Entering the restaurant literally as the first group to be seated at on the friday night, we felt slightly isolated in one of the rear dining chambers. We quickly realized that the place must get packed, since our reservation could have been what it was, or hours and hours later. Regardless, we began by perusing the menu, entirely unsure of what to get, since sharing was an absolutely necessary part of the tapas experience.
We began with a complementary tuna-caper spread accompanied by wonderfully crisped flatbread. This was accompanied by a special that night which I absolutely adored, lenora(sp?) goat cheese accompanying baguette rounds, granny smith apples, and fig preserves. This dish was an all-star winner, unfortunately baguette’s crust was not up to par with that which I have baked in my own oven, and it could have fared with a nice crisping in the oven so it served as a sturdier base. We also sampled lemon-cured sardines in a wonderfully fruity olive oil, olives, and pine nuts accompanied by microgreens, enjoyed thoroughly by all parties. The texture was amazing, since it was cured rather than cooked, and the fruitiness of the oil was indeed out of this world. This was followed by a flatbread with manchego cheese, black truffles, microgreens, and wild mushrooms. It was unfortunately oily, ruining some of the interplay of the more delicate flavors.
The next several dishes were brought out simultaneously as well. deep fried spicy potato cylinders, having a delicately crunchy crust and some sort of cream-based sauce dolloped on the top. Though tasty in their own respect, they were much more bland than any other dish presented and would not have been missed. This accompanied my favorite main dish of the evening: spanish baby octopus, sauteed in a very good olive oil and accompanied by potato rounds. The complementary textures really dazzled the mouth, and it was pleasantly spicy. It was a nice light contrast to the all-too-many heavy, rich dishes we ordered unknowingly in succession. The octopus was very, very tender. The clams and chorizo were in an unfortunately buttery sauce, which masked some of the excellent richness of both meats with butter—something that was less present throughout the rest of the meal due to the use of olive oils. The chorizo was smoky and of fantastic taste and quality.
The next dishes only got heavier from there: medium-done lamb meatballs, which on their own were AMAZING. The lamb was so tasty and pleasant; however the rich manchego sauce accompanying the meatballs seemed out of place with such a juicy meat to be savored better on its own. This accompanied a garbanzo bean and spinach saute (excuse my exclusion of accents; my computer is slightly limited) which was refreshing due to its lack of meat and relative lightness. This was slightly spicy and some of the garbanzoes were deep fried to become crunchy. It was a nice textural note. This accompanied the homemade (twice-per-week) rabbit sausage with chantarelles, fava beans, and sheep cheese cavatelli in an (unfortunately) butter sauce. It looked beautiful table-side all foamy and delicious, but I felt that the richness of the rabbit sausage and the flavor were certainly overpowered by the sheer weight and presence of the butter: I really could only handle half of a slice at the end of such a feast.
An almond wafer to be shared arrived complementary along with the dessert port. Overall, not exactly a cheap feast, but an enjoyably varied feast nonetheless. It was a night to remember, and a lovely introduction to tapas-style dining with the family. Next time, we will be sure to experience the best the restaurant has to offer either by selecting more varied plates or even requesting the chef’s selection tasting menu (something I would do on my own but to which my parents would most likely object).
