Malt n Mash (CLOSED)

Globe-trotting chef Nahid Ahmed—who tackled Spanish gastronomy at El Bulli and fine-dining high art at the French Laundry—goes New Age American at this MePa eatery. The menu is broken into four categories: raw, shared, sea and land. With Pearl & Ash’s Arjuna Bull as his sous, Ahmed dishes out whimsical creations like oysters with calamansi orange and mango “snow”; sweetbreads with popcorn and ramps; peanut-butter-chipotle foie gras; and short ribs with tamarind soy and scallion ash. Cocktails include the West Side Special (vodka, St-Germain, mint, cucumber and lime) and the Casino Royale (gin and maraschino, orange and lemon juices, and a prosecco float). The red-accented restaurant is trimmed with mosaic floors and exposed-brick walls.