Posted Apr. 11, 2008,

Restaurant of the Week: bobo

By Julie Besonen

Want to eat in your crazy old uncle’s brownstone? Imagine he’s throwing a dinner party that’s gotten a little out of hand and you’ve got the essence of bobo. There’s no signage at this West Village corner so you feel like you’re entering someone’s home through the half-hidden basement door. First you’ll find an upright piano and a rollicking bar scene -- the rec room, in a sense. Upstairs things get more serious, with antique waterfall chandeliers that look like glimmering aliens, and additional light provided by long tapered candles held in silver candlesticks. There are long red curtains draping the windows and the walls support a willy-nilly assortment of vintage framed photos, books and knickknacks. The crowd looks more swanky Upper East Side than West Village -- think dressed-up dates and tables of bachelorettes with freshly blown-out hair, their BlackBerrys and cell phones at the ready on white linen tablecloths. The place had a rough opening a few months back, with chef changes and negative blogging but now it seems on firm footing. The kitchen got on its feet with new chef Jared Stafford-Hill, formerly of Hearth. His food is billed as seasonal European but the night of our visit it was leaning more towards Spain than anywhere else. Potato saffron soup with squid and chorizo ($11) was luscious. A tangy salad of bitter greens was laced with Serrano ham, sharp manchego cheese and a sweet touch of apricots ($12). Codfish with soft leeks and tapenade ($26) tasted like a bacalao dish straight out of Barcelona. Berkshire pork with cabbage and potatoes in a pinot gris sauce ($26) tasted closer to home, hearty and rich. I would be remiss not to mention the great cocktails created by Yana Volson from Freeman’s, such as a sidecar made with apple brandy and Cointreau and a bubbly champagne mojito. If they weren’t $15 it would be easy to drink several. Desserts are also accomplished, like a caramelized pear upside down cake and chocolate pot de crème ($8). Luckily, owner Carlos Suarez was able to make enough changes to resurrect bobo and keep it from the boneyard of failed restaurants. 181 W. 10th St., (212) 488-2626

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