La Mujer Gala (CLOSED)

Chef Jennifer Cole-Ruiz—student of Spanish cuisine at Madrid's gastronomic temple, Balzac—returns to the U.S. to spread the tapas gospel with this 40-seat neighborhood joint. The menu skews toward small plates with inventive touches: Crispy purple potato is topped with a parsley-cilantro pesto native to Spain's Canary Islands, and a panfried empanada is stuffed with a tuna-and-tomato stew. Four entrée options include an order-ahead paella of the day and red-wine-braised beef cheeks. Grab a drink from the Spanish-only list at the eight-person bar, lit by vintage table lamps and colorful strings of Christmas lights.