Eater Inside: Lot 1 Cafe

There's really not much to Lot 1 Cafe---a few tables inside and out, tattooed servers, an inexplicably unanswered phone but finally an updated outgoing message---but that's the beauty. Chef Josef Centeno partnered with some friends to bring his food to their space; it happened fast, which is why it tends to feel like a work in progress. When Centeno was at Opus, he made waves with his creative tasting menus and "bacos"--soft bread tacos with fillings like crispy pork belly and short rib carnitas, crispy eggplant and escabece or chicken confit---so having him resurface at Lot 1 is welcome news. They're still working on the beer and wine license and the new Tuesday night tasting menu hasn't kicked in yet, but all in good time. Jonathan Gold finds it akin to "improvised jazz" and "the equivalent of seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers 25 years ago at the Anticlub," which, um, says a lot. Further reading here.