Long Island Dining | New Hyde Park

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A Festive Setting, Indoors and Out

A Review of K. Pacho, in New Hyde Park

Kathy Kmonicek for The New York Times

ATMOSPHERE The main dining room at K. Pacho features a chandelier, Persian rugs and red lighting.

By JOANNE STARKEY

Published: April 6, 2012

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AS restaurant transformations go, it was a quick one: After Two Steak and Sushi Den, an expensive, well-regarded steakhouse in New Hyde Park, closed its doors on Jan. 1, the establishment reopened on Feb. 10 as K. Pacho , a rustic, casual Mexican spot with lower prices. The owners — Jay Grossman, John Guirguis and Ray Sidhom, who also run Four Food Studio in Melville — are the same, as is the executive chef, James McDevitt.

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Kathy Kmonicek for The New York Times

MEXICAN The sea bass Veracruz, served over chorizo rice.

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Kathy Kmonicek for The New York Times

K. Pacho opened in February in the space once occupied by Two Steak and Sushi Den.

Josh Cook, a manager, speaking by telephone after my visits, described the restaurant as "casual, approachable and fun, with fun the primary word." It certainly describes the place, especially on Sundays, when there is live mariachi music.

K. Pacho has lots of atmosphere, starting with a gargoyle statue bathed in red light at the entrance. It features a huge bar with plenty of lounge areas, four high tables with booth seating and three long, communal tables. The main dining room has wooden rafters strung with red lights, distressed-wood tables and wooden chairs. A crystal chandelier and a few Persian rugs are elegant touches. The unisex bathroom has a circular banquette in the center.

In a second dining room called the Back Room, open on Friday and Saturday nights, family-style meals are served for groups of six or more at $49 a person, including sangria.

The service has its rough spots. On my first visit, one of my tablemates, getting into the spirit of the place, offered to buy a round of margaritas. When our waiter heard that three people would indulge, he suggested a pitcher. It was a bum steer: we didn't make a dent in it and nearly fainted when we got a bill for $58. (Neither the pitcher nor its price was listed on the beverage menu.) The same night, a diner drinking cola received a refill without asking for it and later found it listed on the bill. The waiter apologized, said it was a mistake and removed it.

We started the meal with guacamole, which was not made at tableside and was not customized for us. It was way too spicy for three of the four people in our group. The accompanying house-made chips were great, however: thin, crisp and warm.

The salads were huge, made for sharing. We liked the spinach salad, with its red onion, orange segments, cubes of crunchy jicama and warm chorizo vinaigrette. Strangely, there was more romaine in the salad than spinach, even though the lettuce was not mentioned on the menu. The avocado Caesar salad was a disappointment. I had hoped for chunks of avocado; instead it contained avocado purée, which diluted an already bland dressing.

We gave high marks to an appetizer of crispy calamari garnished with coriander and mango, resting on swirls of chili aioli. Another opener, retro-style tacos (the kind you grew up with), featuring ground beef, shredded cheese and lettuce, arrived without the advertised sour cream. We had to request it and were glad we did: it improved the dish, as did the salsa the waitress brought along with it. The quesadillas were standard fare.

The entree-size tacos featured slow-roasted pork, crispy bass or braised short ribs. We tried the fish tacos topped with spicy cabbage slaw and liked them: they were crunchy and tasty. We had a choice of soft tortillas or hard corn shells, and we ordered the hard shells; the current menu offers only the soft tortillas.

Some other good entrees were creamy white sea bass Veracruz with roasted tomatoes, olives and capers set on a bed of tasty chorizo rice, and red chili pollo with tender chicken under a mantle of red chili sauce.

The menu highlighted a barbecue platter called Mexi-Q, served to two or more people at $24.95 a person. It had its ups (succulent, crisp-skinned roasted chicken, delicious grilled jumbo shrimp and tender baby back ribs) and downs (dry, tough sliced sirloin steak and grilled, out-of-season corn).

I would not suggest going to the Back Room for the family-style meal. Though we didn't try it, it contains most of the dishes that disappointed: the guacamole, the bland avocado Caesar salad and the mixed-bag Mexi-Q.

The desserts were wonderful. The best was a chocolate tortilla pudding served warm, starring milk chocolate, brown sugar and caramelized bananas with vanilla ice cream on the side. The flan was silky smooth and the coconut tres leches cake buttery and moist.

