Pata Negra: Intimate, quiet, and about the size of your studio-apartment living room, this East Village hideaway is definitely not a place to shake off the work-week woes by getting rowdy. Instead, chill out Spanish style with wine and tapas. Named after the black-hoofed pig, Pata Negra offers up cured jamon iberico (a delicacy recently approved for import) on the simple ham and cheese menu, but the focus is on dozens of Spanish wines. Make sure to go during the daily “siesta” from 5 to 7:30 p.m., featuring $5 glasses of wine or sangria and free tapas, and leave the work talk at the office for once. Stay long enough and friendly owner Chef Rafael Mateo just may offer you a shot from his secret stash of mescal. |
