations upon the masa-enclosing-meat-food.

[nerdgoggles]

I wonder if instead of looking for quesedillas, you are really looking for pupusas, arepas or gorditas. In my experience in Mexico, I haven't seen many examples of what Americans call "quesedillas."

Do you mean a ball of masa with a chunk of cheese in the center, flattened into a disc, then cooked on a griddle until the cheese melts and the outside crisps? In that case, you seem to be talking about pupusas or arepas.

Or do you mean a freshly handmade masa tortilla, cooked until it puffs, slit open, then stuffed with a filling and grilled again? If so, you want gorditas.

There are many examples of all of these throughout the city. I suggest searching around on chowhound and maybe making a more specific post. Good luck! I'm hoping you'll get some good replies.

[Fat and Happy Food Slut]

Just to clarify, I mean corn flour based dough, i.e., masa de maiz or masa maiz, as some brands have it.

[nerdgoggles]

Pupusas, arepas, and gorditas are all made with corn masa. In fact, I think by definition masa is corn (masa = maize).

[Fat and Happy Food Slut]

Many thanks for the suggestions.

N.B. "Masa" by definition is dough. It can be made from any grain, thus masa maíz and masa trigo (wheat) are two very different products. Of course, the grain used in making flour for dough in most of Mexico and Central America is corn.

[squid kun]

Wonder if these guys are still around in Jackson Heights ... http://www.chow.com/digest/2927 (third bulleted item). Jim Leff has dubbed them the "Ambitious Glacial Quesadilla Team."