Amidst aimless meanderings, I began to think that if I could wish for a "type of" restaurant in RVA, it would have to be a quality tapas place. Apparently Richmond had 60 new restaurants open last year !! From my limited sampling, they mostly appear to be variants on a theme, with some exceptions. Yes, technically it appears there are are a few (via Urbanspoon) (I'm afraid these places have been far from satisfactory and to borrow a term - reputationally hindered) and no, the rash of "small plate" menus proliferating around do not count. So whats missing? 
It would be wonderful to see a cozy, reasonably priced tapas restaurant in RVA in true Spanish tradition - from simple offerings of olives, breads with olive oil, jamon or other meats, cheeses, little plates of salads, fresh vegetables, stews and seafood perhaps, all the way to what has come to be called "luxury tapas" at places like Comerç 24 and 41 degrees. The fun and excitement of communal dining on small plates is delightful. And the taste of course, exciting, without necessarily being too complex. In terms of the ratio of deliciousness to complexity, I posit that pan con tomate or pa amb tomaquet in Catalan is hard to beat.
Some history I learned - Back in 19th century Andalucia, bar owners would place a piece of bread on a drink to keep away flies. This evolved to little savory, often salty bits - olives, meats etc on a lid (tapa) to cover the drink. And a fabulous dining tradition was born !
Sí despite its prices and roller coaster quality was for a while the place du jour and while it would stray from their present DNA, there is a place that asymptotically approaches some of these parameters (Cryptic xword clue - not for Italian bubbly (5)), but I still would want my pure tapas bar :)!!
Since one must leave town in all probability, to satisfy this tapas fix, there is of course, Jose Andres' masterpiece Jaleo up north(the humble patatas bravas with spicy alioli is an deliciously inexpensive filler here and at most tapas joints anywhere !). Closer to home - Mas Tapas in Charlottesville is a terrific option, well worth a drive imho (thanks to a friend for placing this on my radar). Plates can be had from $4 to $15 making for a well rounded dinner. They also have a great selection of cheeses and a nice list of wines, plus everyone's favorite word - plenty of local sourcing. Word to the wise, be wary of ordering too many "salad tapas" or you could easily overdose on arugula.
Another somewhat distant wish is for a noodle bar. We have our share of pho places around (discussed nicely here) but I wish we had a place that just served udon, soba, ramen and the like - perhaps a mélange of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese influences? Since we're dreaming, perhaps something like David Chang's wonderful Momofuku !
Any others?
Saturday, January 15, 2011
thinking tapas
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2 comments:
Unfortunately the bar traffic in Richmond does not lend itself to a real tapas bar. Tapas are originally designed as frequent flier miles, you drink we feed you. Even in high end bars in spain as you drink they reward you with a plate of food, yes you can purchase your own as well but the enticement is drinking. If you are not in a high traffic area it is very difficult to support a true tapas bar. In spain the foot traffic of most bars is incredible, at 10 am the bar is packed, business men and women stop by to drink coffee and eat, and the stream continues till 4 am. The food turnover is incredibe which is unsustainable in most US markets. What has developed in the US is a small plate restaruant where you can order small dishes of typical bar food. This is fun and tasty but does not in anyway resemble what occurs in a traditional spanish bar.
Bacongrease, thanks for your insight. Indeed the Spanish dining scene is a delight and quite fun to behold - particularly late night.
Just indulging in some wishful thinking here. I like small plates as well but yearn for a proper tapas place - with a range of simple to complex dishes. Wouldnt know much about the traffic - profitability equation in RVA but nearby - Mas is always hopping and Jaleo is successful enough to have three locations - Bethesda, Arlington and the DC flagship.
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