CUISINE: Modern Spanish
VIBE: Buzzing midtown hub
OCCASION: Business lunch; after-work tapas; group dinner
DON'T-MISS DISH: Grilled calamari, pumpkin seed-crusted lamb, suckling pig, Mexican chocolate cake
AVERAGE PRICE: Appetizers, $9; entrees, $28; desserts, $9
RESERVATIONS: Accepted

Josh DeChellis has bounced around a bunch over the past few years. He's what I call a restaurant drifter, a chef with no home.

It all started with the closing of Rocco DiSpirito's Union Pacific.

And you can taste it in his cooking.

The back room is for grownups who want to talk business in a suit and exercise their table manners. And each room gets an appropriate menu. If you want affordable tapas, go to the front room.

If you want a traditional suite of food — appetizer, entree, dessert — go to the back room. And if you want to eat really well, go to the back room. That's where you really sense DeChellis' talents.

Upfront, they sometimes get lost in the hubbub. Here are some of the wonderful dishes I discovered in the back room — maybe 50 yards from the main concourse in Grand Central.

The Cochinillo, or suckling pig: DeChellis takes the whole pig apart, seasons it, braises it, then crisps the skin on the plancha, and puts the whole pig back together on your plate. Then he adds the finishing touches: Marcona almonds, charred brussels sprouts and smoked dates.

The sea scallops tiradito: He slices the - scallops thin as a rose petal, - layers them over sweet onion, lime juice and a sea urchin puree, and waits for them to ceviche themselves. The salt cod croquetas and the calamari a la plancha: Both are traditional Spanish - dishes and both come to life in DeChellis' hands.

The front room is hit-or-miss. The oxtail in the "sopa seca" - think Spanish stew meets casserole - was leather-dry and so were the white beans.

The garlic shrimp cazuelita was nothing more than ordinary. And it wasn't the carrot essence or the seasonings or even the salsify - smart accessories - that spoiled the salmon a la plancha. It was the salmon, overcooked and uninspired.

La Fonda del Sol is an odd oasis in a midtown desert. People love it for what is: a convenient stop on your way to the train or a great escape after work.

For me, it was a great place to rediscover a talented chef.

946 Second Ave., near 50th St.
(212) 355-6565
Dinner: Sun.-Wed., 5:30-10 p.m.,
Thu.-Sat., 5:30-midnight.
CUISINE Creative ceviche
VIBE Lively neighborhood haunt
OCCASION Solo flight, casual date
DON'T-MISS DISH Spicy yellowfin tuna; Kona kampachi
PRICES $8-$25
RESERVATIONS No reservations accepted

There are those few precious restaurants you contemplate keeping to yourself. It is a selfish act, though not an unreasonable one, as a way to safeguard tiny haunts harboring gutsy chefs and even gutsier flavors.

Crave Ceviche Bar is one of those rare finds in a part of town better known for its happy hours and expense-account dinners. Candlelight dances about the beachy nook, marked with white paneling, wood floors and exposed brick walls.

Scribbled on a blackboard are not daily specials, but the names of hopeful diners anxious for one of 21 seats. This is the first obstacle. The second is the waiting area, or more precisely, the lack of one. At present, the sidewalk of Second Ave. serves as a makeshift assembly point for Crave-determined diners.

Chef Todd Mitgang (formerly of Kittichai) devotes his undivided attention to ceviche. While this dish tends to lean on its Peruvian and Ecuadoran roots (lemon or lime juice marinades), the menu is unbound to any tradition or country. Instead, Mitgang wanders freely about the globe, drawing inspiration from Asia, Spain and Latin and South America. He marinates everything from salmon to filet mignon in anything from aged sherry vinegar to Worcestershire sauce.

Launch into the spicy yellowfin tuna. What I had dismissed as an overplayed dish is thrillingly reimagined: Velvety mounds of tuna, punched up by threads of toasted nori, arrive on a bed of yucca.

