Soho's Cómodo Tastes Of Wanderlust - NYC

An "only in Manhattan" riddle: What do you get when you take a Colombian born in Spain, who spent toddlerhood in Mexico, went to school in Connecticut, matriculated at Georgetown, lived in Brazil for five years, returned to Mexico, then landed in the States?

The answer: Chef Felipe Donnelly and the new Cómodo's globetrotting Latin American menu.

With such ingrained wanderlust, Donnelly and his wife, Tamy, began their New York culinary careers with their in-home Tribeca supper club, Worth Kitchen. After attracting attention from the press (good) and the health department (bad), the two have now translated their efforts into Cómodo.

Inky earthenware holds smoky-crisp kale-on-raw-kale salad ($9). Flash-fried hibiscus flowers are rolled with beets and smoked mozzarella into spring rolls ($11). Sliders get an overhaul with cassava-flour Brazilian cheese buns (pão de queijo) bundling up next to parsley and cranberry-enriched lamb patties ($11).

And just like in home kitchens, leftovers at Cómodo often lead to revelations: Remnants of stuffed peppers and a ground chuck and short rib blend from Cómodo's butcher neighbor, Pino's, bore the deliriously lush poblano pepper pasta Bolognese ($18).

With such delightful edible rambles, we predict the Donnellys will be attracting heaps more attention soon–all the good variety.

Cómodo, 58 MacDougal St. (at W. Houston St.); 646-370-4477 or comodonyc.com