Havana Meets Philadelphia

Chef Douglas Rodriguez, the father of Nuevo Latino cuisine, has just opened his latest restaurant, Alma de Cuba, in Philadelphia. Rodriguez's carefully crafted menu is designed with a nod toward Cuba, to be sure, "though the way we assemble the dishes is hardly traditional," explains Rodriguez, whose Manhattan successes include Pipa, Patria, and the much-revered Chicama (where Jose Garces, Alma's chef de cuisine, was trained). There's a first-floor lounge where The Rockwell Group—designers of Nobu in New York—installed whitewashed walls, a wrought-iron bar, and black-and-white images of modern-day Havana. Upstairs, there are Ultrasuede banquettes and a mezzanine. Best bets to date: cilantro-and-honey-glazed salmon, Chilean sea bass with black-trumpet truffle oil, crab empanadas, and spicy shrimp ceviche. The whole—and they do mean whole—red snapper is superb, grilled with chayote and served with calamari salad. $80-$100. 1623 Walnut Street, Philadelphia 19103; 215-988-1799.