Petals of kona kampachi are hit with a cool blast of yogurt and mint, rounded out with curry-dusted chickpeas. Even a "traditional shrimp ceviche" is blissfully complicated by an interplay of plancha-charred corn, hearts of palm and the salty crunch of chili-spiced popcorn.

Some dishes inevitably overreach. One misstep came at the expense of a beautiful arctic char that would have been better paired with a glass of Champagne than adrift in a sea of it - cloying strawberries bobbing amid the bubbles. A riff on an Israeli salad, consisting of diced cucumbers, tomatoes and tahini sauce, overpowered delicate bits of yellowtail. And tender strands of filet mignon caved under an overwhelming dollop of chimichurri aioli, pickles and manchego cheese.

The latest in a series of tapas joints to grace Manhattan kicked-off Tuesday evening after a number of setbacks and massive speculation (myself included).  Of course I had to see this with my own eyes.  Opening night and Noho's newest resident was abuzz, brimming with tapas loyalists, gourmet groupies and trendy types.  Every chair was taken in the narrow 90-seat space, industrially-outfitted with unfinished wood tables, brick walls and an eating counter with a view into a white subway-tiled open kitchen: think Casa Mono meets Boqueria on a dimmer.  But Mercat's most inviting accessory was a centerstage ham-and-cheese station, which will no doubt allure potential loiterers (myself included).   

Owner & native Barcelonian, Jaime Reixach, has enlisted chefs David Seigal (Bouley) & Ryan Lowder (Jean Georges) to employ his Catalan-inspired vision of small plates, which take the form of snails & chorizo skewers and sepia ink-stained noodles. While the menu's peppered with the usual suspects - padron peppers, patatas bravas & salt-cod fritters - some dishes weren't as markedly Spanish on paper: guinea hen with wax beans & cranberries and grilled hanger steak with roasted vegetables & horseradish.  The wine list is entirely Spanish, hosting five white & red wines by the glass as well as a vivacious strawberry-red cava that makes for the perfect you-can-wait-at-the-bar aperitif.

While the fare's not as boldly seasonal as Boqueria or relentlessly authentic as Tia Pol, Mercat will likely succeed in the clamorous pursuit of tapas.  For starters, the house-cured salt cod fritters prove atypically light & fluffy: battery, salt cod-spiked pillows emit an irresistible and undeniably funnel cake-like fragrance (in a good way).  I received further funnel cake confirmation from a neighboring table.  A platoon of "stringy potatoes", cradling a fried egg, also whisked me back to the potato stix of my youth. 

Dusted in cornmeal, crispy sweetbread nuggets were pleasingly set on a vibrant backdrop of shaved fennel, capers, oranges & red onions.  The real standout was the monkfish a la plancha.  Simple but brilliantly flavorful, the monkfish proved flaky and moist, strewn on a forest-green bed of terrifically fresh ramps and further elevated by a paprika-tinged romesco sauce.  The only thing missing from the dish was a hunk of bread to lap up the remains of the smoky romesco. 

But neither a bouillabasse nor a stew, the Catalan fisherman's stew sadly ran adrift in a shallow bowl of mussels with one lone, head-on shrimp, wading in an overly garlicky, oil-drenched sauce.  While the churros suffered a sugar-coated death, the melted chocolate was dangerously drinkable.  Though there are some noticeable kinks, Mercat holds much promise.  Besides, the hip masses pouring through the door certainly didn't seem to mind any opening night wrinkles.

45 Bond St., btwn. Lafayette & Broadway
212-529-8600

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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53 West 19th Street (btwn. 5th & 6th Aves.)
(212)255-4160

TYPE: Regional Spanish cuisine
VIBE: Sleek cervezeria
OCCASION: A festive group dinner or low maintenance dinner
DON'T MISS DISH: Paella Valenciana
DON'T BOTHER DISH: Lamb shank with yogurt
DRINK SPECIALTY: Exclusively Spanish wines
PRICE: $35 & up
HOURS: Sunday through Thursday, 11 AM until midnight; Friday & Saturday, 11 AM until 2 AM.
RESERVATIONS: No reservations accepted. Get a drink at the bar and prepare for a surmountable wait. 
INSIDE SCOOP: Order the cuttlefish special (when available).
RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10):  7 (very good)
FINAL WORD: Viva las tapas - Boqueria's irresistible charm and contagious energy transcend both the plate and sexy space.

