It’s a Dominican Thing (CLOSED)

At this candlelit, brick-walled 26-seater, stylish types dig into chef Eva Martinez’s hearty Dominican home cooking. Conch, cassava and plantains are spotlighted in soups, stews and lopsided fritters. A mixed-appetizer platter presents various pastelitos (meat turnovers) and croquettes, among them an especially delicious one made with codfish. Regulars crave Martinez’s shrimp with coconut-tomato sauce, served in a casserole dish. Her marvelous panfried snapper, “Boca Chica” (named for the beach town where fresh-caught fish are traditionally flash-fried), is indeed a Dominican thing.