Critics’ choice: Three interpretations of Spanish cuisine

Bäco Mercat Los Angeles

The name evokes Catalonia, but Spain is only one of many influences in the “quirky” cooking of celebrated chef Josef Centeno, said S. Irene Virbila in the Los Angeles Times. Centeno’s new place downtown is laid-back, its wine prices are reasonable, and its cocktails distinctive—the “Bäzerac” blends rye, lemon verbena, Pernod, and bitters. A one-page menu instantly suggests that after finding his groove at the widely hailed Lazy Ox Canteen, the Texas-born Centeno is now “cooking just what he and his friends like to eat,” with constant invention part of the program. Every time I sit down in this market-style eatery (the mercat of the name), “I find a handful of fresh dishes that I can’t leave without trying.” A Catalan-influenced eggplant salad “delights with its contrasts of texture”: crunchy cucumber and feta and whole mint leaves. Occasional bites of tart green apple add sparkle to a rich plate of sweet octopus, smoked ham hock, and chickpeas. The namesake bäco is a versatile flatbread sandwich of Centeno’s invention, and I willingly admit to being in love with the Original, which is stuffed with pork and beef carnitas in a Catalan sauce. “It’s easy to get carried away with this menu.” 408 S. Main St., (213) 687-8808

La Churreria New York City

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“Churros are the supermodels of the doughnut world: long, skinny, and vaguely extraterrestrial,” said Ligaya Mishan in The New York Times. At this narrow takeout spot with five tables, they’re delivered to you straight from the burning-hot oil, resulting in fried dough that’s “crisp and fluffy and chewy all at once.” Dunk one in an accompanying hot chocolate and you have a Spanish breakfast—or hangover cure. But Spanish-born Jesús Manso, who also serves comforting Spanish fare at the neighboring Socarrat Paella Bar, has your cravings for savory snacks covered too. La Churreria’s bikinis—“dainty triangular sandwiches with crusts cut off”—could be “a high-tea version of croque monsieur.” Slightly more filling, but no less elegant, are the bocatas (sandwiches on baguettes). “The best is packed with crunchy calamari loops and pimento-laced aioli.” If it leaves you hungry, consider the menu’s most decadent item. Manso’s churro relleno is “swollen with cream” and dark chocolate; “once bitten, it oozes, smears,” and otherwise “precipitates a small ecological disaster.” 284 Mulberry St., (212) 219-0400

Txoko San Francisco

Basque country is said to be the inspiration for this intriguing restaurant, though authenticity is not its mission, said Michael Bauer in the San Francisco Chronicle. Txoko shares a “somewhat gritty” stretch of Broadway with several strip clubs, and its “speakeasy feel” offers a sharp contrast to the neon surrounding it. No one should be surprised if the bar’s well-crafted cocktails start bringing in a crowd: Offerings like the Cool Hand Luke Fizz arrive in glassware that “takes you back to Mad Men days.” But chef Ian Begg is doing impressive work, too, whether he’s faithfully channeling Basque cuisine or not. A “rustic” braised lamb shoulder, topped with “a fat slice of tongue” and surrounded by braised greens, new potatoes, and perfectly diced carrots, should transport you to a distant land somewhere. So far, the desserts are disappointing, but Txoko and the talented team behind it seem on the verge of something great. 504 Broadway, (415) 500-2744