Victor Tangos

The music pounds; a bartender adds a shot of this, a jigger of that, then shakes madly, violently, with an involuntary grimace and a viselike grip. What a workout! It's Saturday night, and the place is packed. Sleek beauties show off their trademark bare shoulders and perfect jeans. Tall, brooding males, tanned and handsome, nod their heads with the beat - look at that watch! It's not a scene where you'd expect to find sophisticated cooking. But that's exactly what chef Greg Bussey is perpetrating at Victor Tangos, the 2-year-old nightspot that geographically kicks off the party that is North Henderson Avenue (it's the first restaurant off Central Expressway). Make no mistake: This is not bar food. At least the menu doesn't bog down with the usual bar food suspects. Nor is Victor Tangos a gastropub; gastropubs don't crank up the music with a pounding beat. If you're looking for a place for civilized conversation, VT's is not for you. But if a grilled octopus salad with a very Spanish feel holds some appeal, you might head on over. The salad is a riff on a classic tapas bite, grilled octopus over sliced potatoes. Here the two ingredients, joined by bright red shards of piquillo pepper, nestle in greens gently dressed in a lemony, herbal salsa verde. On the richer side, roasted beef marrow presented in long bones sliced lengthwise is fabulous spread on grilled Empire Bakery baguette. Our server tells us to be sure to add a bit of the oni