Tapa That

MissMinda · April 03, 2012, 10:43:52 PM

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.

MissMinda · April 04, 2012, 01:05:21 PM

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:

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.

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.

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.

Next we enjoyed the Sweet Onion Crisp with Savory Guava Jelly
The bread is crisp as it describes. The ingredients blend together well.

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.

Although we did not order it, another patron let me take a photo of their Chef's Choice Cheese Plate

ben says · April 04, 2012, 01:28:10 PM

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.

MissMinda · April 04, 2012, 02:06:19 PM

I'll put more details about the taste of the food after work.

JFman00 · April 04, 2012, 02:19:50 PM

Looks good. Only thing that bothers me is that they misspelled tapenade.

Doctor_K · April 04, 2012, 02:42:10 PM

Where is this place?

ben says · April 04, 2012, 02:44:39 PM

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

JFman00 · April 04, 2012, 02:44:54 PM

Quote from: Doctor_K on April 04, 2012, 02:42:10 PM
Where is this place?

820 Lomax

Doctor_K · April 04, 2012, 02:49:36 PM

Thanks! All over it!

JaxDiablo · April 04, 2012, 05:25:34 PM

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?

MissMinda · April 04, 2012, 05:44:23 PM

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.

Gknee · April 14, 2012, 02:18:20 PM

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.

Dog Walker · 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.

ben says · 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?

Dog Walker · 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.