Dining Category: Tapas
Price: $
Address: 2325 NW Market St (Ballard)
Phone Number: 206-784-0699
Website: n/a
Overview:
Located in the space formerly occupied by Matt’s Famous Hot Dogs (We miss you!) on Market Street. It’s a very small, cozy space dominated by the bar and with just a small handful of tables on the opposite wall. For those who may not be familiar, tapas is Spanish-style dining consisting of small plates, almost a series of appetizers.
Food:
B: Starting with the pork dish, the meat wasn't as salty or as rich-tasting as I would have liked. It was still a good way to start, with the flavors blending in a pleasant way, and the grapefruit’s sweetness was a good complement to the tang of the blue cheese.
G: I’m not as big of a fan as my husband is of meats paired with fruits. However, I did enjoy with tang of the grapefruit with the pork. The taste of the blue cheese was a little stronger than I would have hoped for, but overall the dish had a nice variety of flavors.
B: This dish had a stunning presentation; I can honestly say this is the first time I've had purple eggs. However, the taste was too understated and subtle for something so visually impressive. I could barely register the chorizo bits on top, and it tasted like a standard deviled egg for the most part. Kinda boring.
G: I have to agree with that last statement. I was looking forward to the chorizo and capers, but I can’t say that I tasted either of them. The yolk mix was a nice consistency, but come on... my grandmother can make that stuff for me whenever I ask. I would expect a little something more from a new “hot spot”.
B: In what became the theme of the afternoon, the dishes all had noticeably impressive presentation, but the flavors left me wanting more. These fried artichoke hearts were hot and oily, but the sauce with them had almost no flavor. I really felt as though this plate was missing an element needed to make it pop; perhaps a vinegar or spicier dipping sauce.
G: I also felt that this dish was following in the footsteps of what we had so far. It was beautiful, sounded great, but packed very little flavor punch.
B: I hate to repeat myself, but ditto this dish what I said about the artichoke hearts. The plate on the right (the "spicy" garlic prawns) had the garlic and they were actually prawns, but there was no spice at all. The sauce was rich, but it was nothing I’d ever order again. The dates were better, but again, too subtle. Tango on Pike does a nearly identical thing, but with twice the flavor. None of this was bad, just not bold enough.
G: The prawn dish was just okay. I could taste the garlic but not much else, and the prawns were a little underdone for my tastes. The date dish would have been better if the flavors had been turned up a notch or two and had a little less of the overwhelming blue cheese.
B: I can understand working with what you have, but the blue cheese was showing up in too many dishes. A little variety would have gone a long way.
B: At this point in the meal (the end) I was feeling pretty full, but not at all satisfied. We decided to try the only listed dessert for the hell of it, and it ended up being the best thing we had that night. There was a touch too much truffle oil soaking into the bread, but the hot spice and salty flavor atop the chocolate was mind blowing, and something I would come back for.
G: Not that I don’t have my own opinions on things, but I would have to once again agree with the husband. So far in the meal I was feeling more than a little disappointed that things were not living up to their exotic descriptions, but when it came to this little dish, I got more than I was expecting. The taste was an interesting and intense mix of flavors. It’s one of those things where you take a bite and there is this amazing underlying essence you can’t quite put your finger on, because although it makes the dish outstanding, it was a bit unexpected. I could be convinced to come back for one of these and an cup of coffee.
B: The thing was so oily that having coffee on top of it would be an invitation for heartburn, but I feel ya.
Service:
G: The service was quite good, I must say. The waitress was prompt to our table, very friendly and kept a good eye on us through out our stay. True, there are only about 6 tables in the tiny serving area, but good service is good service. No complaints here.
Closing Comments:
G: I realize that after reading this review you all may think we hated the place. Actually that’s not true. Although I felt completely underwhelmed by almost all of the dishes, the flavor choices and pairings were quite good, just not enough. The dishes each have maybe one or two bites per person. For something so small I expect a good punch. If I was having an entire plate full of dates stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in pancetta, then absolutely tone it down. For a bite or two, wow me! I thought the atmosphere was very nice, warm, intimate great place to take ladies on a date.
B: My feeling was that the food was good, not great, and although the prices were about right and the place had a cute vibe, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed that things weren’t tastier. That said, I do admit that the dessert was awesome and I might come back just for that.
One final note, I was a little appalled to see that there was a dog hanging out inside the restaurant. I am a dog guy, but I don’t want dogs in places that I eat, and I really didn’t appreciate being snuffled in the crotch as soon as I sat down. Maybe some of you would call me uptight for saying so, but the dog has got to go.
Rating:
3 out of 5 - We could take it or leave it.
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