Hellbender

 I met Rosemary for dinner at a restaurant near her place: Hellbender. The name comes from a giant aquatic salamander. The food they serve is Mexican in inspiration but very imaginative. We had a tomato salad that had a vinaigrette with toasted garlic and chili--it was delicious. I had a lamb shank with two kinds of beans and pickled red onions. Rosemary had a scallop dish with papaya so I couldn't eat it. Her main was artic char with a corn puree. The cuatro leches cake for dessert was the best thing we had (a tres leches cake with coconut milk). Her little neighborhood in Ridgewood has lots of great restaurants!