THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Radex

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Radex Restaurant Review:

Step into chef Radek Cerny’s new digs and it’s immediately clear that this is a place willing to take a few risks. For starters, the walls in this noisy nouveau-retro space are a salmony pink, a go-for-it hue that you’ll either love or hate. Make your way to the mini back-bar and a giant sculpted head leans out toward your cocktail, an imposing presence for sure. But snare a table at this red-hot eatery and find that the edginess of this bustling bistro is worth embracing. Cerny’s new establishment displays the same top-shelf fare of his revered Papillon, but at prices a shade more easily swallowed. The merits here are many. The wine list swells with a well-conceived group of upscale versions, enough to slake the cravings of novice and oenophile alike. The menu here offers ample examples of cuisine blending, from pasta dishes that meld USA and Italian delights to hybrid Euro wonders that thrill. Salads hold warm nuggets of pecan-encrusted goat cheese, the billowy cheesecake appetizer is laced with baby shrimp. Yum. We reach for the beef carpaccio and the salty-but sweet shrimp cakes or any of the grilled meats, which float atop savory sauces alongside dreamy mashed potatoes. (The house potatoes---thinly shredded and crispy fried---come with each plate as well but leave us cold.) Desserts are almost too good to eat---pastries that meltdown in the mouth, fruits dipped in chocolates and custards that kill. A lone jazz guitarist adds a hint of urban swank, perfect for late night crowds that gather at the bar on weekends.