There were a few duds on the menu and an equal number of service flaws, but there was still enough good food and drink at K. Pacho to set a festive mood. One night, some patrons kept their party going even after they left, singing and dancing in the parking lot.

K. Pacho Cocina and Tequila

1270 Union Turnpike
New Hyde Park
(516) 358-2222
kpacho.com

WORTH IT

THE SPACE Large, spirited, atmospheric Mexican restaurant seating around 230 people in two rooms and the bar. Complete wheelchair access.

THE CROWD Young and animated, with lots of big groups. Some children, especially on Sunday. Service was uneven.

THE BAR Long bar with 15 stools, two lounge areas with banquette seating and low tables, and a third seating area surrounding a fireplace. Full bar. About 90 tequilas, ranging from $5 to $75; 18 beers, including a dozen from Mexico ($5 to $25); no wines by the bottle, but nine by the glass ($7 to $9), and sangria ($8 a glass, $28 a pitcher).

THE BILL Dinner entrees, $17 to $29, with a family-style meal served in the Back Room for $49 a person, including sangria. Most appetizers are priced in the teens. Prices are a bit high for this type of restaurant. American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover are accepted.

WHAT WE LIKED Crispy calamari, spinach salad, sea bass Veracruz, red chili pollo, fish tacos, chocolate tortilla pudding, flan, coconut tres leches cake.

IF YOU GO Lunch: Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner: Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to midnight. Closed Monday. Reservations are taken only for parties of 8 or more.

RATINGS Don't Miss, Worth It, O.K., Don't Bother.

Theo www.nytimes.com

Letters

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Growing the Numbers (2 Letters)

Published: April 9, 2012

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To the Editor:

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Get Science News From The New York Times »

Re " Giving Women the Access Code " (April 3): The American Association of University Women's 2010 research report "Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics" details strategies to help attract and retain more women in these disciplines. They include actively recruiting students, broadening the scope of early coursework to include the wider applications of computer science and exposing students to successful female role models. Strategies like these worked at Harvey Mudd College and can work at other institutions that want to replicate its success. Dr. Maria Klawe should be applauded.

Linda D. Hallman

Washington

The writer is executive director, American Association of University Women.

♦

To the Editor:

Harvey Mudd has seen a commendable increase in the number of female computer scie

nce majors. Yet students there already intend to major in science or engineering. Having more CS majors is important, but increasingly every field is using computing. We must continue to improve outreach to students across disciplines, exposing them to computing at a level appropriate for work they will do in jobs and graduate studies. Valerie Barr

Schenectady, N.Y.

The writer is chairwoman of computer science, Union College.

Science Times welcomes letters from readers. Those submitted for publication must include the writer's name, address and telephone number. E-mail should be sent to scitimes@nytimes.com . Send letters to Science Editor, The New York Times, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018.

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Italys New Bullet Train Aims to Shake Up Euro Travel

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Italy will launch Europe"s first private high-speed train service Saturday, as the country moves towards a more liberal economy.  The move could lead other European countries to follow Italy"s example of privatizing rail transport and creating new jobs and competition in the marketplace.

The new bullet-shaped "Italo" trains can travel at a top speed of 360 kilometers per hour.  They are run by NTV, a company headed by Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo, which invested $1.3 billion.

He says the real achievement was having brought about liberalization in Italian rail transportation.

"At last, Italian citizens and foreign travelers will be able to choose, and one of the longest monopolies in our country has come to an end," said Montezemolo.

Montezemolo says passengers would benefit from the competition.  He adds that the aim is to take a quarter of the market from the state rail network Trenitalia, the biggest employer in the country, by 2014.

Transport experts say despite the difficult economic times, the new train could be a positive development.

"We are still the second manufacturing system in Europe after Germany and I think what is happening in the railway system is an example of the strength of the industrial system," noted Professor Matteo Caroli at LUISS university in Rome.  "We have basically financial problems, like other European countries, but the competitiveness of our companies is strong."

The project is one example of the new ambitions for Italy's economy, the eurozone's third largest, under Prime Minister Mario Monti.  Monti has been working to shake up a sluggish economy heavily influenced by protectionist traditions.

