Arrive Magazine - November/December, 2010

In Spain, where the competition is tough, tapas bars have to be resourceful; each place develops its specialty out of necessity.

“Someone got creative one day and it
worked so well they became known for
it—like the wings in Buffalo,” says Raij.
“Every bar has a story like that.”
El Quinto Pino, which Raij also owns,
has the uni panino, which became leg-
endary almost as soon as it hit the menu,
getting mentions everywhere from blogs
to The Ne w York Times, which proclaimed
it the sandwich of the year.

“It was a combination of wanting to
show our range as cooks but also set a
new standard and give a new vocabulary
for tapas,” she says. And so she put twists
everywhere, even on the classics. Instead
of preparing a traditional gambas al
ajillo, for instance, her shrimp dish also
came with ginger and jalapeños—“to
have a signature style.”
What helped Raij, Nusser and other
tapas chefs along was the small-plates
phenomenon. On menus everywhere,
people were embracing the entire con-
cept of grazing, or sharing lots of little
tastes. Diners were willing to take more
risks on small dishes—if you don’t like it,
it’s only a few bites—and so chefs were
willing to experiment.

“There’s not as big a commitment
as the appetizer-entree-dessert kind of
structure,” says Raij. “It’s also just really
social.”
And, says Raij, a tapas evening forces
you to slow down a little. It seems really
fast at first, because you might order a
flurry of dishes at once. But then there’s
also a lot of patience involved.

“It’s good for people who live a fast pace and in a harried environment,” she says. “It’s a luxury.”

Make Your Own Tapas Run Mix and match restaurants and neighborhoods with our plan for these ultimate tapas crawls. And take our suggestions for don’t-miss dishes along the way.

CHELSEA Stop 1: Tia Pol 205 10th Ave., 212-675-8805 Don’t miss: Anything off the specials board

Stop 2:
El Quinto Pino
401 W. 24th St.,
212-206-6900
elquintopinonyc.
com
Don’t miss:
The uni panino

El Quinto Pino’s uni panino is imply the best sandwich—ever.

212-462-1000

Don’t miss:

Paella for one

Stop 3: Txikito 240 Ninth Ave., 212-242-4730 txikitonyc.com Don’t miss: Mock elvers

Stop 5: El Quijote 226 W. 23rd St., 212-929-1855 Don’t miss: Lobster in green sauce

SOHO/NOHO/
EAST VILLAGE
Stop 1: Boqueria
(SoHo)
171 Spring St.,
212-343-4255
boquerianyc.com
Don’t miss:
Bacon-wrapped
dates

FLATIRON
Stop 1: Boqueria
(Flatiron)
53 W. 19th St., 212-
255-4160
boquerianyc.com
Don’t miss:
Tortilla espanola

Stop 2: La Nacional
Tapas Bar
239 W. 14th St.,
212-243-9308
lanacionaltapas.
com
Don’t miss:
Caldo verde

GRAMERCY PARK/FLATIRON Stop 1: Bar Jamón 125 E. 17th St., 212-253-2773 casamononyc.com Don’t miss: Serrano and pan con tomate

WEST VILLAGE/
MEATPACKING
DISTRICT
Stop 1: Las Ramblas
170 W. 4th St., 646-
415-7924
lasramblasnyc.com
Don’t miss:
Mini skewers of
duck sausage,
quail eggs and
pearl onions

Stop 2: Alta 64 W. 10th St., 212-505-7777 altarestaurant.com Don’t miss: Brussels sprouts with pistachios

Stop 2: Mercat 45 Bond St., 212-529-8600 mercatnyc.com Don’t miss: Fideua negra, noodles cooked with cuttlefish and its own ink

Stop 2: Casa Mono
52 Irving Place,
212-253-2773
casamononyc.com
Don’t miss:
Fried duck egg

Stop 3: Café Riazor 245 W. 16th St., 212-727-2132 caferiazor.com Don’t miss: White asparagus with mayonnaise

Stop 3: Pipa
38 E. 19th St.,
212-677-2233
pipa-nyc.com
Don’t miss:
Grilled flatbread
with mushrooms,
serrano, figs, Man-
chego and truffle oil

Stop 3: El Charro
Espanol
4 Charles St.,
212-243-5413
Don’t miss:
Caldo Gallego, a
chicken-beef-pork-
white bean stew

Stop 3: Euzkadi
108 E. 4th St., 212-
982-9788
euzkadirestaurant.
com
Don’t miss:
Goat cheese and
honey croquettes

Ooh, It Looks Like Ice Cream

Tucking into a plate of three tiny lamb meatballs with a dollop of sweet butternut squash foam and a garnish of labne back at Alta, I certainly take my time enjoying the rich, juicy meat tempered with the tang of the yogurt and the brightness of a few sprigs of cilantro.