La Pulperia Offers An Authentic Latin Experience On Manhattan's Highly Trafficked 46th Street

If you're looking for a giant marquee, you will miss La Pulperia.

It's tucked away on an otherwise "loud" block in Manhattan's Midtown West neighborhood, warmly welcoming you to scoot through its narrow entrance past the bar and into a dimly lit back room with an open kitchen.

La Pulperia is a breath of fresh air in the neighborhood—it feels like a well-kept Argentinian secret that even the tourists don't know about. In fact, despite Times Square being a stone's throw away, most of their regulars are neighborhood residents.

We were presented with the Chef's Tasting of el crudo comprising incredibly tender calamari, a firecracker of a spicy shrimp dish, and the most interesting and velvety seafood appetizer I've ever had: the el salmon brûlée made with cream cheese, strawberries, brown sugar, and ginger.  

Every detail is spot-on — even the chips are served fresh out of the oven so that the summer humidity doesn't get to them, alongside guacamole smartly topped with a sprinkling of cotija cheese.

The lobster tacos are made in wonton shells and served with chopped pineapple and avocado, and while butternut squash and ricotta gnocchi may not be the first thing that comes to mind at a Latin American eatery, its worth taking a bite here —it's worth taking every bite, in fact.

For dessert, we had ice cream made from a fruit that many Americans don't even know exists — but I won't ruin the surprise. Just be sure to ask for it when you get there. 

Next time someone asks for a suggestion in the Theater District, impress them by recommending La Pulperia.