Alta Calidad

Alta Calidad Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Chef/owner Akhtar Nawab's cool and casual Prospect Heights restaurant serves modern Mexican food with a Brooklyn sensibility. The intimate setting sports a mural by Marysia Schultz and cheerful hues of black, white and blue.

Likes: Margaritas; fun vibe; queso fundido “complicado”; rib-eye à la plancha.
Dislikes: Can get loud.

Food & Drinks: Chef Nawab’s menu satisfies like any good comfort food should, without sacrificing a certain thoughtful elegance that makes a meal here feel special. Dishes are meant for sharing. Start with queso fundido “complicado,” gooey cheese dip furnished with artichokes, poblano and chorizo. Fried shrimp tacos get a dose of heat from salsa negra and a balancing cool from celery root rémoulade. A plate of wild king salmon crudo is refreshing, full of crunchy cucumber and dressed in a tamarind yuzu salsa. Rib-eye à la plancha with chimichurri is fragrant and juicy. Churros complemented by bittersweet chocolate make an ideal end to a meal. Pair the food with a Margarita Calidad, blended with Altos Plata Tequila, citrus and agave, or a glass of wine from the concise list that features bottles from Spain, California and Argentina. Brunch highlights an hour of bottomless drinks.