THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Beso Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Beso Restaurant Review:

There is much to say about Beso. Let us start with its suggestive name, something we all like: "kiss" in Spanish. Continue with the celebrity owners, sexy actress Eva Longoria, and charming and effusive chef Todd English. After much planning, the pair transformed the huge space into a vibrant restaurant and bar. The interior designer, Tracie Butler, successfully dressed up the walls, the ceilings, the floor, the banquettes, the windows and the open-air kitchen with different materials and colors that will make you feel comfortable right away --- once you have passed the fence of bouncers outside. Any table accesses a piece of the action, though we prefer the round, beige-crocodile booths. English has created a unique menu that is not fusion, sushi or steakhouse --- even though there are notable meat dishes. It is Mexican with a twist, as in Cuban-style baby-back ribs with apple slaw; shrimp and chorizo flatbread with manchego; a lobster tamale in a white wine-basil sauce; and homemade guacamole with corn and queso fresco. Tasty tacos are made with grilled soft shells and come stuffed with tuna tartare, skirt steak, chicken adobo, plantains and yellowtail. Seafood entrées can be salmon, yellowfin tuna, or whole fish at market price. For more robust dishes, order English's signature paella with lobster and chorizo, oven-roasted chicken stuffed with spinach and mozzarella, or sea scallops with truffle oil mashed potatoes. Open the sealed dessert menu and consider a fried banana split with pepita brittle, churros, or Key lime cheesecake. Don’t miss the strong drinks from the bar that are made from fresh fruit. Upstairs is a more private version of the restaurant.