| Food | * * * 1/2 |
| Service | * * * |
| Ambience | * * * |
| Value | 6.5 |
| Cost | $ $ |
| Dish | Price |
Value | Rating | |
| Pato al porto aceitunas | $13.95 |
* * * * | * * * | |
| Parillada de carne mixta | 12.95 |
* * * 1/2 | * * * | |
| Pollo andalux (tapa caliente) | 5.75 |
* * * | * * * * | |
| Sopa de chocolate | 4.95 |
* * * | * * * * | |
| Sangria (glass) | 3.75 |
* * 1/2 | * * 1/2 |
Aioli Bodega Espaņol is located in a quaint corner building, with City Treasure (restaurant) right across the street. It is a very small restaurant, the lofty ceilings notwithstanding. The interior make-up has the potential to be very ugly, with a large ventilation pipe going right through the center of the ceiling, but the owners have managed to circumvent this by painting it earth-tone orange, and draping small Christmas lights from it. There are about 10 round tables, covered in burlap tablecloths. To start, we are given a small portion of French bread with the special aioli of the day. It is one of the most delectable spreads I have yet tasted, but I can't quite pinpoint all the flavors. The waiter informs us that it contains either cilantro or basil, with garlic aioli (like a mayonnaise), white beans, and roasted red bell peppers. Unfortunately, the portion is small, and we demolish it almost before we even order!
The menu is split into a few different categories: Tapas Caliente (Hot Appetizers), Tapas Frio (cold), Salads, Entrees, and Desserts. The waiter informs us that we can go with all Tapas, or Entrees, or a mixture of the two, but that in either case, the portions are fairly substantial. J orders the Pato al porto aceitunas (glazed duck in port wine cinnamon sauce). I opt for the Parillada de carne mixta (Mixed grill, which changes daily). We decide also to try some Tapas, and go with Pollo andaluz (Chicken with paprika). The waiter brings us some water with mint leaf and lemon (we've also heard the sangria is quite good, but want to wait until after dinner, as not to damage our palates). While we wait for our food, we take another look around at the decor. There are large, bright frescos on the walls, and the floor consists of a plain, brick-colored tile. There are also a pair of tables outside, but in the stifling heat of summer, not at all inviting, especially because they're so close to the narrow sidewalk, oft visited by passing smokers.
There is a short delay in the serving of the Pollo Andaluz. The bulk of the kitchen seems to be within the restaurant, underneath a beautiful fresco of various staples in Spanish cooking, so that we can tell that the chef is hard at work. Finally, after about 10 minutes, the chicken comes in a beautiful bowl, cut into bite-sized chunks and coated with a thick smooth paprika sauce, peppered with green onions and other spices. The sauce is perfect - not too oily, and very spicy (paprika), with absolutely no hint of the paprika powder (as if paprika butter existed). The portion appeared to be small, but it was quite substantial for an appetizer.
Before we can finish the Tapa, our entrees come. J has 3 huge portions of tender duck, an almost daunting amount, presented artistically amid paprika potatoes (which appear to be sweet potatoes because of the redness) and green beans under evenly spread sweet garlic aioli drippings. There is plenty of duck skin (a delicacy in some cuisines) and as usual, it's a little on the fatty side, but surprisingly light, sweet, and flavorful. My entree has the same side portions (potato, green beans), but comes with a conglomeration of grilled meats. Probably the weakest link, but by all means delectable was the chicken. It was overcooked, dry, and seemingly boneless pieces were not bone-free. The lamb sausage was original and not something you come across in most restaurants. It was cooked to perfection and emoted a very farm-fresh flavor. The third meat was a delicious pork, with a different peppery smoked flavor. Probably the best tasting part of the pork was the fat, but it tasted so sinfully good that I decided to forego my usual tradition of trimming away the fat and just eating the whole thing. The final and most surprising meat were tender, not at all fishy, grilled shark steaks. They tasted like a tender excellent flank steak. I often have reservations about eating fish, because often it is not prepared in such a way that my tastebuds are satisfied; the fishy taste (sometimes indicating rottenness) repulses me. But this? This was pure hedonism! Neither of us could even eat it all and think of dessert. And we really wanted to try the desserts and maybe some sangria.
We opted to split a glass of sangria (though I am more of the wine connoisseur here) and a dessert called Sopa de Chocolate (literally, chocolate soup). Within five minutes, the waiter deposited the sangria and the dessert. The sangria was fruity, but the red wine seemed almost cheap, and so much of the fruity flavor was lost on us, coupled with the fact that the dessert was beyond rich!! The sopa de chocolate consisted of four small (but extremely rich and potent) chocolate truffles in a white chocolate "soup." It was served in a clear glass bowl (with beveled edges) with powdered sugar and cocoa delicately sprinkled around the edges. In the center of the bowl were a couple of strawberries almost cut into quarters, bisected by mint leaves. It was the mother of all desserts and we savored each bite for a good long time! The combined texture of the truffles (rich) with the white chocolate (thick & creamy), strawberries (light & fruity), and the mint leaves (fresh & clean), created a total culinary delight.
The prices were reasonable and the food was delicious, though we would have liked to try some of their other tapas another time or their paella special. Probably the only debit to the restaurant was the abundance of flies alighting on the bread and the slowness of the waiter in getting water for both of us, with the pitcher just scant yards away. Otherwise, Aioli Bodega Espaņol is a delightful dining experience.