La Zarza Resto-Lounge (CLOSED)

You can’t judge a South American restaurant by the quality of its margarita. Or so we learned at La Zarza, whose cucumber-and-jalapeño version imparted a sense of expectation that the kitchen couldn’t fulfill. The menu featured a disappointing rib eye that lacked the earthy intensity we’ve experienced with similar cuts. Paella faltered too—the lobster meat lacked flavor, the calamari was chewy, and the chorizo too bland. Skip dessert and head straight for the bar—as drinking destinations go, you could do worse.