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Salinas

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While the rest of New York crams into Birreria, it’s time to explore alternatives a little off the beaten path. After all, no matter how strong the draw of a new place, outdoor dining should be about relaxation, not suffering through a crowd-induced panic attack.

One outdoor spot that opened recently with a sliver of the press attention Batali’s place has gotten is Salinas, an enchanting little tapas place in Chelsea. The main wow factor here is the decor, designed by hair and makeup artist Donald Mikula and his wife Mary Catherine. There are vintage-y Spanish touches like wire mesh fronted bar cabinets and exposed stone walls, hanging flowers and flattering lighting. 

High tech functionality works discreetly in the background on the patio, where a retractable glass paned roof closes up the charming room on rainy nights or opens to the sky on clear ones. Tufted velvet upholstered banquettes run along the side, and a fireplace dominates the back wall. It feels like a California-style set up: in nice weather, just move the whole living room outside.

That isn’t to say the food is just a side act. Basque chef Luis Bollo, formerly of Suba and Meigas, has returned to NY after an eight-year absence. His skill with Spanish food shines in a menu that runs the gamut from traditional tapas to more inventive stuff.

We started with with pimientos del padron, blistered shisito peppers sprinkled with fleur de sel. These were exactly as they should be.

The one-and-a half-ounce portion of jamon serrano ($9) arrived as a generous serving of paper thin slices of sweet, salty ham served with toasts. Pa amb oli, always a good litmus test for tapas, seemed expensive at $8 a pop, but two hunks of toasted country bread were weighed down by an impressive amount of minced tomatoes at peak season. Garlic, olive oil and smoky char flavors took it up a notch.

The yellowfin tuna ceviche ($13) here took a cue from the Canary Islands, incorporating a local spicy, garlicky mojo picon sauce with the jumble of tender sweet tuna, onions sliced razor thin, tomatoes and cilantro. Fishermen must eat really well in the Canary Islands.

Red wine with fish? It totally worked in the ensalata de calamarines ($15), in which lightly battered and fried baby octopus were dressed with a crianza wine vinaigrette on top of greens and shaved zucchini. These sorts of inventive flavors and dressings and gourmet techniques applied to traditional fare is exactly how new chefs in Spain are cooking now.

Patatas bravas ($8), too, were a little more elegant than usual, presented as small cubed potatoes tossed with just the right of pimenton and aioli, though they could have used a little more crunch.

The one entree we ordered, arroz de verano ($21) did not disappoint – a decadent bowl of tender Bomba rice got a salty kick from black Spanish empeltre olives tempered by almond romesco and a poached egg on top. There are actually a lot of vegetarian options on the menu for a Spanish place.

It was hard to wrench ourselves away from the table in the pretty back room, so we ordered a melocotones en costra ($8), a warm cocotte of peaches baked with brown sugar, spices and more almonds.

A request for herbal tea yielded a surprise – our server presented us with this illuminated box of different types of tea leaves. High tech meets old world, again. Service was attentive throughout until the end, when the wait staff vanished for what seemed like eons when it was time to get the check.

If you can’t make a whole night of Salinas, it’s worth it just to stop in at the bar in the front room and sip one of their refreshing gin-based cucumbertinis ($15) with a neighborhood crowd of pretty boys and the women who love them. But a meal here is definitely in order – in the summer under the stars, or in the fall by that fireplace.

Salinas
136 Ninth Avenue (between 18th and 19th Streets)
New York, NY
212.776.1990
salinasnyc.com

Reservations and menus available online


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