| | Thrillist New York Friday August 21, 2009 Yerba Buena Perry
1 Perry St, at Greenwich Ave; West Village; 212.620.0808
The same mission can be accomplished through subtly altered approaches -- like using a spinner instead of a wobbler to land a bass, or using exploding arrows instead of a knife to land yet another insufferably ubiquitous mid-1980s Vietnamese soldier. Fueling you with subtly different takes on their Latin food and booze, Yerba Buena Perry, opening Tuesday.
Taking its predecessor's popular combo of cocina Latina and high-end cocktails over to the West siiiide, YBP avoids self-plagiarism by whipping up a slew of new eats and imbibables, served in an ultra-sexy corner space with a big-tiled floor, dimly lit lamp-style hanging fixtures, white leather banquettes and walls yang'd respectively by dark wood tables and paneling, and a white, fruit-and-fresh-juice topped bar. Freshly conceived comestibles start with five ceviches (flounder w/ chilis/red onion/sweet potato/popcorn; Toro "Taquitos" w/ habanero salsa & avocado; seared rib eye w/ sea urchin) and bar bites like manchego croquettes w/ pickled jalapeno & salsa verde; principales're touched up by a ropa vieja w/ tamarind-glazed duck confit & fried duck egg, six styles of "Latin Fries" (cactus, red jalapeno...watermelon?), and salsa-abetted rib eye/strip steaks -- get both on one plate and it's sided with chorizo and blood sausage, which will straight smoke you if you bust out a c-walk. The all-new, handcrafted cocktails were designed by PDT/Little Branch vet Cervantes, including a Tito's Blackberry Gimlet, the Turnpike (rye whiskey/applejack/lemon), the Rumbuck (Brugal, ginger, lime, bitters), and a Scorpion mezcal/cucumber/lime number called the Mezcal Maid, who takes out her resentment over your slobdom...by filling your apartment with scorpions!
To skip all the mixers, there's a range of piscos, tequilas, mezcals, and rums served aperitif-style, and a predominantly sub-$50 wine list spanning Spain, Argentina, Chili, and Uruguay, whose only mission is to trick you into thinking they're different than Paraguay.
They're taking reservations so call 'em up to get yours
 |  | Bring your stomach to the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival on Oct 8-11, a celeb-chef-studded, city-wide buffet of culinary demos, panels, book signings, food/wine tasting events, and DIY courses, all benefiting hunger relief. Events include the 100-Mile Brunch, sourcing all ingredients within (you guessed it) 100 miles of NYC, the My First Crush wine making course, and even a cooking demo with Alicia Silverstone, who Cary Elwes hopes won't be re-enacting The Crush. Tickets are flying off the Internet, so get them now at nycwineandfoodfestival.com | | |  | | | 
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