Cooking: Spanish Chorizo + Manchego Cheese on Crusty Bread = Best Snack Ever

After all that Korean food, I must say I sometimes got a hankering for some serious cheeses and hams. And what better counterbalance to rice and kimchi than chorizo Espanol with manchego cheese on crusty bread?

I got all the goodies from my favorite online Spanish store, La Tienda, which has a great selection of Spanish hams and cheeses, not to mention olives and piquillo peppers -- the list goes on.

I tried this chorizo Espanol for the first time and it was divine. I usually get the Palacios brand but these were sliced paper thin and seemed lighter (although probably not by much).

Perfect for a Spanish breakfast sandwich-late afternoon snack-cum-tapas-kind of fix.

Try ordering the Jamon Iberico de Bellota if you haven't tried it yet at The Bazaar, which is one of the few restaurants that serve good quality stuff. It's like buttah, I tell you.

Buen provecho, vale!

Cooking: Spinach, Catalan-Style by Jose Andres

I have sung the virtues of Chef Jose Andres and his restaurants over and over again here, but I can't help it. His recipes are simple and delicious and the food served at his restaurants is nothing short of stellar, whether in LA or DC (haven't been to Vegas but may just go for that).

Tapas, a Taste of Spain is a great cookbook, and here's a simple spinach recipe from it that is good as a side dish to more elaborate dishes like paella or a main dish. It's savory and sweet from the apples and raisins, with a little nuttiness from the toasted pine nuts. Delish.

Buen provecho!

Cooking: Rossejat, a Noodly Alternative to Paella

I love paella but I must say, I have yet to make what I consider to be the perfect paella, so when I ran across this paella alternative, rossejat de fideos, a Catalonian dish that uses angel hair pasta noodles instead of rice, I decided to try it. I was surprised at how easy it was to make (especially compared with ric paella) and how good it tasted.


I used a recipe in Jose Andres' Tapas cookbook but this one I found online is basically the same except it uses lobster and carrots while mine used monkfish and shrimp. 

The recipe in the book I used also called for fish stock and used sofrito, that onion and tomato mix that you stew forever as a base for paellas and such.

I'm sure you could substitute fish stock for water in this recipe too, if you'd like the noodles to have more flavor.

It's fantastic with some refreshing white wine and some green beans with jamon serrano (then again, hard to go wrong with jamon serrano). Buen provecho!

Cooking with Jose Andres: Beef Sirloin with a confit of Piquillo Peppers

Jose Andres owns one of my favorite restaurants in LA, the Bazaar. But long before he landed here, I'd already been enamored of his DC restaurants, Cafe Atlantico and Zaytinya, with a little less love for Jaleo. I've wanted to try Minibar for some time but it's on my list for a future visit.

The man knows how to cook good, creative and beautiful food. And I confess I've probably watched most if not all of his PBS Made in Spain travel and cooking shows. Astonishing (to quote the man himself)! Heck, I've even downloaded music from the Spanish bands featured on the show!

Anyway, I have his tapas cookbook, which I cherish and have used many times to great results. It is, however, a bit weak on the meat side, so I enlisted the help of his online recipes from the show. This beef dish was simple and delicious, particularly the piquillo peppers. I know I say this a lot, but truly, it's hard to go wrong with these babies. Add a bit of garlic and olive oil and you've got a great combination of meat and smoky, garlicky peppers softened by long hours in the oven under low heat. I also used leftover peppers to great effect in my turkey sandwiches to give them a flavor boost.

Flat iron steaks weren't as easy to find as I would have thought so I substituted with skirt steak, which was good but a bit fatty. I used a heavy cast iron grill over the stove that worked very well to grill the meat (fantastic grill marks). I could go on and on about the virtues of this tool, but that's another post. Enjoy.

Cooking: What's Not to Like About This Chorizo Appetizer?

These parsnip, chorizo and manchego cheese bites are super easy to make and taste like a million dollars. My dinner party guests couldn't get enough of them. If you have leftovers, they could be like breakfast on a stick. You could easily serve these for brunch as a side to a sunny side-up although I didn't get there because there were none left! Parsnips look like carrots but are beige in color and have a nuttier taste than potatoes. Shout-out to Martha Stewart for this recipe. Buen provecho!

Roasted Parsnip and Chorizo Bites

* 2 parsnips
* 2 tsp olive oil
* Pinch of coarse salt and ground pepper
* 8 slices (1/4-inch thick) spicy chorizo (Spanish kind, not the raw Mexican kind)
* 1 oz Manchego cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Peel parsnips and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices on the diagonal; toss slices with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast until lightly browned (12-13 minutes) in a single layer on a baking sheet; flip slices halfway through.

