It is impossible for a city to have too many good Mexican restaurants. That is why I am thrilled about the opening of La Divina, a Mexican grocery store and taqueria, in Kenmore.
La Divina occupies a large retail space on Delaware Avenue, with plenty of room for growth. The store now sells produce and a large variety of Mexican products, including chilies, beverages, beans, and canned goods. But the store will in time house a Mexican butcher and sell Mexican bread.
Sergio Mucino, owner of La Divina, is also the creative force behind several other successful Mexican restaurants in the area, including Don Tequila on Allen Street and Agave on Elmwood Avenue. He will soon open an additional Mexican restaurant in Kenmore across from La Divina in the yet-to-be-redeveloped George Washington Elementary School. La Divina will prepare homemade tortillas for its own in-house operation and Mucino’s other restaurants in the area.
The restaurant component of La Divina is unlike anything else that is happening in Western New York at the moment. There are only about five items on the menu (almost all of them, tacos) that the kitchen effortlessly whips up. While the menu will expand somewhat in time, its emphasis is direct and to the point. Instead of offering a complex and elaborate menu, La Divina seamlessly and efficiently does with it does best: tacos.
The no frills set-up makes lunch at La Divina an everyday affair. You order at the counter and are served your meal in a matter of minutes. You can then choose from a variety of traditional taco accompaniments, including three out-of-this world homemade salsas. All three tacos that I tried – chicken, steak, and carne asada – were flawlessly prepared and seasoned to perfection. Customers will soon be able to enjoy their tacos with the beer of their choice from the refrigerated sections of the store.
Mucino is already doing many things right at La Divina. It will be exciting to see how La Divina, and Mucino’s other culinary projects, unfold in Kenmore and throughout Western New York.
La Divina | 2896 Delaware Avenue | Buffalo, NY 14217