BRUNCH BEYOND MIMOSAS

The chef Máximo Tejada introduced freestyle Latino cuisine in Rayuela (165 Allen Street; 212-253-8840; www.rayuelanyc.com) in 2007 on the Lower East Side; now he has followed up two blocks north with Macondo (157 East Houston Street; 212-473-9900; www.macondonyc.com), where he brings pan-Latin dishes inspired by street food into a setting that bursts with downtown energy. Among the choices: Spanish churros with chocolate, a Peruvian quinoa and octopus salad, the Dominican farmer’s breakfast of mangu, fried cheese, fried eggs and fried salami. Having a cocktail is a good idea even if you don’t normally drink before noon: the drinks come small but cheap ($7.50), perfect for brunch and with combinations creatively tropical, like guava and rye or tamarind and tequila.

PR Contact: Hanna Lee Communications, Inc.