Mispronounce the W ine List
Tinto
114 S. 20th St., Philadelphia
215-665-9150; tintorestaurant.com
We adore Txakolina wine. Chak-a-what? you might ask. At lea st
you might ask that if you haven’t been to Jose Garces’ Tinto, the
Basque tapas and wine bar north of Rittenhouse Square. Txakolina is a crisp—almost e ervescent—white wine from the Basque
region, and Garces has turned it into a cube of jelly and rolled it
in sugar. It might be the finale in any number of surprising dishes
you find as you meander along your path through dinner. Tinto,
which means red wine in Spain, allows you to craft the meal
as you see fit. Several small plates? A few cheeses? How about
a little shellfish? And the wine cellar feel adds to the frivolity—
almost like you’re hanging out in your (very rich) friend’s basement. That is, if your friend had a cook as good as chef de cuisine
William Zuchman. An egg dish rich with lobster and asparagus?
Sea scallops with smoky Benton’s bacon from Tennessee, tempered with cider emulsion and green apple? Sign us up.
