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La Fonda del Sol Brings "Modern Spanish" to MetLife Building
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 22, 2009
Modified Jan 22, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 22, 2009
Modified Jan 22, 2009
Share
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In 1960, big shot restaurateur Joe Baum opened La Fonda del Sol, making a huge splash with what was then a novel concept: the "theme" restaurant. Though the chef was Swiss, the cuisine was South American, served in a kitschy setting replete with an adobe hut for a bar. Fast forward to '09, and a new restaurant with the same name is opening in the MetLife Building, with Colombian-born chef Josh DeChellis at the helm.
Spanish for "inn of the sun," the split-level restaurant features a bar room on the ground floor and a dining room on the upper level, separated by an illuminated glass wall behind the bar with an etched pattern. DeChellis's menu boasts an expansive selection of tapas, such as Potted Duckling and Pork with oloroso sherry wine and toasted bread ($11), and “Albondiguillas” Meat Ball Skewers with tomato and pimentón ($8). The bar menu is cheaper than the dining room, but we're told both will be priced with an eye on recession diners.
La Fonda del Sol // 200 Park Avenue (at 44th Street and Vanderbilt Avenue) // (212) 867-6767
Tagged
best
la fonda del sol
manhattan
MetLife
midtown
new
restaurant
spanish
tapas
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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