Push parsnips to one side of the sheet and add chorizo; roast just enough to heat chorizo through (about two minutes); let cool five minutes.

Break cheese into 1/2-inch chunks.

Layer parsnip, chorizo, Manchego, and parsnip; spear with a toothpick and serve warm.

Paella At Home, At Last

I finally got around to using one of my most prized possessions, the paella pan with the beautiful red handles I got for Christmas last year, and I'm smitten.

I probably avoided making it because of my streak of unsuccessful paella ventures over the past, oh, decade-plus, that resulted in one too many porridge-like things, under-seasoned things and unevenly cooked things. I won't even call those "errors" paella. Back then, I could at least argue that I didn't have the right equipment. No longer. And it came out well, if I may say so myself. Here are some pointers that I took away.


First, there was the issue of deciding what type of paella to make (the pan gift came with a paella cookbook with back-to-back paella recipes -- gracias, mj!). After a not-so-impressive black squid ink paella I attempted to make during my latest trip to Korea, I opted to veer away from seafood.

As I narrowed down the choices canceling out fish and shellfish, I decided -- chicken. I went for one that features chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, crimini mushrooms and onions. I used organic chicken breast meat from a Japanese market (Nijiya) that I found to be a lot more tender and juicier than those found at other mainstream stores. The breast meat also looked fresher with a brighter pink hue to its color and didn't look as chunky as if they'd been injected with hormones. I also liked the slightly sweet flavor from the sherry that soaked the sun-dried tomatoes and also added into the rice as part of the liquid besides chicken stock to cook it.

The saffron, which also came with the gift (apparently one that keeps on giving!), was excellent quality stuff. I'd been a bit cheap and had used ones that aren't as strongly flavored in Persian markets. The good stuff certainly helped to impart that signature paella flavor. I also improvised a bit, throwing in peas and a finely chopped jalapeno pepper for a bit of kick. The recipe called for dried basil but why use dried when I have fresh? So I sprinkled the finished product with slivers of basil that added a very nice dimension of aroma and flavor.

The only thing I will say is that because my pan is for a party of six, it was larger in diameter than my stove's heating area. So I had issues around evenness in cooking and had to stir the rice around to switch out uncooked kernels on the edges with cooked ones in the middle. And I moved the pan around the heat area to finish off the cooking at the end.

The recipe, you ask? It's easy. I'm guessing this isn't the most typical paella but here it is. I'm not going to specify amounts because making paella isn't a precise science at all. Just make sure it cooks evenly! Sautee minced garlic and one chopped onion in olive oil. Chop chicken breasts and sautee them until browned. Slice sun-dried tomatoes and soak in sherry. Chop the mushrooms, jalapeno (for heat lovers) and sautee with sun-dried tomatoes. Add the rice to the mix, stir a bit and then add chicken broth (1 part rice to 2 parts broth) and a bit of sherry to cook the rice. Twenty minutes later or whenever the liquid is all absorbed, it's ready. But make sure you check on the even cooking. That's critical!

I noticed this recipe didn't call for sofrito, that tomato, garlic and onion goodness slow-cooked and frequently used in paellas as a flavoring base. I have cooked paella with sofrito and it is quite something. But this paella withstood the flavor test even without it, although admittedly, it has all three ingredients of sofrito -- (albeit sun-dried) tomato, garlic and onion -- in it separately.

Enjoy~

Bazaar Redux: Never As Good as the First Time

It's true. The second and third experiences at this restaurant that I mention in every other review have not been as transformational. But while the service was far too rushed and the Jamon Iberico de Bellota wasn't nearly as buttery and wonderful as that first time, I've made at least one other discovery at every subsequent visit. I can't say everything was good, but plenty of winners for sure.



On the second visit, for example, revelation came in the form of King Crab served with some fresh raspberries and raspberry vinegar. It was not only beautiful to look at but the slightly sweet and tart raspberries went perfectly well with the meaty crab flesh.



Other highlights included cotton candy with foie gras -- yes, a tad gimmicky but good -- and the tuna ceviche avocado roll. I liked the cotton candy's fluffy texture of the cotton candy with a sweetness and the "meat" of the foie gras inside. It's fun and good. The tuna ceviche avocado roll was refreshing and the crunchy surprise was the crumbled toasted homini bits sprinkled on top.

