Cool dining idea

[ERCougar]

There's a very good sandwich shop in town that is owned and operated by a couple from Spain. Apparently, a couple of Friday nights each month, she opens the restaurant for a special Spanish night. Last night was Tapas night and it was the first night I've been able to make it. You have to make reservations quite a bit ahead of time, as it's fairly popular, and now I know why. I don't know Spanish food as well as some others, but it all tasted excellent and the flan for dessert was the best I've ever had. She even ended the night with a Spanish serenade. It had this intimate feeling where everyone was sitting together, almost as if we were just eating at this woman's home in Spain.

Here was the menu from last night, for the Spanish Food connoisseurs:
1) Jamon serrano con ai-i-oli y aguacate, (bread with garlic spread, prosciutto and avocado)
2)Patatas riojanas, (potatoes cook with chorizo, garlic, onions and Italian parsley)
3)Albondigas de atun, ( tuna balls, with onions, garlic, eggs & flavor)
4) Montado de Pimientos con sobrasada, (bread with roasted bell pepper, onion, bacon and spread salami)
5)Montaditos de Tortilla de patata, (Spanish quiche)
6)Revuelto de Tomate, (spread sauce made with tomatoes and eggs)
7)Pimiento de piquillo relleno de salmon (small bell pepper filled with salmon, imported from Spain)
8) Rebanada cortijera de lomo, (bread with pork chop, onion and melted cheese)
Dessert: Cheese cake or flan

Overall, just a great experience. This is how dining should be.

[Tim]

I love alioli, as they call it in Spain (I think the American name is "aioli"). If you have a hand blender you can make it really easily. Egg, olive oil, a garlic clove, and a pinch of sea salt.

Tim

[Tim]

Also... those sound like some great tapas. I had Spanish on Friday night (at Jaleo in DC) and I wish I lived in a place where I could eat tapas every week. Are you planning to go back? I assume that as a typical Spanish chef, she'll change the menu every time.

Tim

[TripletDaddy]

Tapas is always nice.

There is a tapas place in SLC. I think it is called Martins.

Awful.

[ERCougar]

Also... those sound like some great tapas. I had Spanish on Friday night (at Jaleo in DC) and I wish I lived in a place where I could eat tapas every week. Are you planning to go back? I assume that as a typical Spanish chef, she'll change the menu every time.

Tim

Here's here menu from her last time doing this (I'm on her email list, but hadn't been able to make it until now):
1) Salmon ahumado noruego (Norwegian smoked salmon) serve with bread, hard eggs and olive oil.
2) Tortilla espanola (Spanish quiche)
3) Verduras a la plancha (grilled veggies, asparagus, carrots, artichokes & bell peppers)
4) Guisado de ternera vasco (Basque Beef stew with potatoes, carrots, Italian beans, lima beans & hard eggs)
5) Postre (flan or cheesecake)
6) Drinks

I'd be curious to hear your take on her food. With the exception of the tuna, I really enjoyed everything, but I hadn't had any of those tapas before, so it's hard to really judge.

Yes, we're definitely going back. Beyond the food, the thing that we enjoyed the most was the intimacy of the whole thing. No servers/waiters, everyone sitting next to each other, with her and her husband doing all the cooking and serving--it really had a feel of just eating in her dining room.

[Portland Ute]

Tapas is always nice.

There is a tapas place in SLC. I think it is called Martins.

Awful.

You can also get tapas in SLC at a place named Cafe Madrid. Pretty basic Spanish tapas. Both hot and cold.