Darna (CLOSED)

The catacomb-like interior, so busy with North African bric-a-brac as to border on the theme-parky, frequently hosts large groups of boisterous diners. But the food is more subtle than the atmosphere suggests. The Mediterranean salad sampler (baba ghanoush, tabouli and Israeli salad) was presented as a three-layered concoction. Lamb tagine with mushrooms was succulent, but the biggest treat came in the form of sweet-and-smoky barbecued short ribs, which seemed more Texan than Moroccan.