It opens tomorrow. Looking forward to hearing on here whether it is good or not. Anyone going? I'll see if I can convince my coworkers to eat there for lunch, but not sure they'll go for it.
Convincing done. In fact, my coworker and I were their first paying customers.
(Please excuse the iPhone photos if they're a bit blurry.)
EDITING to add some description
Menu today:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/MissMinda/CoolCulinaryCritics/menu.jpg)
We started with the Stuffed Mushrooms with Wasabi Goat Cheese
These were extremely tasty and were my coworker's favorite item. There wasn't a huge wasabi kick like I was expecting, but the mushrooms were very fresh. The owner came out and spoke to us for a while about the fact that they are using as much locally grown and raised food as possible.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/MissMinda/CoolCulinaryCritics/mushrooms.jpg)
Then we had the Duck Confit Spring Rolls with Spicy Apple Chutney
Definitely need some of the greens from the bottom as well as the chutney when taking a bite. There is a cinnamon flavor to the chutney which I enjoyed.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/MissMinda/CoolCulinaryCritics/springrolls.jpg)
Followed by the Cuban Cakes with Spicy Guacamole
This was the most dense item we ate. My coworker said it would go perfect with some beer sitting up at the bar. There is a mixture of rice and beans inside and the Guacamole is smooth.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/MissMinda/CoolCulinaryCritics/cakes.jpg)
Next we enjoyed the Sweet Onion Crisp with Savory Guava Jelly
The bread is crisp as it describes. The ingredients blend together well.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/MissMinda/CoolCulinaryCritics/crustini.jpg)
And finally the Smoked Duck Breast Quesadilla (my favorite of the meal)
I bit into this and said, "Wow!" Lots of bursts of flavor. The duck is seasoned and moist. The herbs burst in your mouth as you eat it.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/MissMinda/CoolCulinaryCritics/quesadilla.jpg)
Although we did not order it, another patron let me take a photo of their Chef's Choice Cheese Plate
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/MissMinda/CoolCulinaryCritics/cheeseplate.jpg)
Wow. Thanks for the post. Very informative, loved the pictures.
Doesn't look like authentic tapas, at all--and I'm 100% fine with that, just an observation. As long as they do it well and keep crowds coming, I'm happy. Look forward to trying them.
I'll put more details about the taste of the food after work. ;)
Looks good. Only thing that bothers me is that they misspelled tapenade.
Where is this place?
Quote from: JFman00 on April 04, 2012, 02:19:50 PM
Looks good. Only thing that bothers me is that they misspelled tapenade.
Good catch
Thanks! All over it!
This actually looks pretty good, but not at all traditional, which I am 100% behind. Any idea what the price point is for the place is?
All the dishes we had were between $5 and $10. The total bill, including the iced tea came to $40 and change for two people.
EDIT: They added the prices to the chalkboard after I'd taken the first photo.
We had lunch there today! Yummy stuff. Two Black Iced Teas, Braised Chorizo in a red wine sauce, Chicken Salad on a Crustini, BLT Quesadilla, and for dessert Banana Bread Pudding. Our bill came to around $28 before tip. It's a fun little place.
Had dinner there Friday. Very friendly place. Owner/manager talking to guests looking for feedback. Very imaginative food, very well done. Presentation, flavors, ingredients all highly original. Bill $40+ for two with a couple of beers. Better selection for vegetarians than a traditional tapas place.
Told them that they needed to add some sherries to wine selection. Will definitely go back.
Quote from: Dog Walker on April 15, 2012, 08:16:54 AM
Had dinner there Friday. Very friendly place. Owner/manager talking to guests looking for feedback. Very imaginative food, very well done. Presentation, flavors, ingredients all highly original. Bill $40+ for two with a couple of beers. Better selection for vegetarians than a traditional tapas place.
Told them that they needed to add some sherries to wine selection. Will definitely go back.
Good to hear. Any negatives?
To my taste one of the dishes, Cuban Cakes, could have been just a bit more spicy and intense. Their selection of wines is good, but limited. They said they were working on that with their supplier, trying to be very careful about the pairings with the food. Beer selection was severely limited, only three on draft. Refrigeration and storage space for kegs is probably a limiting factor in a bar space that small.
We sat at the bar. Service was good and the food came out quickly. Intimate, informal atmosphere encouraged us to strike up a conversation with another couple at the bar. Their first time there too and they also said that they would come back. Live at 1661 so have lots of walking distance choices.
