Elephant, located at 310 Wall Street, was named “best wine and tapas bar” by Hudson Valley Magazine two years in a row. It specializes in “nose to tails cuisine,” according to Rich Reeve, who opened the tapas bar three years ago with his wife, Maya Karrol. Lately he’s been cooking up Basque-style barbecue pigtails, flavored with smoked Spanish paprika. “I’ve cornered the market on tails,” Reeve said. “I get them from Fleisher’s, Adams and a third company, Northeast Family Farms.”  As for the nose, Reeve said head cheese was on the menu not too long ago.

The bar and dining area are located in a storefront transformed into a chic, minimal space with European panache. Elephant has no formal kitchen; Reeve whips up his small-plate concoctions using two toaster ovens, a hot plate, sandwich grill, freezer and couple of refrigerators. He serves 20 plates a night, including a few regulars (“I can’t take them off the menu or they’d kill me”): oyster sliders, lamburguesa, crispy pork belly tacos, roast parsnip and arugula salad, pickled beets and blue cheese salad. Other sample dishes are crab gratin and shaved Brussels sprouts.  The price range is from $3 to $15 (sometimes a little higher), and all wines are sold by the glass, from $6 to $10.

Reeves said that Elephant had “a remarkably good year. We’re looking forward to the new businesses opening in Uptown.” Open from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, the place starts getting busy around 7 or 8 p.m. “We have a cool diverse crows that hangs out here,” Reeve said. “We’re not your typical restaurant. We get a lot of restaurant people from all over the area, younger artists and transplanted locals.

“It’s been fun, and we watch our pennies,” he added. “We still spin records. And I got a new tattoo”—bringing his total to six. Of course, “I get them locally too.”