El Diablo

The devil's in the details. After two years of planning, Jesse Morreale opened his new restaurant, El Diablo, in the corner of the old First Avenue Hotel, a place that looked like hell when Morreale bought it but has now been transformed into a fantasy cantina, with stunning murals, vintage conquistador-style light fixtures, a big center bar (pouring the same house margs that win awards at Morreale's Tambien) and huge windows that offer a view of the passing parade on Broadway. But you'll want to focus on the menu, because Sean Yontz is in the kitchen here, and he's come up with a huge roster of appetizers (including excellent sopas), soups, salads, entrees (chicken mole, brisket) and a dream lineup of tacos -- which are served until 4 a.m. From a walk-up window on First Avenue. Heaven!