Aldea

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Ciasamia

31 West 17th St. (between 5th and 6th Aves.) 212-675-7223 www.aldearestaurant.com

Mediterranean, Portuguese, Spanish. Aldea is, to me, the dining equivalent of massage. Enveloped within these walls, all your stress and tension quickly fade away. The decor is instantly soothing, the staff low key yet attuned, the meal so satisfying you can’t help but crave your next encounter. There are several ways to go - tasting, prix fixe as well as à la carte. The creativity of each dish begs for a multi-course plan; more is more and the merrier you will be. Either the Bacalhau à Brás (farm egg and salt cod custard, crispy potato, black olive) or Hokkaido urchin toast (cauliflower purée, mustard seed, shiso) offers a magnetic opening. If fish is your dish, you might next choose the grilled octopus (roasted fennel purée, potato, chourico vinaigrette) or shrimp alhinho (garlic, pimenton, red bell pepper juice and pressed shrimp jus). As expected, the third course options are as deliciously crafted as you could desire. Their monkfish (braised red cabbage, ajo blanco, turnip) and Creekstone hanger steak (charred pearl onion, potato mousse, roasted carrot) could not be any less alike. Or more flavorful. If you find yourself wishing this would go on forever, you’re in luck. The sonhos (Portuguese beignets with salted caramel and calamansi curd) or strawberry-black cardamom vacherin (strawberry jus, pinenut and cocoa rib) will extend your state of bliss. Breathe in. Breathe out. Make a reservation.

Boqueria Soho

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Ciasamia

171 Spring St. (between Thompson St. and West Broadway) 212-343-4255, also Boqueria Flatiron 53 West 19th St. (between 5th and 6th Aves, 212-255-4160), Boqueria Upper East Side 1480 2nd Avenue (between 76th and 77th Sts., 212-343-2227) www.boquerianyc.com

Spanish, Tapas. Boqueria has three locations and one menu. Why? I can only imagine they don’t want to mess with mastery. Everything I tasted was adored. So much so, I ordered one dish twice (shout out to the pintxos morunos). These Colorado lamb skewers with pickled shallots and salsa verde were stunningly flavorful. I also indulged in the gambas al ajillo (shrimp, garlic, brandy and guindilla pepper in olive oil). When offered the opportunity to go gambas I will, and their interpretation rocked. As did the pulpo a la plancha. They grill the octopus, then adorn it with fennel and smoked pimentón. It is not unusual to add potatoes, but their design is of the mashed variety and includes picual olive oil. They grill their bread as well and rub it with tomato, garlic and olive oil. It has multiple uses including dipping beneath the albóndigas (Colorado lamb meatballs, tomato sauce, sheep’s milk cheese). You have that to look forward to after finishing this very generous and delicious creation. Good things come in threes. Like Boqueria. Just choose one and go!

Marcha Cocina Downtown

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Ciasamia

111 Avenue C (between 7th and 8th Sts.) 646-781-9147

Spanish, Tapas. If you’re looking for the Latin experience, look no further than Marcha Cocina Downtown. The music, décor, and menu are absolute immersion. I began with the pinchos platter, a combination of chicken and beef skewers served with romesco almond sauce. It is a plentiful and tasty dish which riveted me completely. That is until the appearance of the albondigas. These flavorful meatballs (sofrito, peppers, tomato, crème fraiche) arrive piping hot atop their own juice, a fact for which you will be grateful as you ultimately sop up the self-made sauce with the accompanying bread. If an award were given for prettiest paella presentation, it would go to their paella con langosta (lobster, saffron arborio rice, shrimp, mussels, calamari, baby scallops, chopped chorizo, clams, tomato). This is a seafood lovers paradise, as delicious as it is Instagram worthy. For dessert, I devoured the molten chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream. It is flourless as well as flawless. And so is the service. Everyone here cares, especially the manager who pops by throughout the meal, ensuring you will feel their casa es su casa.