I also liked the lamb loin and his take on the classic gambas al ajillo -- garlic shrimp -- was good. I liked that the shrimps were actually large-sized.


My favorite on my third visit was an off-the-menu item that our waiter curiously whipped out well into our dinner -- Japanese baby peaches (the green grape-like fruit on left) with regular Georgia peaches, Greek yogurt, baby arugula, drizzled with olive oil and an excellent vinegar using a grape called Pedro Ximenez and sprinkled with za'atar, which is a Middle Eastern mix of herbs and spices.

I first thought it'd be too sweet like a dessert but the combination oddly worked amazingly well. The Japanese baby peaches, which I had never had, were sweet but not overly so and juicy. I scooped all the parts together and the sweetness of the fruit blended formidably well with the tartness of the yogurt. But the double whammy kickers were undoubtedly the vinegar essence and the za'atar powder that gave it all these layers that had me savor it for a while after popping it into my mouth.


A novelty item that could have had more of a kick was the Rossejat, or paella-style pasta topped with shrimp, which was interesting but was missing sometihng -- more spice, more vegetables, or...It was cooked in seafood broth so I could taste the sea but the shrimp on top seemed to have been steamed separately and therefore didn't seem to blend in as well with the rest of the dish. And it could have used some other vegetables, shellfish or seafood.

Other good but nothing specials included seared scallops with romesco sauce (I like the classic grilled leeks with romesco better) -- the scallops were on the tough side.

The artichokes and citrus salad with orange blossom and pomegranate tasted light and fresh, just a little bit on the bland side.

Then there were items that didn't work as well, such as sea urchin on a bun with jalapeno and avocado, the pisto (vegetable stew with tomato and runny egg that gets mixed in) and my least favorite, the tuna toro “Nigiri” with wasabi, watermelon, red wine, soy and jalapeno. First of all, the toro wasn't that great quality -- it didn't melt in your mouth like the one at Hiko Sushi. Second, the "Nigiri" was drowning in the sauce. And then there was foam. It just didn't work. Flavors didn't meld and the sub-par quality toro ruined it for me.

Our waiter suggested another item off the menu that unfortunately didn't work either. It had grilled figs with jamon Iberico (regular, not Bellota), baby arugula, crumbled toasted walnuts and that ubiquitous Pedro Ximenez reduction.


This dish sounded great on paper but the ham overpowered everything else and didn't let the figs, which should have been front and center.

I was sorely disappointed that they didn't have my favorite dessert with beet merengue, berry sorbets, pistachios and fresh berries. I had the fresh berries with a coconut emulsion on the bottom and topped with a creme fraiche-type cream that had lime bits in it. This dessert was interesting in flavor combinations but ultimately not successful. Apparently it is the brainchild of Albert Adria, the brother of famed chef Ferran Adria of El Bulli fame. I've also had the Apple Carlota, a warm apple tart with saffron sauce and milk ice cream, which was fine but not out of this world. The classic flan with vanilla and oranges was soft and yet firm enough to spoon into it with the right sweetness and creamy consistency.


I was sad to see that the service had gone from stellar to good. While the wait staff was always helpful and chill, I thought the staff rushed us by coming by and asking to clear our plates every five minutes and some were not that great in their knowledge of the menu -- or would recite things like they had memorized it word-by-word and would utter them no matter what we said. It seemed mechanical and not well-trained to me. I recall the wonderful service I had the first time I went. I guess it's really never as good as...


I would return (in fact, I am returning this weekend) but will try some things I haven't yet, such as canned scallops or sea urchin and Norwegian lobster, to name a few. Stay tuned for another installment of...njeats goes to The Bazaar once again! By the way, the cava rosado was the bomb. Skipped the sangria and it was still good.

The Bazaar

The Bazaar: Lovely and Amazing

I am still recouping from the fantastic meal I had at Bazaar, a beautiful Spanish bar/bakery/restaurant by one of my favorite chefs, Jose Andres. He has finally landed in LA -- after years of building his incredible restaurant empire in DC. Thanks to dinela, I ventured to this somewhat pricey and hard-to-get reservation, but boy, am I glad I did. I am happy to declare that LA finally has a respectable tapas joint!


