Start off with a refreshing cocktail, like one of four gin-and-tonic variations with housemade tonics. I tried the standard El Retiro, with Hendrick's gin and a slice of cucumber. The drink was bursting with flavor, the best cocktail I've had in a while.
My favorites of the tapas I tried were the earthy, cheesy rich croquetas de setas, mushroom croquettes; gambas al aljillo, a delicious shrimp classic; the butifarra, which has a type of blue cheese mixed into the sausage, and is made locally by MeatCrafters in Landover; and the perfectly-cooked asaparagus and cauliflower. Vegetarians will definitely want to give Tapabar a try.
Alonso Roche's enthusiasm and passion for cooking come through in every dish, whether it's a perfectly-fried and plated egg atop the Smoky Beef Tartare, or the current fish special, Pil Pil. A traditional Basque dish, the gelatin of the salted cod is used in the sauce. Roche is using Norwegian cod, because it has a higher gelatin content. It's not easy to prepare, and not easily found in local restaurants, so stop in this week while it's still on the menu. I would expect more unusual dishes like this in the months ahead at TapaBar.
For Bethesda skeptics like Tom Sietsema, I suggest planning a trip to TapaBar immediately. In fact, I suggest it to everyone. For freshness, quality, flavor and creativity, TapaBar earns a five-star rating from me. The good news is, the prices are not five-star level.
Step up to the bar |
El Retiro |
Cucumber slice |
Embutidos board with house-pickled vegetables |
Quesos board |
Montaditos |
Smoky Beef Tartare, topped with perfectly fried quail eggs and truffle oil |
A closer look |
Panceta de cerdo, a new addition to the menu as fall approaches, is white wine-braised pork belly in piquillo sauce |
Vegetarians won't be left behind with roasted cauliflower on piquillo puree |
Salmon curado en casa is house-cured salmon on toast with fennel salad and radishes |
A well-placed mirror really opens up the front of the room |
Dine at the bar |
...or at a table |
Sample a glass or bottle from the wine list like this Pingao from Rioja Alta, made with 100% Tempranillo grapes |
Another perfectly-cooked vegetable choice, the esparragos |
Croquetas de setas are mushroom croquettes |
A look inside one |
A pour of the Pingao |
Gambas al aljillo, a true classic |
Valdeon Blue Cheese Butifarra with pear shallot jam rioja and sauce |
A close-up |
Pulpo (smoked octopus) |
A limited-time special: Pil Pil |
16 comments:
Great review and addition to the neighborhood!
Mmmm wine-braised pork belly
Nice review and pictures. Thanks!
This place has reasonable happy hour drink specials as well. Though I find portion size lacking, the tapas are immensely flavorful and the space is bright and attractive.
Out of curiosity, are these review visits done anonymously and/or is the food comped? (couldn't help but notice the quantity of food you were served, assuming it was done in a single visit)
Great photos...my mouth is watering!
Portion size and tapas...not sure you get the concept.
Talk about a huge improvement over the dumpster fire that was Blackfinn. I still prefer the vibe of La Malinche, personally, but definitely hope Tapabar succeeds.
10:57AM - You win the 2016 Washington Area Pulitzer Prize (WAPP!) in sarcasm. Hilarious.
"Sample a glass or bottle",says Dyer the Alkie.
Mister Robert, why don't you have a slice of my famous chocolate pie? It got dat good vanilla from Mexico...and somethin' else rrrrreal special...
10:57am enjoys writing snarky fiction. He may have a future in the local legacy media!
Ah, Elm, my #1 enemy on this forum. When will you realize your fan base is non-existent? I troll for the people, the great people of Bethesda. They thrive off my comments and it only fuels me more. You on the other hand, you merely take pleasure in the fact that you occasionally come to the aid of a man against a cyber bully - SO SCARY! Please, please for the benefit of the readers, stop commenting. You bringith nothing and only dampen the mood here.
So one last time, while it has been fun battling your moribund, melancholy banter, the great readers of Robert's blog will be better off without you. RIP.
AT LEAST DYER IS UNINTENTIONALLY FUNNY!!!
10:57 authors "Poppy"
Nice write-up, and I agree, the drinks and food are delicious at this place! As far as the photo captions though, that looks like a strip of lime peel to me in the drink, not a cucumber slice...
10:57 is another tombstone in Dyer's war on free speech.
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