Inside Comun's Creative New Menu & Puesto's Cinco de Mayo Bash

EAST VILLAGE— Solidly humming on nearly all cylinders after almost a year in the East Village, Común Kitchen & Tavern just rolled out a refreshed menu that executive chef Chad White says is 75% new. Some favorites, including the borrego, elotes and his now-signature tostadas remain, but White has added a number of ambitious new dishes, from candy-sweet roasted tomato with pickled mustard seed, queso fresco and burnt masa to carrots on bed of fish sauce-seasoned banana yogurt with carne seca, radish, and hot sauce, plus his takes on torta ahogada, goat birria and a pork belly with the flavors of cochinita pibil; the chef has also introduced more complex desserts, which include rosemary brioche with buttermilk ice cream, tart cherry gel and gastrique, mezcal-soaked cherries and Brazil nuts. Among the new cocktails, the Pichu Sour, which shakes pisco with cherimoya shrub, Malbec simple syrup and egg white, is a standout. [EaterWire]

DOWNTOWN— For Cinco de Mayo, Puesto at the Headquarters is pulling out all the stops for an event they're calling Cincoteca, scheduled to run from 4 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5. Admission is free to the party, which will spill out into the courtyard of the complex and include stations featuring $2 tacos, beers and Margaritas, plus a churro bar by Donut Bar and live music from several Latin bands. [EaterWire]

HILLCREST— In the short time since we announced the shutter of R Gang Eatery, chef friends of owner Rich Sweeney have rallied to organize a farewell dinner at the Hillcrest eatery scheduled for Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. Scheduled to join Sweeney in the kitchen to cook up R Gang-inspired small bites are chefs Karl Prohaska, Carnitas Snack Shack's Hanis Cavin, Daniel Barron from the Gaslamp's new Blush, Alex Carballo from URBN St. Brewing, Counterpoint's RoseAna Peyron and Rachel King from NINE-TEN; tickets are $40 and seats are limited. [EaterWire]