Everything about the dining experience was first-rate, including food, service and ambiance. The prix-fixe dinner was $44, and included an appetizer of the famous deconstructed philly cheese steak sandwich described as "Air Bread Filled with Cheese and Topped with Kobe Beef." The tender-as-butter meat was perfectly cooked with just a blush of red for juiciness and as I bit into the air bread with cheddar cheese, I can't say it tasted like a Philly Cheese Steak but it didn't matter. It was more ethereal and a different experience from the down-home sandwich dripping with caramelized onions you'd expect from a Philly. After the first course, you can pick up to three tapas from the traditional ("Rojo") or modern ("Blanca") menus.

Before I get into what we ordered from the set menu, let me rave a little bit about its drinks menu. It had unusual cocktails, like a cotton candy mojito that was interesting. It also had pisco sour, which is my favorite Chilean cocktail of all time and some unusual sangrias made with cava, Spanish sparkling wine. Our friendly waitress made the cava sangria for us tableside, which assured me that it's not diluted wine we're getting for $42. The mix had orange peel, green grapes, raspberries and some other ingredients that made the sangria taste refreshing and probably perfect for a hot summer day.

Now for the very best part of the meal, which is saying a lot because most everything about this meal was just about perfect. I had read about the jamón Ibérico de bellota, acorn-fed, free-range Ibérico ham from Spain. I have fond memories of savoring some of the best hams when I traveled around Spain years ago and had been disappointed every time I searched for similar versions in LA. The search is officially over. This ham is not to be confused with jamón serrano, which is a less expensive variety that's not nearly as soft and delicious as the bellota. One couldn't even buy jamón Ibérico in the US up until recently and we apparently have Jose Andres to thank for. The razor-thin slices laid out on a plate of marble were so astonishingly delicious that it hardly mattered that we paid an extra $36 for one plate alone. It came with a plate of pan de tomate, toasted bread that has been rubbed with the insides of a tomato. The ham was excellent by itself but the bread added an extra dimension with the pairing.

I had also read about these so-called liquid olives originated by Ferran Adria of El Bulli fame (where chef Andres trained under him). This is another one of those "hype is true" moments. I like real olives but the little pearls of olive essence that pop in your mouth in an explosion of flavors is simply priceless. Genius. We also got real olives stuffed with piquillo peppers and anchovies (an appetizer I had served at dinner parties from his cookbook to rave reviews) in a tin can (they serve fancy mussels and oysters from the can -- must try that another time).

The choices were many and we made sure we got a good mix of old (from traditional menu) and new (modern). Since I have a weakness for anything fried, it wasn't difficult coming up with chicken croquettes with bechamel sauce and buñuelos, or cod fritters. Having tried to make it at home several times to mixed success, I appreciated the artistry and care that it took to make the incredibly crispy croquettes that were oozing with tender chicken meat melded with the creamiest bechamel sauce. They were truly perfect.

The cod fritters were equally good and made even better by the accompanying honey garlic mayo sauce you dip them into to temper the saltiness from the cod. But even a fried food lover like me can't survive on fried food alone. The waitress recommended an arugula salad to balance out the heaviness.



It was a great suggestion that included arugula rolled into jicama like sushi rolls, topped with quinoa, Cabrales blue cheese, micro greens and raspberries on a bed of corn. It did just what it was intended to do -- add a healthy dose of refreshing crunchiness. And what beauty it was to the eye. Just look at those colors!


While still good, these dishes were not as spectacular as the rest. They included wild mushroom rice topped with
Idiazábal cheese and Galician lobster medallions with olive oil crushed potatoes and paprika. We wanted a rice dish to round everything out and got the lobster because it sounded good and also seemed one of the more expensive items we could get for our set meal (gotta milk it to the max in these tough times). My dinner companion said the rice seemed undercooked but it was fine for me. It was bomba rice that is the rice used for paella.

The lobster was tender enough but there was an herb or something that turned me off. It may have been the chervil herb that was sprinkled on top or something about the smoked paprika (pimenton) that didn't jive with the flavors. It gave out a strong flavor that I couldn't get into. Maybe it was related to the foam. Gorgeous presentation, though.

As great as it was, the meal wasn't over just yet. Dessert awaited and the waitress asked if we wanted to head over to the bakery section to check out the spread of offerings, which we dutifully did. I should mention here that the space is one big room designed by Phillipe Starck divided into various sections -- the bar, bakery and the restaurant. We were sitting against one of the walls on the restaurant side, plush with pillows for comfort.



Dessert was a continuation of the culinary revelation. Take a look at the colors and configuration of this baby! Even though beet meringue may not, at first, have a good ring to it, it was nothing short of amazing. Beet meringue with pistachio and berries, with a side of rasberry sorbet. I'm not even a big fan of meringue but the moment I bit into one of those halves, the lightness of the texture with a slight but definitely present sweet beet flavor just tickled the palate. Again, genius.

