Has anyone eaten at Sol y Sombra restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz.? If so, how was it?

I haven't eaten there but here's a review

sounds ok if you don't mind the Snotsdale crowd

What happens when you take today's most overworked restaurant concept, the tapas lounge, put it in one of the Valley's most upmarket shopping complexes and fill the seats with Scottsdale's figure-sculpted beautiful people?

You have Sol y Sombra on Market Street at DC Ranch.

It could have been an emperor-has-no-clothes joke. But it's not. That's because chef Aaron May, who headed the kitchen at Mario Batali's acclaimed New York tapas parlor, Casa Mono, backs up the stylish sizzle with culinary substance. His scrupulously crafted Spanish small plates turn Sol y Sombra into a grazer's field of dreams.

Be advised: Bring your sunglasses, because just about everyone in this dazzling crowd seems to have had teeth-whitening treatment.

You may need them for another reason. When it comes to exhibitions of Scottsdale cleavage, Sol y Sombra may well be ground zero. Indeed, during one visit, an exuberant woman at the next table popped out of her low-cut dress, and none of her companions apparently thought this was remarkable enough to alert her. Embarrassed, I spent the rest of the evening uncomfortably fixing my eyes firmly on Sol y Sombra's less animated décor.

I noted the dramatically backlit bar, the striking Clemente Bornacelli paintings, the busy community table colorfully set with tulips, the fanciful chinaware, the booths and banquettes ringing the room and the comfy easy chairs and low tables in the center. (There's also a patio overlooking the Disneyfied "street.") The overall effect is coolly handsome, more New York than Madrid.

But Sol y Sombra sports genuine Spanish DNA. It starts with the name (it means "sun and shade"), an allusion to bullfighting. In the hot Spanish arena, seats in the sol cost less than those in the sombra.

The three dozen or so tapas, however, do more than allude to Spain: At times, they capture the essence of it.

Sometimes, May does it with restrained simplicity, letting the ingredients speak for themselves. Take the trio of giant prawns ($10), a tapas bar staple. These irresistible beauties are perfectly grilled to a crisp edge, wonderfully moist, meaty and tender. Take the pulpo a la Gallega ($10), a Galician specialty showcasing thin slices of butter-soft octopus embellished with a touch of zippy smoked paprika. Or take the refreshing gazpacho ($8), goosed up with shaved bottarga (tuna roe); or the immensely flavorful (but a bit chewy) chorizo ($8), stewed the traditional way in hard cider; or one evening's special of ramps ($7), springtime wild onions with an assertive flavor that rarely show up on Arizona menus.

But more often, May does it by artfully unleashing the powerful weapons in the Spanish flavor arsenal.

This is especially apparent in his hot tapas, which aren't really tapas at all. They're what Spanish menus would call " 1/2 ración" - affordable small plates, somewhere between the size of a main dish and a tapa nibble. Too bad American restaurants don't offer the same option.

The most expensive is a trio of startlingly luscious lamb chops ($14), set atop lima beans freshened with an Andalusian touch of mint. If the number in your group isn't divisible by three, somebody is going to very unhappy.

Only the Japanese eat more seafood per capita than Spaniards, and May realizes it's an essential part of the tapas experience. The halibut ($13) may be the single best dish here, teamed with clams in a vibrant green sauce. Close behind, however, are the outstanding mussels ($10) in a creamy tomato broth tinged with sherry, and garlicky clams tossed with pungent chorizo in wine sauce ($10). Ask for bread and a spoon (otherwise you'll get neither), and make sure you don't leave a drop of liquid.

May shows some verve with smoked sturgeon ($12), an occasional special, which he cuts into sashimi-thin strips and burnishes with onion and olive oil. Snails with a creamy artichoke puree ($9) also depart from the typical American tapas menu. Both are way more interesting than either the grilled salmon ($12), no matter how much May strains to divert us with the green apple slaw and horseradish cream, or the marinated skirt steak ($12) with pickled onions.

There's nothing wrong with standard munchies like tortilla Española (a thick potato omelet, $4), ham and cheese croquettes ($8) or fried calamari ($9), but they don't offer the same explosive flavors you find elsewhere. And I'd steer away from the unimpressive Serrano ham platter ($14) until 2007, when the American government will finally permit the real thing - artisanal Ibérico pata negra ham - to enter the country.

May does some of his best work in the small menu section called "Botanas," used here in the sense of "side dishes." You can happily, and inexpensively, nibble the night away on grilled Brussels sprouts sprinkled with thyme ($5); crunchy fried potatoes ($6 - ask for allioli, Spain's garlic mayo, for dipping); asparagus in romesco sauce, a blend of olive oil, peppers, garlic and almonds ($6); a terrific chickpea and spinach duo ($5); and an earthy, high-end mushroom mix ($6).

Along with May's skills, what sets Sol y Sombra apart is the first-rate, all-Spanish wine list, including more than 20 by the glass. With tapas, though, I prefer sherry, and Sol y Sombra has a decent selection. The bone-dry Valdespino fino ($10), the bracing Barbadillo manzanilla ($7) and the nutty Hartley & Gibson amontillado ($7) all do double duty as aperitif or dinner beverage.

I got the impression desserts weren't a priority. That's because there was only one, a sampler platter ($9). But my impression was wrong. The two chocolate truffles laced with pimentón (red chiles), two truffles flavored with pistachios, two little apple tarts, two coconut tarts and two chocolate cream sherry tarts, had everyone in my group defending his share. For a final touch of luxury, finish up with a glass of Pedro Ximenez ($10), a nectarlike dessert sherry that's thick, sweet and raisin-y.

The trendoids will flock to Sol y Sombra because it's a fun place to hang out. Foodies will come because it's a fun place to eat. You won't have any trouble picking out who is who.

Stay away from the professional teeth whitening procedures and from the whitening at home kits. They are using extremely toxic chemicals that can cause IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO TOOTH ENAMEL and premature tooth decay.

Check out this site: http://www.naturalwhiteteeth.net/ - It's about how you can whiten your teeth 100% naturally. Same results but 100% safe and 1000 times cheaper.

You have got to be kidding. You're not getting this kitty on that death trap. What if I spill something? What if I lose my lunch? What if a bird flies by and I get the urge to pounce? Nope, no way. Not this kitty.