When Charlie Palmer of Aureole decided to turn the defunct Chefs and Cuisiniers Club into a new restaurant, he hooked up with partner Fernando Saralegui (who is no longer with the restaurant) and started tossing around ideas. Something clicked, and all the right elements quickly came to light. But what to call this upscale-industrial little space, illuminated by tiny bare bulbs that hover on the walls above diners' heads like cartoon ideas? A light bulb went off, so to speak, in Saralegui's own head. "Edison" seemed too obvious -why not call it Alva, as in Thomas Alva Edison, an homage to the father of the filament? Soon after opening, Palmer had a bright idea of his own. He brought in Aaron Bashy, a hot young pro from Aureole, to run the stoves at his reincarnated restaurant. Sparks flew, and Alva's been lighting up the Flatiron night ever since with Bashy's inspired, innovative American fare.

A CIA alum (and the winner of the Richard T. Keating Award, for the "Student Most Likely to Succeed"), Bashy spent a year on the line at the top-rated Hamersley's Bistro in Boston before heading to New York. He put in three years at Le Bernardin with Gilbert Le Coze and Eric Ripert before moving on to Aureole. Eighteen months later, Bashy was tapped for the top toque position at Alva. There he has earned high marks from critics for his brilliantly reimagined American fare. New York Press named Alva the "Best New Restaurant" for 1995; Gael Greene, writing in New York magazine, called the food "delicious"; Interview called it "seductive." Ruth Reichl agreed. She loved the grilled salmon, the shrimp cocktail, the warm beet and goat cheese salad. "With its good looks, casual attitude, and interesting food," she wrote, "Alva could easily become the classic New York restaurant for the 90's." Wherever Thomas Alva Edison may be, his spirit must be glowing with pleasure at the thought of all of that dazzling food.