"Mom-and-pop" restaurants by first-time owners usually are put together on a shoestring and show it. Not the brand-new Las Bugambilias, the rustic Mex that replaced Ristorante Primavera at 148 South St. (It's right off the corner of Second and South, next to what was Monte Carlo Living Room. This is the solo debut of Carlos Molina, longtime chef at Tequila's. Out front, working the front of the house and tending the tiny bar, is his wife, Michelle. Decor is Cine Mexico, with photos from Mexican cinema from 1936 through the mid-1950s. Molina is from Veracruz, and seafood is a specialty. Best of all, most entree prices are under $20. It's open from 4 p.m. every day except for Mondays. Say the name "boo-gam-BEE-lee-as," and it's the Spanish spelling of bougainvillea, the tropical flower.
Above left, the Day of the Dead dude out front. Right, part of the dining room.