Liquid Kitchen, New Rochelle

Though he's lent his talents to judge culinary events and collaborate on a book, The New American Chef, Spanish-born chef Mariano Aznar is at his best when he's in the kitchen. He draws from 30 years of culinary experience and skills honed at restaurants in France, Spain, and New York City to design modern menus, each based on his love for traditional Latin cooking. Aznar transforms old recipes into new ones, as evidenced by his small plates of Spanish cheese, chicken stew, and ceviche, as well as larger dishes such as seafood paella and chimichurri-seasoned skirt steak. Liquid Kitchen's dining room also reflects his colorful heritage: deep red lights cast their glow on exposed brick walls and dark wood accents, and blue ones illuminate a bar sided by rough-cut stone.