CHEAT SHEET:
DRINK: A regional Spanish wine or the rose sangria
NIBBLE ON: Blistered padron peppers
START WITH: Baby squid tapas
ORDER: Paella Valenciana
FINISH WITH: Hazelnut and coffee mousse

After breaking ground on the Lower East Side with Suba, Yann de Rochefort continues to spread the tapas tradition with the recent opening of Boqueria, a sexy new restaurant in the Flatiron District.  Executive chef, Seamus Mullen, who cooked at Brasserie 8 1/2, Crudo and some of Spain's best kitchens, brings a uniquely seasonal and ingredient-driven approach to the authentic Spanish cuisine at Boqueria.  This modern space, accented with subway-tiled walls, burlap ceilings and counter-height tables, induces a casually trendy atmosphere.  Boqueria is fashionable without being forced, a refreshingly accessible dining experience - it manages to make a scene without being one.

Not one for the communal table trend that has sprung onto New York's restaurant scene, I was hesitant to accept a seat at Boqueria's, the centerpiece of this bustling dining room.  But with a long wait ahead for privacy, I reluctantly plunged into the giant table full of strangers.  But they weren't strangers for long: before I knew it, a diner at the far end was offering me a glass of sangria, the beginning of an evening of plate passing and tapas sharing.   

It's the simple pleasures that stand out at Boqueria and there are many to be had;  warm cabrales & almond-stuffed dates, generously wrapped in thick, salty bacon, is a beautiful blend of sweet & savory.  Another rite of passage are the padron peppers, roasted to a blistery perfection and simply seasoned with coarse sea salt, some with a surprise kick.  When available, snatch up at least one order of the cuttlefish special; a sensational snarl of cuttlefish prepared two ways (plancha-grilled & cured in lemon juice), both superiorly tender, pleasingly punctuated with slivers of apple, plump peas, garlic, shallots and mint.

The three croquetas are another story; nicely crusty on the outside, the centers were lukewarm bechamel with fillings so indistinguishable, we couldn't be certain which one was ham, chicken or mushroom.  Equally, the salt cod was lost in a tangle of frisee and pear slices, overdressed in a "Picada" vinaigrette.

Onto the paella, which was a delectable and crunchy surprise; a bed of twice-cooked Calasparra rice, bathed in a bright mussel broth, then dotted with tender mussels, plump shrimp, chicken and chorizo.  I found myself competing with my newfound eating partners over the boldly flavored chunks of chorizo (I suggest adding more or a food fight could break out on my next visit). 

But there were some missteps on the menu, which came mostly in the form of salads, a confusion of competing and incompatible flavors, as well as dried-out meat dishes.  After dabbling in the lamb offerings on repeat visits, I'm forced to conclude that lamb's not Boqueria's strong suit.  The grilled lamb tapas, accented with lemon and cumin, could've easily been mistaken for indistinct cubes of beef.  And there was nothing fall-off-the bone about an over-cooked lamb shank, which tasted gamey, oddly paired with plums and a thick, tart yogurt, which only confounded the flavors further.

I wasn't expecting such a fulfilling ending to the meal, but along came the chocolate and hazelnut mousse, two luscious pudding-like puffs, one of rich coffee-spiked mousse, the other, a dark chocolate counterpart.  As if that weren't enough, the accompanying hazelnut ice cream, sprinkled with candied hazelnut crumble, made dessert at Boqueria a truly decadent affair - one that's most definitely worth saving room for.

