EMPELLON COCINA.

After my first "encounter" with Alex Stupak; Empellon, his first taqueria; and the hate mail I received from readers of Eater, I have been a little wary of this chef and his seemingly ready access to the right PR and media. Empellon was named one of the 10 Best New Restaurants of 2011 by NY Mag, despite my decree that Empellon would be dead within 6 months.

I decided to give Stupak another chance after:

1. I spoke to Chef Naxci Gaxiola at Pulqueria (one of my favorite Mexican restaurants) - and he told me he respected Stupak for his creativity and ingenuity as a chef.

and 2. Stupak opened up Empellon Cocino in East Village earlier this month.

OK, Stupak, a chance at redemption it is.

I entered the restaurant and immediately surveyed the floor plan. Bar at the front, not to overspill into the dining area. Check. Spacious (enough) table layout for ease of serving and customer comfort. Check. Loud music pulsing through the space. Un-check. OK, Stupak, learning from your mistakes. I like it.

On to the food. I will start off the blog by saying the food was SO much more enjoyable and unique at Empellon Cocina.

We started with the Guacamole with Pistachios and Masa Crisps for the table. The masa crisps were these wonderful corn-based tortillas that had a wonderful crunchy density. I have never had pistachios inside guacamole before, and it was absolutely delicious!!! Added a wonderful texture and saltiness.

I also noticed Sikil Pak as one of the salsa options on the menu - I fell in LOVE with sikil pak at Pulqueria and wanted to try Stupak's take on it. It was not nearly as delicious as the Pulqueria version - the sikil pak at Empellon Cocina was a lot more watered down and didn't have the same textural integrity.

Next up was the King Crab with Parsnip Juice, Crab Flan, and Smoked Cashew Salsa. I was enamaored by a lot of Stupak's unique ingredient combinations. The presentation was absolutely stunning.

Hamachi with Walnut Puree, Poblano Chile, and Pomegrante Infused Apple. While I notice and appreciate Stupak's infusion of nuts in his menu, I think this one may have gone a little awry. There was noting noticeably delicious about this dish.

Avocado with Spicy Grains, Sunchokes, and Hazelnut Dressing. Again, with the nuts! The hazelnut dressing, however, did register a nice flavor. I did, however, enjoy all the different textures playing around at the bottom of the bowl. Had I not already stuffed my face with the equivalent of 3 avocados from the guacamole, I might have been a little more enthusiastic about this dish.

At this point, we were already EXTREMELY full - but we still had one more dish on the way!! The Melted Tertilla Cheese with Lobtser, Tomato Frito, and Kol (Yucatan-style white sauce) Queso!!! SWEET JESUS was this delicious!!! The cheese was divine and there was this lovely sweet hint of honey deep within the dish. YUM YUM YUM. My dining partner and I had both wished this queso dish had come out first.

Empellon Cocina has shown Stupak's major growth and maturity as a chef and restauranteur since Empellon. I look forward to many more delicious meals there!!