Mi Pequeño Chinantla

Past the butcher counter in the back of La Union Deli, there’s a small door to another room. As soon as you walk through this entrance, you’ll be greeted by two things: a large menu handwritten on oaktag and a snarling bobcat.

The bobcat is one of several pieces of taxidermy in Mi Pequeño Chinantla, a tiny Mexican eatery covered in knickknacks and specializing in tamales and guisado. The daily menu also rotates through various types of tacos, quesadillas, barbacoa, and picaditas (the latter of which are tiny corn cakes that get topped in salsa, onions, and queso fresco).

Despite the giant comprehensive menu overhead, the offerings do vary day to day, so it’s best to simply step up to the small window and ask. The guisado can range from pork tenderloin in a bath of rich, spicy adobo sauce to steak covered in chipotle sauce. No matter what's on the menu, it's hard to go wrong with the comforting-with-a-kick stew, so when in doubt, simply order the guisado del dia and dive in beneath the dangling suns, deer heads, and sombreros.

The food counter’s name is an homage to the Mexican town of Chinantla, the home of the deli’s owner. It's a fitting moniker: Hidden in the back of his Sunset Park shop, the space offers a small piece of Chinantla for anyone looking to find it in Brooklyn.