Though the food's not perfect, Boqueria's clearly getting better everyday as was made evident by the patatas bravas, which on my first visit arrived sadly chewy and bland; by my second they had made crispy headway, although still lacking in the spice department; but on the third visit they had clinched a perfectly crispy potato, laced with a spicy aioli.  There's another reason that people are packing into the cozy bar area to wait for a table: perhaps it's the notion of eating in a stylish space, refreshingly smaller than an airplane hangar (Buddha Bar quickly comes to mind), or maybe it's the simple, but inspired Spanish fare, both lacking in even the slightest hint of pretension. 

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl

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243 West 14th Street (betwn. 7th & 8th Aves.)
(212)620-0077

TYPE: Global cuisine
VIBE: Moody Meatpacking (sans the velvet rope)
OCCASION:  Dining in packs or "seal the deal" late-night with a cocktail and dessert
DON'T MISS DISH: Honey's ceviche trio
DON'T BOTHER DISH: Paella tapas & apple cobbler
PRICE: $40 (with a cocktail)
HOURS: Monday through Wednesday, 5 PM-2 AM; Thursday-Saturday 5 PM-4 AM; Sunday 5 PM-12 AM.
RESTAURANT GIRL RATES: 6 (above average)
SEATING: 90 seats & private room in the back (holds 40)
FINAL WORD: Eat with a fast crowd - commitment phobic diners can load up on appetizers before taking their place in line at Marquee or Bungalow 8.

Honey isn't a dining destination per se, but it's certainly an appealing Meatpacking alternative to the bouncer and velvet rope-plagued, mob scenes of late.  Happily lacking the in your face accoutrements of most of its neighbors (Buddakan & Sascha), this warm, candle-lit restaurant lounge is mellowly outfitted with tan walls, brown banquettes and mirrored-walls.  In fact, there's really nothing in your face about this newcomer, except perhaps for the ubiquitous appearance of honey in both the food and cocktails.  Matt Shendel, creator of Dip & Cain, delivers Honey, geared toward a hipster crowd, dishing in global cuisine, heavy on the Spanish and Asian influences. 

With Victor Rodriguez in the kitchen (Dos Caminos), Honey's food is worth not overlooking, that is, if you concentrate your efforts wholly on the appetizers, especially the ceviches.  A trio of extremely fresh and creative ceviches - tuna colada, shrimp daiquiri and minted snapper - managed to make such an impression on my eating companions, that each argued a different favorite (mine was the tuna colada).  Though the strawberry vinaigrette in the shrimp daiquiri disturbed me in theory as another gimmicky ploy to be different, it was nonetheless, a flavorful and plump shrimp offering.  Likewise, not a complaint was uttered about the tuna colada, washed with a wasabi-flavored coconut juice or the snapper with mint.  Even the warm spinach dip, dressed up with a winter truffle essence, was devoured, pumpernickel bagel chips and all.  

If only we had continued on through the appetizer menu, we might've sailed through dinner without disappointment.  But committed to experiencing Rodriguez' food and the greatly praised paella tapas (by Rodriquez himself & the staff), we discovered mostly misguided entrees, a perfect example being the paella tapas. Hot on the trail of the recent paella trend, this one came deconsructed, which brought me to the conclusion that paella was never intended for dissection, but rather should be preserved as a celebrated mess of yellow rice with chorizo and seafood buried treasure.  However, this Japanese spin, arrived with red snapper atop all too carefully molded rectangles of dry yellow rice, oddly drizzled in honey pimiento coulis, with a side of chorizo .  Similarly, I grieved over the wasabi pea crusted ahi tuna - a plate stacked with nicely seared tuna, but poorly paired with a heavy soba seaweed salad and a flavorless maki roll, a thoughtless plate filler.  I took no issue with the espresso rubbed kobe flatiron steak, other than the fact that it was weighing down a fluffy plate-sized fetarepa - a fluffy corn pancake with feta and mozzarella cheese - delicately dressed in a white horseradish miso foam. 

As for dessert, skip the dry and tasteless apple cobbler, but don't pass over the  "smore-like" molten chocolate cake, layered with graham cracker twile and a velvety marshmallow meringue.      

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl

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