What a find!

We were off to see the second Pilobulus re:CREATION dynamic dance performances at The Joyce, looking for a new place to grab a bite. We ended up in the glass-roofed garden room at Salinas on Ninth, serving authentic Spanish cuisine from Chef Luis Bollo, a native of San Sebastian, in the heart of Basque Country.

We shared everything, starting with their bravas con huevas marinas ($21), crispy potatoes topped with lumpfish caviar and shaved bottarga in a tasty brava sauce; their Canary Island octopus ($31) with black beans and Meyer lemon; and two pieces of the classic grilled tomato bread ($14), our only disappointment.

For the entrees, we shared the seafood rice ($47) with salted cod risotto and manila clams topped with three large shrimp; their grilled free-range chicken ($36) with carrots, greens, giant white beans and sweet onions; and the perfectly done sea salt encrusted European bass, with grilled artichokes, baby zucchini, pine nuts and black cherries in a saffron emulsion ($39).

One friend saw a piece of cheesecake pass our table and said we had to sample it. So glad we did. This ain’t the classic dense NY cheesecake; instead, the Basque burnt cheesecake is the antithesis( 16), served hot with a delicate souffle-like texture. Do not miss. I’d say it’s a reason to head to Salinas.  Yes, I recommend.

Salinas
Chelsea
136 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
(212) 776-1990
salinasnyc.com