Back to the basics of food and booze

It's every new generation's responsibility to pay respect to the past, which can be pretty tricky, considering the past accepts payment only in the form of livestock, seashells, and Diners Club. Going all diners, and no club, Papi Tino's.

Named for the architect owner's late grandfather, Papi Tino's is a reverse-renovation that's stripped the house neighboring Rio Rita back to its original 1920s state to create a decidedly unfinished, all-wood atmosphere romantically enhanced by candles & fixture-less incandescent bulbs, a tree-covered patio, and, there to take absolutely none of your requests for Five for Fighting, an old-timey live piano player. The kitchen, helmed by a chef who's taught culinary arts in Mexico City, puts out hearty staples like a summery Salpicon de Res (cold shredded-beef salad), Chilaquiles (crunchy tortilla chips, melted "quesadilla cheese", chicken, Mexican cream), and chicken/cheese enchiladas three ways: Suizas, Rojas, or Mole -- mispronounce that on a date, and you'll be left whacking yourself out of the hole you've dug. Drinks maintain the classic Minimalism, with agave nectar-sweetened house margaritas w/ fresh lime & orange, plus creations like the Whiskilin (Jack, sangrita, coconut milk), and the blanco rum/Coke/lime Papi Cuba, also the name Fidel adopts every December 25, when he traipses across the island with sacks full of quality medical insurance for good little girls and boys.

If you're just up for bar-snacking, they've got Botanitas like Queso Panela al Horno (oven-roasted cheese topped with ajillo chiles, butter, olive oil) and Champinones Rellenos: portobellos stuffed with seasonal veggies, because when it comes to produce, the past is best put behind you.