I ordered an apple bread pudding called Apples "Carlota" with saffron sauce and a sorbet that was refreshing. I was so intoxicated with the experience that I don't remember its flavor, just the soft texture that complemented the soft bread pudding very nicely.

In short, I can't wait to return. I have many other restaurants lined up for dinela, but I'm not sure any of them will meet the very high bar set by The Bazaar. It has a great outdoor seating area that I'm sure will be the place to be in the summer for happy hour or otherwise. I can't wait to return and sample the rest of the exciting menu. I daresay that Bazaar is actually better than his tapas joint, Jaleo, in DC. I haven't been to minibar but Cafe Atlantico and Zaytinya have always been stellar.

As Jose Andres likes to say over and over on his show, Made in Spain, this was truly an astonishing experience. I urge any Spanish food lover or any adventurous foodie to give Bazaar a shot.


The Bazaar
SLS Hotel
465 La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 247-0400

Spanish Fiesta Just Because

What better time to whip out the Sangria and paella than the end of the year, the supposed festive time of the year? I was never a big fan of the holiday madness but my partner in crime and I just wanted an excuse to make simple fare with lots of wine flowing and Spanish food seemed to fit the bill. It definitely was not inspired by Spain On the Road Again, that annoying PBS show that should really be dubbed Beauty and the Beast. First of all, it's not really a food show because the footage of Mark Bittman canoodling with eye candy in the form of a gorgeous Spanish woman young enough to be his daughter around Alhambra is longer than a two-minute meal they have. The other eye candy is Gwyneth Paltrow driving around with Mario Batali in a convertible making the car sponsors happy. I mean, she doesn't even eat meat! Hello? The only redeeming part was the episode where they all go to Albert Adria's (Ferran Adria's brother) joint Inopia in Barcelona for a positively amazing-looking Spanish feast.

But I digress. Here's our menu:
-Jamon Serrano and Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Salsa
-Roasted Root Vegetables Salad with Persimmons (the only non-Spanish thing)
-Classic Tortilla Espanola and a nuevo version made courtesy of Ferran Adria
-Tuna Croquettes
-Leeks with Romesco Sauce (pictured right)
-Lamb Meatballs with Red Pepper and Chickpea Sauce
-Paella

As for drinks, we had Sangria, Cava and red wine.



Out of the dishes I made, I enjoyed the ham and arugula salad the most because I usually find salads very boring and this one was both interesting and flavorful. It also met my strange criteria of cooking a first-time ingredient -- and ricotta salata took the prize. I don't like ricotta cheese in its gooey, watery form (let's face it -- we have it because it's good for us). But this hardened, dry version was wonderfully dense, clean-tasting and complemented the salty serrano ham, nuttiness of the arugula and tanginess of the pomegranate dressing perfectly. The ham could have been softer and better quality but it sure saved me a trip (and more) to the Cheese Store in Beverly Hills. Interesting factoid: it's Suzanne Goin's recipe of Lucques and AOC fame although I'm not a big fan of her restaurants.



I also liked the nuevo estilo tortilla espanola made with potato chips (and piquillo peppers and ham) but I think the downfall for this dish was that I premade it too much in advance so the egg part was too hard by the time we reheated it. It was a bit too salty for me as well. After all, potato chips are super salty and even though I didn't add any salt, the serrano ham bits added more saltiness and the result was sodium overload even for a salt-lover like me.


The classic Spanish omelet version (left) was clean and simple. I really liked the broiled leeks with the wonderfully nutty (from the almonds) and smoky (from the roasted piquillo peppers) romesco sauce. I fondly recalled a great No Reservations episode where Spaniards tossed a bunch of leeks in their skins on a massive grill and later delightfully peeled the skins to reveal a perfectly cooked beauty that they dipped generously with romesco sauce and just stuffed into their mouths with their hands. Primal eating at its best.



The unequivocal star of the evening was the paella. It's always a crowd-pleaser to begin with, but think juicy chicken thighs, meaty clams, pale pink shrimp sprinkled with my personal favorite, chorizo slices. It was made on a barbecue grill after browning the chicken on a skillet, which not only gave it a slightly smoky flavor but also delivered the best part of making rice on a pan -- the crunchy, toasted bits that form in the bottom that you must scrape with all your God-given strength (and so worth it).

