Celebrated chef and cookbook author Roberto Santibañez has created a rare New York restaurant: a relaxed, affordable neighborhood spot that also serves exciting contemporary Mexican cuisine. Santibañez blends care and authenticity with the creative urban flourishes that distinguish the food of his native Mexico City. At Fonda’s three locations—in Chelsea, the East Village, and Park Slope, Brooklyn—the tortillas are hand-pressed, the guacamole is made to order, and the margaritas are thoughtfully crafted.

His version of enchiladas in black mole, the legendary sauce made from dozens of ingredients, would impress any grandmother in Oaxaca, while modern dishes like duck zarape, braised duck tucked between tortillas lavished with habanero-spiked tomato salsa, keep jaded New Yorkers coming back for more since 2009.