Michelin-starred tacos at Tacombi in Westbury for a limited time

The Michelin Guide made headlines this May when it announced that for the first time, it would include a humble taqueria among its ranks of starred fine dining establishments. The move was part symbolism and part practical, as the international guide had recently launched in Mexico City. Either way, it was a cultural moment for Mexican food and now for a short time, these tacos are available on Long Island. 

The award-winning taco stand El Califa de León has been in business in Mexico City's San Rafael neighborhood since 1968. Its named after a famous bullfighter Rodolfo Gaona whose nickname was The Caliph of León. The previously under-the-radar taqueria is focused on simple, quality meats and only serves four varieties of tacos, three being different cuts of steak and another with thinly-sliced pork chop. 

"This taqueria may be bare bones with just enough room for a handful of diners to stand at the counter but its creation, the Gaonera taco, is exceptional," reads its blurb in the Michelin Guide. "Thinly sliced beef filet is expertly cooked to order, seasoned with only salt and a squeeze of lime. ... The resulting combination is elemental and pure." 

From now until the end of October, the NYC-based chain Tacombi is having a Califa de León pop-up. It's added two of the tacos to the regular menu, along with the distinctive salsas that turned the heads of the Michelin inspectors. Tacombi, which has its roots in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, but is now backed by Shake Shack's Danny Meyer, has recently turned its sights to Mexico's capital.

El Califa de León owner Mario Hernandez's costilla with thinly-sliced beef loin and chuleta with thinly-sliced pork chop are now printed on the paper menu at Tacombi in Westbury. The tacos are available on plates of two for $12 and $14 respectively. Marinated in lard as per the recipe, the meats are juicy and flavorful served on the housemade Tacombi corn tortillas (which are great). 

Mexican food is known across the world as a vibrant and unbridled cuisine, one that pairs intense flavors like lime and chile with beautiful greens and reds and all the colors. So it's striking that these tacos are so simple. They arrive unadorned, with no cilantro or radishes or any manner of cheese. It's just you and the juicy slabs of meat. But the salsas presented on the side are much stronger than anything you'll find on Long Island. The red salsa is deep and tastes of roasted dry chiles in a chipotle adobo sauce. And the green is the polar opposite: fresh and fiercely tangy with its tomatillos, the unique texture is almost like they blended a whole lime in there and let it rip. Eat it slow, because if it gets down the wrong pipe, you're pretty much screwed. (Speaking from experience.) 

For all its charms, Tacombi in the Walmart parking lot doesn't have the same "je ne sais quoi" as a roadside taco stand in Mexico City that captivated the world. But even so, this perfect little taste of Central Mexico is enough to get you thinking about the sheer diversity of Mexican cuisine. And there's free parking.

Tacombi, 1226 Old Country Road, Westbury, 516-216-9851, tacombi.com. Open daily 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

By Andi Berlin

andi.berlin@newsday.comAndiBerlin

Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.