Elettaria.(Restaurant review)

Any restaurant formed by the remaining Presidential candidates (two parts Kenya and Kansas; one part Panama Canal Zone; a dash of Anywhere You Want) would surely resemble Elettaria, a kaleidoscope of cultures and histories. Elettaria's chef, Akhtar Nawab, was born to Indian emigres and grew up in Wisconsin and Kentucky. The parents of his partner, Noel Cruz, the front-of-the-house guy, are native Filipinos, and Cruz spent his younger years in Chicago, Florida, and Hawaii. While both men passed through such rarefied establishments as Gramercy Tavern and the French Culinary Institute, and their new venture's name is erudite (Elettaria: from the Tamil; genus of cardamom, the world's third most expensive spice), they've paid their dues at more pedestrian eateries: Ditto's Bar and Grill, for example, in Louisville ("Eating Is Worth Repeating!"). Theirs is a ragbag experience worthy of Emma Lazarus.

Officially, Elettaria presents a "seasonal, spice-driven American menu"--conventional fare adjusted at Nawab's megrim. Small plates, which outnumber entrees, include a delicately rendered braised pig's foot, covered with watercress, frisee, and flash-fried cashews. The dish is delightful; after all, when a pig rolls in the mud it does so off its feet. An invigorating crabmeat rezala comes with a turmeric-onion soubise and ...