Vacca Grill & Lounge

Dominican artist Dario Oleaga transforms a mechanics' garage into a Latin restaurant and art gallery in Inwood. Along with South American–style grilled steaks, ceviches and raw-bar items from former Mesa Grill chef Humberto Leon, the 70-seat den spotlights South of the Border artists. Artwork covers the 5,800-square-foot space: tattoo-style pieces by Aneudi Hernandez in the lounge; Dister's comic-book-inspired graffiti art in the hallways; and a back-lit sculptural mural by Rider Ureña in the dining room. In the front champagne lounge, an entire wall is stacked with bottles of sparkling wine, overseen by Dominican sommelier Lina Tio: Veuve Clicquot, Perrier-Jouët, Don Perignon and Krug. Cocktail sippers can post up under an LED chandelier at the blackened-steel bar, where tropical quaffs are made with fruit purees, sugarcane and coconut water.