THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Westbound

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Westbound Restaurant Review:

Westbound brings some of the city’s most beguiling craft cocktails and small plates to the One Santa Fe mixed-use complex in the Arts District. Celebrating the site of the original 1893 Santa Fe Railroad's La Grande Station, design highlights include leather Pullman booths, a copper-clad bar and a chic little garden patio with olive trees and a cozy fire pit. This “bar counter and lounge room” pairs head bartender Dee Ann Quinones (Booker and Dax) with executive chef Gary Nguyen (Mélisse, Alma), creating a fine synergy between the open kitchen right behind the bar. Together, the duo offer a unique culinary experience. Nguyen is breaking out here as one of the city’s best new chefs, and shades of his “Alma-mater” are found in arresting dishes he prepares at a butcher block. Tiny gravlax cones are fit for a fairy --- roe, trout, goat cheese and dill arrive folded into unexpected and airy charcoal cones crowned with tiny flowers for a two-bite transcendence. New Zealand tai snapper ceviche combines sea and meadow with pickled serrano, basil, coconut and balsamic anchovies. There are oysters with fermented tangerine ice and ambitious seasonal vegetables (charred, braised, pickled and poached). The luxe “Foie ’n’ Waffle” features brioche, espresso, maple, and navel orange compote, while the sweet beet trifle melds beet meringue, orange cake, brandy caramel and spring herb ice cream. The wine list is worth exploring, but don’t pass up some of the finest cocktails in town, like “Sinatra and Chanel” (Monkey Shoulder whiskey, coco palm, frankincense and sour cherry bitters) or “La Remedia” (Vida mezcal, chipotle honey, lemon and smoked paprika).