La Palapa, an authentic Mexican restaurant specializing in "Mexico City style" tacos and quesadillas and regional home cooking opened Friday, November 24, 2000 at 77 St. Marks Place, between First and Second Avenue in the East Village. Margaritte Malfy and Barbara Sibley are the owners. Both women are chefs and artists and have extensive New York City restaurant experience.

Ms. Sibley was born in Mexico City and she and Ms. Malfy first began planning La Palapa when they traveled to Mexico City to show their paintings in a gallery there.

The restaurants focuses on authentic Mexican cuisine featuring Tacos al Pastor, Mole Negro Oaxaqueno, Salsa Pibil and many other specialties from different regions of Mexico. Salsas and sauces are rich and spicy and fresh ingredients are used.

A palapa is a palm-thatched shelter on a Mexican beach where you can relax with your feet in the sand looking at the ocean while you sip an ice cold cerveza flavored with lime and salt, and eat a spicy shrimp taco with salsa guajillo.