The year was 2008, and I was an intern at an office on the corner of Broadway and Houston. This was long before the reign of the corporate slop bowl, and I took great pleasure in walking SoHo’s cobblestone streets in search of the best and most wallet-friendly lunches.

There were samosas from Lahore Deli (RIP), burritos from the original Calexico truck parked on Prince and Wooster, sandwiches from Olive’s. But one of the most memorable experiences of all was squeezing into the refurbished 1950s-style diner at 114 Kenmare for La Esquina tacos. You might have snagged a window seat if you were lucky, or maybe you sat on the curb and dug into carnitas tacos, la hamburguesa and cinnamon twists for dessert. But come 6 p.m., a whole other world opened up when you walked through the taqueria and cracked the door marked “No Admittance.”

La Esquina Brasserie opened in 2005 on a SoHo corner that didn’t have much going on. But it very quickly became a hotspot, with then-New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni saying it was “sort of like Studio 54 with chipotle instead of cocaine.” More than 20 years later on a recent visit to the subterranean restaurant, I quickly realized not much has changed. You still sit elbow-to-elbow in a boisterous, dimly-lit dining room. You can still order Margaritas and sangria by the pitcher. And, perhaps most importantly, the food is still sublime.

“Timing, luck and a little bit of fairy dust,” says La Esquina owner Derek Sanders when I ask him about the restaurant’s ongoing success. “There’s always been a certain amount of fun in the air, but behind the scenes, we take what we do very seriously. The balance is the magic.”

La Esquina's dark and sexy Soho dining room — La Esquina’s dark and sexy SoHo dining room

La Esquina

In a city that’s always changing, it’s La Esquina’s exuberant vibes, tasty cocktails and reliable food that keep the regulars coming back. Although the restaurant has made certain shifts with the times, not a whole lot has been altered in its two decades.

“The menu hasn’t changed dramatically over the years,” Sanders says. “It’s been kept fairly consistent because it really reflects who we are as a restaurant. Guests continue to come back for the classics, and many of those dishes have been on the menu for a long time. Fan favorites have always included the tinga de pollo tacos, elotes, queso fundido and bistec.”

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I didn’t have any of those particular classics during my most recent visit. Instead, we dined on octopus tostadas, homemade guac, fried Brussels sprouts with toasted almonds and pickled chilis, and mole enchiladas. And, like at every restaurant where they’re a staple of the cuisine, we ordered the rice and beans.

Even “plain,” without the queso fresco and pico de gallo that they usually come with, they were packed with flavor and perfectly cooked. For a dish that can often be forgettable, La Esquina’s rice and beans remain revelatory, and that’s by design.

“There may be the occasional tweak here and there depending on the kitchen, but the core recipe has always remained the same,” Sanders says. “That consistency is important to us. It’s one of those dishes guests come back for, and we want it to taste just as they remember every time.”

It’s been almost two decades since I first stepped foot in La Esquina, and I still get a little rush pushing open that forbidden door and descending into the restaurant below. Now, with the help of their kitchen’s recipe, anyone can try those rice and beans that’ve made me a fan 18 years running.

La Esquina Buttered Corn Rice With Slow-Simmered Black Beans

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup dried black beans, rinsed
1/4 white onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh epazote, chopped (optional)
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
6 cups water, divided
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 bay leaf
1 cup pico de gallo
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

For the slow-simmered black beans:
1. Place the rinsed black beans and 4 cups of water in a medium pot and bring to a gentle simmer. In a separate pan over medium heat, sweat the diced onion and garlic until softened and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mixture to the beans along with 1 tsp. salt and epazote. Simmer partially covered for 1.5 to 2 hours until the beans are tender and the broth is rich and flavorful.
For the corn rice:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a baking dish, combine the rice, corn kernels, melted butter, 2 cups of water, 1 tsp. salt and bay leaf. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove the bay leaf and fluff with a fork.
To assemble:
1. Divide the buttered corn rice among four bowls. Spoon the simmered black beans over the rice and finish with pico de gallo, crumbled queso fresco and fresh cilantro. Serve warm.

Meet your guide

Amanda Gabriele

Amanda is InsideHook’s Senior Editor and has been writing about food, drinks, travel and style for 16 years. She’s written for Travel + Leisure, Eater, Gear Patrol and New York Magazine among other outlets.