Every Monday evening, the space that houses Tasting Social’s Mountainbird in East Harlem, transforms into a delicious little slice of Spain. Chef Cedric Durand offers an eclectic menu of Modern Spanish Tapas at Tastings Social Gaudir, which transported me back to my trip two years ago.
Category Archives: Tapas
Nai Tapas Bar, East Village, NYC
Gato, Greenwich Village, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$$
Must try: Scrambled Eggs, Mushroom and Kale Paella
ABC Cocina, Union Square/ Flatiron, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆ ¾
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Grilled Maitake Mushrooms, Raw Shaved Fluke, Guacamole with Grapefruit Salsa
ABC Cocina is Jean-Georges Vongerichten and executive chef Dan Kluger’s endeavor at inventive, Latin inspired, tapas style fare.
Housed within the stunning ABC Carpet & Home Store, this hot spot is fashioned in abcmkt’s eclectic style – an aesthetic I love (of course everything is available for purchase on the shop floor).
The menu consists of seven sections with choices that range from a “Raw Bar” to “Light and Bright” to “Wood Burning Grill” and more.
The cuisine is based on flavors from Latin America and Spain and is for most part executed rather well. Dishes that blew me away were the “Raw Shaved Fluke with Green Chili Dressing” and the “Grilled Maitake Mushrooms”. Other such as the “Fish Taco” felt lacking in clean flavors and brightness as is was unnecessarily doused with some kind of creamy heavy Russian type dressing. The “Short Rib Tacos” though are a clear winner!
Service was very pleasant but uneven. We were kept waiting for fairly long spells between certain dishes.
I didn’t fall in love with ABC Cocina the way that I did with ABC Kitchen….but the small plate fare piqued my interest enough to make warrant several revisits.
Here is some of what we ate:
Guacamole with Grapefruit Salsa
Raw Shaved Fluke
Shrimp with Sizzling Garlic and Chili Oil
Short Rib Taco
Fish Taco
Grilled Maitake Mushrooms
Salted Caramel ‘Impossible’ Flan
Soft And Crunchy Almond Cake
Jaleo by José Andrés,Las Vegas, NV
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Patatas Bravas, Setas al ajillo con La Serena, Espinacas a la Catalana, Patatas Bravas
José Andrés is the culinary mastermind who is credited with bringing authentic Spanish cuisine and the concept of Tapas to the United States.
At Jaleo, which is at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas, Andrés along with Chef Ramon Martinez, offers a delightful blitz of fantastic small plates showcasing the very best of Spanish cuisine.
Andrés has created a remarkable paella pit at Jaleo, lit by all wood fires, which flavors their delicious paella of the night.
The menu is extensive offering over 70 options to diners to pick from. Each dish delights in different ways as do the wonderful drinks. The service at Jaleo is just as charming as the food is. For me, this was a perfect Vegas food spot to kick off an evening of fun.
Here is some of what we ate:
Jaleo Bramble
Gambas Al Ajillo
Espinacas a la Catalana
Setas al ajillo con La Serena
Patatas Bravas
Tortillas de patatas clasica
Pollastre amb Escamarlans
Paella de verduras de Temporada
Gin and Tonic Sorbet
Flan al estilo
Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto, Upper West Side, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: Selezione Del Salumiere, Caponanta, Focaccia
The DL, Lower East Side, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: PB&J, Rice Crispy Crusted Monkfish