We made sure to balance out the meatiness with some vegetables and the root vegetable dish (pictured above) was just that. It's decidedly non-Spanish but I had made it before and it's such a winter dish that I had to serve it. It includes rutabagas, turnips, parsnips and carrots that have been roasted and become incredibly sweet in the process. Then tossed with some juicy and sweet fuyu persimmons, caramelized shallots with some oil-based dressing tossed with some Belgian endives and frisee. The icing: blood-red pomegranate seeds adorning the dish like jewels. They make a great garnish for salads and entrees and have such a tart taste and unbeatable texture (pop!) when you bite into them.

There were certainly some misses. I thought the lamb meatballs were far too dense and needed some oil to be added in the patty mixture. The yogurt sauce ameliorated the dryness but not by much. It's Nancy Silverton's recipe but as much as I love her breads and pizzas, these didn't do the trick for me. The tuna croquettes were a disaster. Maybe it was my use of whole wheat flour and lactose-free milk that threw off the recipe.


We finished the meal off with pears poached in wine and other goodies topped with vanilla ice cream. The pears were soft and tinged with the Merlot's deep red color and full-bodied flavor. All in all a good meal and we're already planning for our next one in who knows how many months. We're thinking Moroccan... Stay tuned.

PS: a special thank you to ctg for her great food styling and photos.

Finally a Decent Tapas Joint. Well, Almost...

After a summer in Madrid many moons ago and being spoiled in New York with top-of-the-line tapas joints, I must say I've been utterly unimpressed with a few in California that purport to serve tapas, including La Paella, The Courtyard and even Zarzuela in San Francisco. I admit I haven't tried Cobras y Matadores or Bar Celona in Pasadena, but suffice it to say that I was so desperate I cooked my own Spanish feast at home. I am officially addicted to PBS show, Made in Spain hosted by chef Jose Andres, although I am miffed that he doesn't post his recipes on the Web site (I type the recipes as I watch TV).



So when I heard that Bar Pintxo evoked tapas bars in Barcelona and was actually inspired by a popular bar there, I hopped right over. That Joe Miller of Joe's fame in Abbot Kinney was the owner helped, although I lament that Joe's has been on the decline lately, a quick fall from being one of my favorite New American places.

Bar Pintxo was decent but not great. The sangria was passable. The foie gras on bread was the best and the jamon iberico was ok albeit too thickly cut. There were more duds than successes, but I would recommend it for the ambiance and some of the good dishes. We started off with a very refreshing cava, a sparkling wine that looks like a rose. We had Avinyo Rosat Alt-Penedes, which was pricey but good. Because the portions are so small and prices relatively low ($2-12), we sampled almost everything on the menu.



The chorizo with the sunny-side up quail egg looked inviting and was a good mix of salty and runny texture. Then again, it's hard to go wrong with chorizo, or fried egg, for that matter. The croquettes were also good. Then again, anything fried is usually good. The spinach salad with hazelnuts and golden raisins had a good mix of flavors and texture -- crunchy and salty with some sweet undertones.

The bread that many of the tapas came with could be improved. The sofrito, that versatile and usually tantalizing mix of tomatoes, onions and some spices, fell flat on its face. It had absolutely no flavor and even the texture felt wrong. The radish, jicama, cilantro, avocado and lime dish sounded great but was a tad bland. Dates wrapped in bacon with cabrales cheese was ok. What was most upsetting was the tortilla espanola that was far too eggy and flavorless.



Other mediocre dishes included gambas al ajillo, or garlic shrimp whose flavors didn't pop. The flatbread with mushrooms, piquillo peppers, caramelized onions and basil was decent but didn't wow. The second most disappointing dish was the black squid ink rice with clams and shrimp. It held so much promise but the rice was dry and crumbled like sand in your mouth. Oh, and let's not forget the lack of flavor, again.

Maybe it's the tiny kitchen space but if all those amazing tapas joints do it in Barcelona and other Spanish cities, this one should too. Another pet peeve: charging for basic tapas like manzanilla olives that come out for free in the home country. Equivalent to charging for kimchiand other banchan, or side dishes, at Korean restaurants. Actually, only the least authentic ones do charge. Should this be a gauge of whether to patronize this place?



Hope they work on raising the quality of the food but for now, it's a place to go for a quick bite and drink because those bar stools were not made for sittin'. Stick to the ham and foie gras and cava and you'll be transported -- at least until they bring out the tortilla espanola.

Bar Pintxo
109 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 458-2012