Pair Your Beer With Oaxacan Snacks at Bushwick’s Sampler

If there’s anything Bushwick likes more than beer is bar snacks. And one of Bushwick’s beer bars, The Sampler, after years of cycling through food options, has settled on what we hope is a winning formula: Oaxacan Antojitos courtesy of Celsa Gonsalez and Lindsay Dunn. 

“Antojitos” translate to little whims, two-to-three-bite snacks piled high with a black bean spread, cheese, meat or veggies, and salsa verde. 

Dunn says, “This project came about when my friend Celsa reached out me, looking for work after having a baby. I pitched the idea to The Sampler—the timing was right—and we were able to put it together quickly.”

Gonsalez and Dunn had started working together over ten years ago at Bonita in Williamsburg and teamed up again to create a small, simple menu perfect for scarfing down in between pints.

The menu features three different shapes of antojitos: tlacoyitos, canoe-shaped tortillas; sopecitos, small rounds; and tostaditas, fried rounds [pictured below]. Toppings include steak, chorizo, chicken, nopal, and beans and cheese. Two antojitos will cost you $5, and paired with the guacamole, pickled veggies, or jalapeños rellenos—all $5 a pop, too—will make for a light but flavor-packed dinner.

I’ve tried all three shapes and my favorite combination is the tostaditas with a chorizo topping for a good blend of crunch, salt, and creaminess in addition to a side of guacamole and chips. 

Dunn adds that Gonsalez is from the Mexican state of Oaxaca “so we incorporated some regional touches, like serving tasajo, a local way of preparing beef, and the salsas and seasonings reflect the place she comes from.”

Images by Magdalena Waz for Bushwick Daily.