NTV's fleet will consist of 25 trains that are being supplied by French multinational Alstom.

"This train is the fourth generation of train for Alstom.  So, it's really at the top, and there is no other technology in the world like this one," said Alstom Managing Director Pierre-Louis Bertina.

The trains boast sleek interiors with leather seats, large panoramic windows and a cinema car.  There will be three different classes of travel allowing passengers to choose what best suits their needs and how much they want to spend.  NTV's Giuseppe Bonollo says the quality of the service is the real distinguishing point.

"High technology inside, Wi-Fi connectivity to Internet, free for all travelers and on top of that - this really is a world premiere - the possibility through the laptop to access to satellite direct TV connection," Bonollo explained.

At Rome's Termini station, many travelers were looking forward to the launch of the new high-speed train.

Italo is adopting an aggressive pricing policy, with discounted fares for advance reservations. In the meantime, the state-owned rail network has already lowered its ticket prices and improved its service.

Other European nations will be watching carefully to see whether it is in their interest to follow the Italian example.

Theo www.voanews.com

Defiant Pakistans PM Refuses to Resign

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Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is refusing to step down, a day after the Supreme Court found him guilty of contempt for not reopening corruption cases against the country"s president.

Photo: Reuters

A supporter of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) holds an image of the Pakistan's Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani as he shouts slogans during a protest against a Supreme Court verdict in Karachi, April 26, 2012.

During a speech in parliament Friday, Gilani said his only crime was "protecting the constitution." He said only parliament has the authority to remove him from office, telling lawmakers he is an elected prime minister, representing Pakistan's 180 million people. Gilani challenged opposition lawmakers to bring a no-confidence vote against him.

The Supreme Court on Thursday gave the prime minister only a symbolic sentence of less than a minute's detention, sparing him a possible jail term of up to six months. His lawyer says the conviction will be appealed.

The court ruling triggered an immediate debate about Gilani's status as prime minister. Legal experts say the fact that he was sentenced to a prison term, even for less than a minute, makes him ineligible to sit in parliament for the next five years.

The parliamentary speaker and election commission must now decide whether Gilani can be dismissed as a lawmaker, and thus as prime minister. On Friday, he urged the speaker, who is a fellow member of the Pakistan People's Party, to "apply your own mind" in the case.

Opposition leaders, including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, called on Gilani to step down, saying they will no longer accept him as the country's prime minister.

Thursday's guilty verdict is the latest development in what has been an ongoing battle between the court and the prime minister over the status of corruption cases dating back to the 1990s.

Prosecutors accuse President Zardari, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and others of laundering millions of dollars through Swiss bank accounts. Bhutto, President Zardari's wife, was assassinated in 2007.

Charges against Zardari and the others were dropped after a 2007 amnesty agreement, but the court struck down the deal in 2009 and has been battling to reopen the cases ever since.

Prime Minister Gilani had refused to cooperate, arguing instead that the president has legal immunity while in office and that reopening the cases would be unconstitutional.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

Theo www.voanews.com

New UN observers chief arrives in Syria

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Major General Robert Mood of Norway (R) arrives in the Syrian capital of Damascus on April 29, 2012 ( Image: Xinhua )

Upon arrival at Damascus international airport, Mood expressed his most sincere condolences to all Syrian families who have lost loved ones during violence.

Mood said the team has now 30 observers and the number will double within the coming days, and will reach 300 later. However, observers' spokesman Neeraj Singh stressed that the number on ground is now still 15 not 30.

Meanwhile, Mood said the focus of his mission is to engage all parties to achieve successful Kofi Annan's plan.

Mood said the observers will come from many nations, but added that they alone cannot solve all the problems, calling for help and co-operation from all parties in such a challenging task.

On Friday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Mood as the Chief Military Observer and Head of Mission of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), according to Ban's spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey.

UNSMIS is a mission consisting of up to 300 military observers, assigned by the UN Security Council with the task of monitoring a cease-fire between the Syrian government and the opposition forces.

( Xinhua )

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DRC Prime Minister Unveils Smaller Government

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The new prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Matata Ponyo Mapon, has named the ministers who make up his new government. Political observers say the new team contains more technocrats and fewer politicians, but also does not include any members of the opposition.

