Camaradas el Barrio Bar & Restaurant

Owners Raúl Rivera and Orlando Plaza celebrate their Puerto Rican heritage at this Spanish Harlem eatery. The look is downtown chic: exposed brick, a vintage sewing machine and rough-hewn wooden benches. Grab a seat and sample from the tapas-style menu, which includes snacks like alcapurrias (meat fritters) and pastelitos (flaky, beef-stuffed turnovers). Mainstream tastes will appreciate the fiery chicken wings (rechristened as alitas), Barrio burgers and charred steak enhanced with garlic.