Quote from: Dog Walker on April 15, 2012, 12:09:29 PM
To my taste one of the dishes, Cuban Cakes, could have been just a bit more spicy and intense. Their selection of wines is good, but limited. They said they were working on that with their supplier, trying to be very careful about the pairings with the food. Beer selection was severely limited, only three on draft. Refrigeration and storage space for kegs is probably a limiting factor in a bar space that small.
We sat at the bar. Service was good and the food came out quickly. Intimate, informal atmosphere encouraged us to strike up a conversation with another couple at the bar. Their first time there too and they also said that they would come back. Live at 1661 so have lots of walking distance choices.
Good to hear. My sister lives at 1661, and I live on Copeland and Park, so I'd love if this place worked out. I admit, the menu looks a little odd, and it's kinda lame the owner posted their own review on Yelp/Urbanspoon. BUT, you're review sealed the deal: checking it out ASAP. Thanks for the info.
The two owners are VERY friendly(one works the front and the other is the chef).
Good little place. You should definately try it out.
I love having a tapas place around, Ive always said we need one like this. I love that the menu changes all the time. A great place to stop in with a group and share some food.
Quote from: ben says on April 15, 2012, 09:41:15 AM
Quote from: Dog Walker on April 15, 2012, 08:16:54 AM
Had dinner there Friday. Very friendly place. Owner/manager talking to guests looking for feedback. Very imaginative food, very well done. Presentation, flavors, ingredients all highly original. Bill $40+ for two with a couple of beers. Better selection for vegetarians than a traditional tapas place.
Told them that they needed to add some sherries to wine selection. Will definitely go back.
Good to hear. Any negatives?
I'm sure you'll provide us with some ;)
My wife & I tried on the first day at lunch. Very good food (loved the cuban cakes and duck spring rolls) and they are making a strong push to source as much as possible locally which is why the menu will change constantly. We shared 3 plates which came to approx. $18. Not a bad price at all for the quality and service. Love that they have beer on tap and a nice bar for dining if solo. There was nothing available at the time but they rolled in a keg as we were leaving. I believe they will have Ephemere (Unibroue product) and several Bold City plus a couple more.
I'm looking forward to going back and glad to have another option within an easy couple block walk from my home. Definitely check it out when you have a chance.
They didn't have the duck confit spring rolls the night we there so I'm looking forward to going back and trying them. People are having foodgasms talking about them.
Hopefully they will start posting the daily menu on Facebook at least. That might coax more customers too.
I was here last night to celebrate my wife's birthday and it was wonderful. We had a group of nine people, and it was a great place for the occasion. Within the group we ordered eight different items and no one had anything bad to say about any of them. We aren't picky about our wine so we stick to the cheap stuff, but I thought the few bottles we had were good. Between the wine and the food, I think their prices are great.
The front of the house owner, Michael, talked to us for a little bit and thanked us for choosing them to celebrate my wife's birthday. He explained how they go to local farms to pick food and let the fresh items they can get dictate their menu. You could really hear/feel his passion in this rather than just giving us a sales pitch.
Although I cannot remember our servers name, he was extremely attentive and could explain all of the dishes very well. Him and Michael really took care of us. I even called the day before to ask about reservations, which they do not do as of yet, but when we got there they have multiple tables put together and set for our arrival.
Overall we couldn't have asked for a better place to go to. I really hope people get out there and support this place, as I think they are a great addition to the neighborhood.
Quote from: Lucasjj on April 26, 2012, 08:03:19 AM
I was here last night to celebrate my wife's birthday and it was wonderful. We had a group of nine people, and it was a great place for the occasion. Within the group we ordered eight different items and no one had anything bad to say about any of them. We aren't picky about our wine so we stick to the cheap stuff, but I thought the few bottles we had were good. Between the wine and the food, I think their prices are great.
The front of the house owner, Michael, talked to us for a little bit and thanked us for choosing them to celebrate my wife's birthday. He explained how they go to local farms to pick food and let the fresh items they can get dictate their menu. You could really hear/feel his passion in this rather than just giving us a sales pitch.
Although I cannot remember our servers name, he was extremely attentive and could explain all of the dishes very well. Him and Michael really took care of us. I even called the day before to ask about reservations, which they do not do as of yet, but when we got there they have multiple tables put together and set for our arrival.
Overall we couldn't have asked for a better place to go to. I really hope people get out there and support this place, as I think they are a great addition to the neighborhood.
Great news. Thanks for the info.
We have been back several times now and have never been disappointed. The food is imaginative, tasty and well presented. The beer selection has increased some and they have really been working on the wine pairings and have some very interesting wines available.
It's a great place to go in for a quick, early snack if your dinner is going to be delayed 'til late. We're becoming regulars.