Photo: AFP

Democratic Republic of Congo's newly-appointed Prime Minister Matata Ponyo Mapon (R) talks surrounded by his cabinet ministers during a press point at the Finance ministry in Kinshasa, DRC, April 19, 2012.

When he was appointed by President Joseph Kabila last week, Ponyo promised not to have a jumbo-sized government. He followed through on his pledge, naming a government with 36 ministers compared to more than 60 in the previous administration.

Only seven members of the previous government retained their posts. And, in a notable change, this Cabinet includes fewer heads of political parties and others who have made a name for themselves in politics. Many of the new ministers are unknown to the public, and  likely have been chosen for their technical and managerial experience.

A political analyst at the University of Kinshasa, professor Philippe Buyoya said that having fewer heads of political parties means ministers can concentrate more on running the country, rather than internal politics.

He said the choice of ministers shows that the president wants to have an administration that will govern, rather than just distribute the fruits of victory in the elections.

However, Buyoya notes that the new government is less politically diverse than the old one.

He said that compared with the previous government of Antoine Gizenga and Adolphe Muzito, this one is essentially a government of the ruling party, with other parties as allies but dominated by the ruling party, the PPRD.

Jean Claude Katende heads of one of Congo's leading human rights organizations, ASADHO [African Association for the Defense of Human Rights]. He said he is disappointed that the new government is not more inclusive.

He said his organization is concerned that there are no members of the opposition in the new government, as the president appeared to have promised when he was sworn into office. Katende said that after the controversy surrounding the last elections, he thought it was necessary to include some opposition members in government.

Kabila won re-election in November but his challengers rejected the results, and observers noted significant disarray during the vote-counting process. The U.S.-based Carter Center suggested the true results of the parliamentary elections may never be known.

Over the weekend, Congo's Supreme Court announced the final results of its investigations following legal challenges to the election results.  After ruling on Wednesday that 32 members of parliament were not rightfully elected, the court confirmed the elections of the other MPs.

Theo www.voanews.com

Kenya Cattle Benefit from Mobile Service iCow

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Cattle rearing is a tricky business.  Miss a day when a cow is in heat, and your herd doesn"t expand.  Have the wrong (or no) market information and you may lose money when selling off your cattle or its products.  To make cattle rearing predictable and profitable, farmer and entrepreneur Su Kahumbu created iCow, a mobile phone service that gives a myriad of information and advice to cattle farmers.

Mutige is three months' pregnant.  Her owner, Michael Ruchu, is delighted, predicting that his cow's offspring will produce up to 25 liters of milk each day.

"Its father was a very good bull, and I am expecting Mutige to give me a very good heifer," says Ruchu.

Mutige was inseminated artificially, using key information from a mobile phone service called iCow.  Ruchu's three goats are also registered with iCow.

Ruchu, whose one-hectare farm is about an hour outside Nairobi, gets regular advice from the mobile phone service.  The iCow team has a file on Mutige.  They keep track of all stages of the pregnancy, texting instructions on what to do at what time.

"OK, we'll take the cow calendar, which is conventionally two discs that sit in a card. When your cow is impregnated, you line up certain things on the disc and it will tell you when you need to do your pregnancy diagnostic test, when to need to start milking her if she is a lactating animal, when you look and see if she is coming on heat, etc. I said, 'we can digitize that into a telephone system so that farmers that do not have access to this, we can actually send them information," iCow creator and farmer Su Kahumbu explains.

Kahumbu launched iCow last year aiming to help small-scale farmers via texts, or SMSs, delivered via mobile telephone.

"Farmers sign up to a three, SMS-a-week system with their authority once they have registered," Kahumbu adds.  "We then send them information on good practices around feed, nutrition, animal health care, calf care, etc."

It is also an effective networking tool, as farmer Michael Ruchu discovered.

"Some people who are staying at Nairobi, through iCow, they just called me in my telephone number asking me whether I can supply them - they have seen me somewhere, and they took that number from iCow informing me, 'You are selling goat milk?' I told them, 'Yes, I do sell.' [And they said] 'Oh, we want some liters of goat milk," Ruchu notes.

Kahumbu says a survey conducted seven months after iCow's launch showed that 42 percent of farmers on the system reported earning higher incomes as a result of more information.

Theo www.voanews.com