Sip Riverside

The River Room is now Sip, the second outpost of a tapas and wine concept. The impetus behind the change is the owners’ desire to draw in recession-weary diners who balked at the River Room’s high prices. The food is the work of chef Daniel Massie, a Culinary Institute of America graduate. His plates, small and large, present bold international flavors that are at once better than might be expected and also difficult to put together in any way that makes sense. Japanese dishes on the menu butt up against Thai concoctions; Mexican plates make way for classic upscale continental entrees. All wines are available by the “sip,” the half-glass and the glass, allowing for experimentation without huge commitment. So go ahead and order a sip of the Godello or Müller-Thurgau — at less than $2, you’ve got little to lose.