Huertas

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Ciasamia

107 1st Avenue (between 6th and 7th Sts.) 212-228-4490 www.huertasnyc.com

Spanish. As you arrive, you’ll notice a letter waiting for you at the table. Just open the envelope and read. It’s the menu, and the news could not be better. Their tapas is both generous and impressive. As an octopus fan, I was taken with their pulpo (placed temptingly upon potatoes and pimentón). Little did I know, I was soon to be completely blown away by one of the most amazing tortillas I have ever tasted. It is described as an omelette with potato and onion. How can something this seemingly basic be so outrageously addiction worthy? I was sad to finish, but felt quickly cheered by the arroz which came next. You might be thinking rice is rice, but this fried saffron creation with morcilla, chickpeas, piquillo, egg and aioli will change your mind in an instant. At this point, I wondered if dessert could possibly live up to their tapas standards. But, it does. Or should I say they do, because both the natilla de chocolate (chocolate custard, pecans, whipped cream) and marcona almond ice cream with sherry reduction were a delicious end to an incredible meal. Huertas is so much more than good, it’s hard to imagine the next time you will get a piece of mail that makes you this happy.

Tia Pol

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Ciasamia

205 10th Avenue (between 22nd and 23rd Sts.) 212-675-8805 www.tiapol.com

Spanish. There’s tapas and there’s tapas. Keep your expectations high and head to Tia Pol. Not only do they bring you dish after delicious dish, they do it with the mellowest of attitudes in the most laid back of spaces. I was immediately hooked on their fried chickpeas, as generous and addictive as a starter could possibly be. This was followed by a grilled, garlic-rubbed baguette (tomato, three sauces, my second addiction of the night). Their shrimp in olive oil with garlic and chili is plentiful and full of personality. When the wonderful waitperson suggested bread for the liquid gold that remained, I happily said yes — it would be lunacy to refuse this offer. Their grilled steak special (fava beans and a chimichurri sauce) was just more proof of how exceptional they are, and when paired with the patatas bravas, a whole other level of brilliant. I attribute this to two things: the outrageous flavor of the entrée and one of the best potato preparations I have ever tasted. Upon completion, I was momentarily conflicted, unsure there was room for dessert. I got over that pretty quickly and committed to the Spanish almond cake with dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream. I do not even want to think about the fact that I could have missed out. At Tia Pol, it all looks so amazingly effortless. But that’s only because they know exactly what they’re doing.

Nai Tapas

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Ciasamia

174 First Avenue (between 10th and 11th Sts.) 212-677-1030 www.ntbnyc.com

Spanish, Tapas. Right before I went inside, a guy on the street turned to his friends and said, “All they do is tapas. And they’re good”. As I was about to learn, truer words were never spoken. Every one of the dishes I ordered made me happy (and twice, delirious enough to go back for seconds). Take the gambas al ajillo. It’s shrimp. It’s garlic sauce. And such an amazing combination of flavor, not grabbing the bread to absorb every last drop would be loco. The croquetas de pollo, no less attention getting, a wonderful lead in to the sea bass wrapped in white toast and crunchy deliciousness. Their albondiguillas estofadas is a multisyllabled way to say meatballs in brandy sauce. They could also just rename it WOW and define it perfectly. There’s actually a lot more wow to go round, as evidenced by both the tartufo and chocolate infused churros. I wonder if they thought, “Why just serve churros when you can deliver pure, inspired genius?” because that’s exactly what you experience. Then there’s the server, who could not have been nicer and the room, a continuous stream of fun. But it all comes back to the food. The guy on the street was right. There’s no going wrong at this tapas standout.

Tertulia

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Ciasamia

359 6th Ave (corner of Washington Place, essentially between Waverly Place and West 4th St.) 646-559-9909 www.tertulianyc.com

Spanish. The best advice I got all weekend came when the waitperson declared, “Don’t fill up on patatas, the paella is very generous.” That is easier said than done since those crispy potatoes are quickly habit forming. I was consoled by the thought of having some packed for home then turned my attention to tapas. The Spanish octopus (atop sour grains, olives, preserved lemon chimichurri) and beef and pork meatballs with almonds, tomatoes and sheep’s milk cheese were so good, I wondered how the paella could possibly compare. However, their incarnation - pasture-raised chicken studding the rice like flawless diamonds is such a flavorful experience, you do not want the meal to end. Ultimately, it does, but just until the next day when the patatas are yours once again.

Salinas

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Ciasamia

136 9th Avenue (between 18th and 19th Sts.) 212-776-1990 www.salinasnyc.com

Spanish. Unparalleled paella. If this is your dish, you will not be disappointed. I had it “socarrat” (with the rice toasted and crunchy at the bottom of the pan) and loved it even more. Each room is different from the next. The farthest has a retractable roof, an added bonus when the climate is cooperative. There are candles and lanterns throughout. Mellow, Sade-esque music compliments the very relaxed tone. Amenable to conversation, attentive waitstaff, delicious food.

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