Chef Alan Hughes, Buena Vista East-area pioneer, opening new restaurant, The Embassy

By Lesley Abravanel | Lank@aol.com11/7/2012

Long before foodies and hipsters staked claim to the area, chef Alan Hughes had a bustling, funky, edgy boho [insert other similar adjectives here] spot in the Buena Vista East area called One Ninety, a restaurant and hideaway of sorts for artists, models, musicians and pretty much anyone seeking refuge from the tired South Beach scene. Regulars, ahem, will remember with fondness the place's fantastic Sunday brunches. The restaurant was around from 2002 to 2008 when it moved briefly to Little Haiti and then closed. And though the space at 190 NE 46th St. never took off again, Hughes did, retreating to a life of catering and private chefdom. After a 4-year-respite, Hughes is returning to the very 'hood in which he started, this time with The Embassy, a "quaint new restaurant serving pintxos, tapas, small bites and a crudo bar" in the space formerly known as The Blue Piano. We spoke to Hughes, who told us that the restaurant is opening soon and "Because I have a lot of catering during Basel, I will just do a 'Basel Menu' to fence off the hordes of locusts with plenty of uncomplicated food, and then once the wave is over, I can re-focus on my menu."

And about that menu, here are some highlights:

Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Phyllo Tart
Fish Terrine with Fall Vegetables
Pickled Turnips with Fresh Mozzarella and Prosciutto Vinaigrette
Octopus Bruschetta
Pickled Tongue
Cod cakes with Aioli
Trio of Fried Eggplant
Tripe with Tomato Sauce