Shackin’ Up

Andrew Field’s delicious vision for Rockaway Beach

Written by Jesse Hirsch

Arriving at an interview by skateboard, with the bleached hair, deep tan and right on patois of a SoCal surf enthusiast, Andrew Field may not strike you as the best agent of neighborhood revitalization for New York. But when the neighborhood is Rockaway Beach, the seeds of change are fish tacos and Field reveals he’s a native New Yorker, everything comes into focus.

He is the idea man (chef seems too stuffy) at Rockaway Taco, the wildly popular boardwalk taco shack on the outer reaches of the borough. Now entering its third summer, the shop was originally the brainchild of David Selig, proprietor of NYC’s much-lauded Rice restaurants. The shack was the offspring of necessity: An avid surfer, Selig rued his lack of food options after hitting the Rockaway waves. “He followed his stomach,” laughs Field.

Selig bought an old plywood shack (“New York is one of the only places in the world where beachfront property is the cheapest real estate,” says Field), fixed it up and enlisted Field to helm the kitchen. Formerly a restaurateur near Puerto Vallarta, Field brought a level of Mexican street-food authenticity that was rare in the Big Apple, with a few twists gleaned from worldwide wave chasing. It didn’t take people long to notice.

Rockaway Taco’s first summer was the only slow season, a trial run to work out the kinks. The clientele was mostly local—EMTs and lifeguards and residents of nearby developments. Then, in 2009, the little taco shack became an unlikely media darling, garnering raves from much of the city’s mainstream press.

“All of a sudden we had 45-minute waits,” says Field. “People were willing to take that hour train ride from the city, to see what the hype was about.” The buzz brought them out and the food brought them back.

Field’s menu boasts five taco options: fish, chorizo, al pastor, carne asada and tofu. Fish is clearly the big draw—fresh tortillas surrounding battered tilapia filets, topped with radish, marinated cabbage, spiced mayonnaise, cilantro and lime (guacamole optional)—but the other tacos more than hold their own. Field suggests his al pastor pork, braised with tomato, onions, jalapeños and oregano, briefly grilled and served with a sliver of sweet pineapple. And while he stands firmly behind the carne asada and chorizo, he says the tofu is also worth a look. For this, his one vegetarian taco, Field elaborately marinates the tofu in soy sauce, seaweed, garlic, olive oil and cayenne, then grills it with nori flakes.

Rockaway Taco has other options, catering to many tastes. Field is addicted to the cucumber salad—crisp Kirby cukes, semi-sweet jicama and juicy mango, tossed with guajillo chile, sea salt and lime. Rockaway lifeguards favor the chilaquiles, pan-fried tortilla pieces and red mole topped with a fried egg. And younger customers clamor for the simple quesadillas, made with beans, queso and fried plantains.

When possible, Field sources ingredients locally. Most of his produce comes from Blooming Hill Organic Farm, just outside the city, and Red Hook Community Farm, with some also coming from Rockaway Taco’s own roof garden. Field gets his chorizo and beef from the wizards at the Meat Hook in Brooklyn. Eggs come from Selig’s own backyard chickens, and starting this year, the tortillas will come from Tortilleria Nixtamal in Corona.

Field’s biggest regret is not using local fish, but with demand reaching 60 pounds per weekend in the peak season, it’s hard to find a local supplier who can keep up. He hopes to start working soon with the New York Harbor School, a maritime high school on Governor’s Island, getting some of his catch from local students.

Though he winters where it’s warm, talk to Field for a bit and you realize a big part of his heart is in New York. For the summer months he calls the city home, sometimes sleeping in a tent on the shack’s roof; Rockaway Beach couldn’t ask for a better community booster.

“It blows my mind that we’ve got miles of beautiful beaches out here, but some people would rather swelter in Manhattan all summer,” he says. Once known as New York’s playground, with a boardwalk, an amusement park and flocks of global tourists, Rockaway Beach saw a slow 20th century decline that eventually earned it a reputation for crime and urban decay. More recently, the neighborhood has shown signs of renewal, with beachfront housing development and a smattering of new business leading to the first population spike in decades.

Rockaway Taco comfortably resides at the core of the local zeitgeist, with an opening that planted the seeds for further growth. DiCosmo’s, the legendary 95-year-old Italian ice shop in Elizabeth, N.J., opened an outpost next to the taco shack last year. Elizabeth Gilchrist of Blooming Hills recently opened an organic foods market on Rockaway Taco’s block. Field and Selig will sell cold-brewed iced coffee and baked goods from a Jack’s Coffee counter (also a mobile coffee truck, once permits are procured) near the taco shack this summer. And Field is currently working to get the Meat Hook to open a barbecue outpost close to the nearby Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

“This neighborhood just needed a little love,” he says. “We saw something here, we built something and now we are watching it grow.”