New in NYC: La Fonda Del Sol

By Elizabeth S. Bennett

When it comes to La Fonda del Sol's legacy, ambitions, flavors combinations and décor, "big" and "bold" leap to mind. La Fonda is the second take on the eponymous 1960s Latin-themed restaurant and takes its cues from the diverse flavors of Spanish cuisine.

Head chef Josh DeChellis, late of Barfry and Sumile Sushi, has forged a menu based on his training and exploration in Spain, with inflections of Latin America. Customers can expect lunch, dinner and all-day tapas that includes standbys like potato and egg tortilla ($4.50), garlic shrimp ($12) and roasted and fried potatoes "bravas" (which can be ordered with a fried duck egg) ($4.50). But there are some more daring pairings, including potted duckling and pork with sherry ($11), pequillo peppers with bacalao and truffle oil ($12) and beef short ribs with pomegranate and celery root ($9.50).

Dinner service promises an ample mix of flesh and fish with the likes of kampachi tiradito, a thinly sliced Peruvian take on ceviche ($14), and the justifiably ubiquitous acorn-fed Iberian ham ($18). Big flavors are the hallmark of DeChellis's entrees, such as prime rib for two with garlic confit, lemon oil and chili pepper salt ($48 per person), the cochinillo, a suckling pig with smoked dates and almonds ($28) and a lamb loin with a pumpkin seed crust and lemon-honey glaze ($24).

We recently caught up with chef DeChellis in the back of La Fonda's zebrawood paneled main dining room, one of two giant 1960s-inspired eating areas designed by Adam Tihany.

How would you describe the menu?
It's Spanish, but we have some latitude to play with Latin flavors. I'm taking advantage of the bandwidth of flavors in Spain. You've got the flavors of saffron, rabbit and partridge from La Mancha, the wonderfully prepared seafood from Galicia, truffles from the Basque country and Barcelona, and the spices and exotic fruit from Andalucia.

Which of Sol's dishes do you think exemplifies the spirit of the menu?
I'd say the giant prawn, which was inspired by a dish in the fishing town of Getaria in Basque country. It's a large prawn cooked on the plancha, a heavy steel griddle, with barely anything on it except a light brushing of spicy soffrito with onion, garlic, pimentón de la vera and tomato.

Also the cochinillo. That's baby pig with crispy skin and succulent meat. We take a 30-pound pig and bone it. We cook it for 12 hours at 140 degrees, then we chill it and slice it thinly so each part of the pig is represented on the plate. And we crisp the skin on the plancha.

What's your favorite ingredient to cook with these days?
Nori. I use it for wrapping salads, in powder form to thicken sauces, nori salt and taco shells for raw fish.

If you could collaborate with any chef, dead or alive, who would it be?
Jean-Louis Palladin. He was a free spirit which let him soar, but he also had very good bones in terms of training.

How is La Fonda Del Sol faring in this economy?
If it were a different time, maybe we'd have higher-end wines and more luxury ingredients. But what I've always loved about Spain is that it's a very modest culture with modest ingredients prepared very simply. That keeps things affordable.

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La Fonda Del Sol
Location: The MetLife Building, 200 Park Avenue at East 43rd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue.
Hours: Tapas lounge: Monday to Saturday, 11:30am to 11pm. Lunch is served from 11:30am to 3pm. Dinner is served from 5pm to 10:30pm.
Reservations: Book on OpenTable or call 212-867-6767.

View the complete La Fonda Del Sol listing on Savory Cities.