Los Chingones

Los Chingones Restaurant Review:

Restaurateur and chef Troy Guard's restaurant --- a striking two-level space --- focuses on Mexican cuisine, but there's nothing remotely pedestrian about the dishes that emerge from the exhibition kitchen. Soft corn tacos, of which there are eleven variations, arrive tucked with everything from lamb's neck and octopus to butternut squash and beef tongue, and they're all elevated by the addition of fresh salsas, herbs and vegetables. Pig ear nachos are festooned with chorizo, pickled jalapeños, pinto beans and zigzags of Mexican crema, and the ceviches are splashed with fresh lime juice. The quarters, bedecked with Day of the Dead tiles, a bold-colored, Mexican-themed mural that stretches up the staircase and a large wooden community table, boasts two bars (one downstairs and one upstairs) and a rooftop patio with views overlooking the downtown skyline. Soak up the panorama over a potent margarita concocted with tequila or mezcal, and while you're at it, don't miss the black kale fundido. Other locations.