Dining 2008: Newsmakers

Eder Montero and Alex Raij

When Raij inexplicably left both Tia Pol and El Quinto Pino back in May, disbelief and indignation ensued. After all, this was the woman who had introduced legions of New Yorkers to the joys of uni panini and fried chickpeas. Fortunately, the tapas queen has returned, triumphant. Together with her husband, Eder Montero (who was also a chef at Tia Pol and El Quinto Pino), Raij opened Txikito (“chee-KEE-toh”), a 28-seat shrine to Basque bar food like octopus carpaccio and house-cured cod with head cheese. Perhaps the only thing more gutsy than Txikito’s name is its location, only a boquerone’s throw from Tia Pol. How do you say “cojones” in Euskera?