El Carlos Elegante

This lively Mexican restaurant draws a crowded room of diners each night, who gather to hangout in the stylishly retro space and to sample its mix of one-hitters (bite-size starters), wood-fired meats and fish, housemade tortillas and masa-based dishes. Order a margarita or mezcal tasting flight, then fill every available inch of your table with charred octopus, guajillo chicken, carne asada and whatever else looks good, plus a machete. It’s a long and narrow quesadilla filled with a rotating selection of proteins, vegetables and cheese, and it’s always the right call.