Bobo's Awe-Inspiring Spareribs | West Village, NYC

Since it opened last fall, Bobo's carefully eclectic décor and decidedly nonbohemian clientele have attracted more attention than its food. That's about to change.

After the first two chefs he hired flopped, Bobo owner Carlos Suarez nabbed Patrick Connolly—one of Boston's hottest chefs—to overhaul the menus at his bi-level West Village restaurant. Connolly gave his French-Asian gloss to the more elegant upstairs menu, but what's more exciting is the menu in Bobo's newly remodeled subterranean bar. Gone are the dainty, unmemorable dishes; Connolly's new lineup (which debuts today) is bold, messy and fun.

For cocktail-side snacking there are potato-and-bone-marrow dauphines (tater tots fit for kings) and tempura-fried cornichons with Japanese mayo and shaved bottarga. There are clever sandwiches, too: smoked trout with almond butter and peaches (trust us, it works) and a bahn mi-inspired pork sandwich with countless pickled vegetables and a reckless foie gras-enriched aioli.

But the real star here is the St. Louis native's awe-inspiring spareribs, which he cooks in duck fat until the meat starts to slide off the bone, then sprinkles with a crunchy mixture of turbinado sugar, cumin, coriander and fennel seeds. Given a choice, we'll let the grown-ups have their fancy dinner upstairs—we're gonna be in the basement, drinking cocktails and munching on ribs.

Bobo, 181 W. 10th St; 212-488-2626 or bobonewyork.com