Suba

[Sneakeater]

Suba, the modern Spanish restaurant on Ludlow right above Delancey on the LES, has never gotten, nor deserved, much respect. Even though it's had such estimable chefs as Alex Urena, none of what they've done there has ever amounted to much. The food was never bad, but it was never particularly good. You got the feeling the owner paid more attention to the decor -- the restaurant's showpiece has always been one of the dining rooms, where you eat surrounded by a stream of water reflecting grotto-like on the walls -- and sort of tamped down the food. Everybody thinks of Suba as a date place -- and that's really all it's been.

Suba's owner recently opened the fabulously successful tapas bar Boqueria. He then closed Suba to upgrade the decor to what he said he always wanted it to be (alghough as far as I can tell all they've done is whitewash the walls). And, to upgrade the menu, he brought in Boqueria's chef, Seamus Mullen.

I will never say that Mullen is a better cook than Urena. But I will say that this is the best food Suba's ever served. I'll also add, however, that, although good, it's nothing great. For modern Spanish, I'd solidly recommend Urena (unless you're on a date and care about the ambiance, in which case Suba's there to do what it's best at).

The menu has a tapas section, an appetizers section, and a main course section. I had one from each.

From the tapas menu, the croquetas. Three each of duck, cured ham and cheese, and crab. These were very cleanly prepared -- the frying was better done, technically, than at Urena. But, while perfectly good, they were not nearly as interesting as the similar dishes at Urena.

The appetizer was a Scotch Egg (or Juevo Ecose as we say in Spanish). Very well prepared -- not greasy in the least bit. But not as striking as the somwhat similar fried deviled egg at Tintol (the "devil's candy", in H. du Bois's memorable phrase).

For a main course, fideuas with rabbit, perrywinckles, leeks, etc. This was served in an iron pot. Also very well prepared -- I particularly liked the (purposely) burnt part of the noodles, sticking to the pot. And very flavorful (suprisingly spicy -- but not overwhelmingly so). But not as elementally satisfying as the fideos offered as an appetizer at Little Owl.

So you can see the theme here. The food was all very well prepared (and that on a night when the chef himself was almost certainly absent from the kitchen to attend the Beard Awards). An extremely high level of execution. But the dishes, while good themselves, all called up memories of better things elsewhere.

The cocktails remain much too sweet.

So the new improved Suba -- while genuinely improved; better, really, than ever -- remains what it always was: a date spot that is good for what it is, but isn't really a serious dining destination.

Edited May 10, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[docsconz]

Too bad. I always thought that the downstairs room was pretty cool.

[weinoo]

We ate here right after it reopened, and I'll agree with what Sneak said - good food, but nothing that great or awe-inspiring...I think we tried about 10 itmes from the menu.

And we ate in the room surrounded by the "moat,' which to me was like eating in the pool room at the YMCA - the place smelled liked chlorine!

Perhaps more fun sitting in the upstairs bar area and ordering a bunch of the small dishes.