THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Nation Restaurant & Bar

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Nation Restaurant & Bar Restaurant Review:

Don't be put off by the bar scene roar that emanates from the entrance to Nation. The restaurant is upstairs---and worth the slog. Executive chef Jose Hernandez's food definitely merits going out of the way to a somewhat goofy setting (the décor is unique). When he chooses a theme, he goes all the way, as in his sugarcane-blackened shrimp with papaya slaw, chili-dusted plantain chips and chipotle-orange cocktail sauce. Spicy tuna and salmon tartare (that's scooped up with coriander-scented won-ton chips) are house favorites. His impulses can be as homey as bacon-baked meatloaf with sweet molasses barbecue sauce, or as mix-and-match as cilantro-seared filet mignon with South American lobster hash and warm corn relish. The double chocolate-macadamia nut tart with amaretto ice cream and gingered caramel sauce is a sweet tooth's dream. Nation service is as friendly as it is informal.