"Salud!"

August 29, 2012

• tapas

• Food: creative Spanish tapas, small plates
• Decor: dim lighting, noisy
• Service: knowledgable
• Cost: $$$
• Wine / Cocktails: Garnacha

Overview:

Tavernita is not a tapas place. It's a sexy small plates restaurant with a Spanish "inspired" menu -- but that doesn't take away from the sexiness. The food is best enjoyed with a big appetite and a friend (or three) who is/are willing to share. You will want to try everything -- and if you need help, the waiters make great recommendations. And don't neglect the veggie dishes, they are life-changing. Wash it down with a glass of kegged sangria, and I guarantee you'll have a Spanish-inspired sexy evening.

Recommended Dishes:

calabacitas, striped bass

"Top of the line tapas"

June 28, 2012

• Food: Tapas
• Decor:
• Service: Fantastic
• Cost: $$$
• Wine / Cocktails: Go for the red sangria!

Overview:

I recently went here for a large birthday gathering with a preselected menu full of tasty tapas. To be quite honest, everything came out so quickly(can't complain!) that half of the time I didn't even know what I was eating and heck, I'm ok with that. Sometimes the fun is in the mystery! I really enjoyed the atmosphere and our service was fabulous! I would highly recommend Tavernita for a large gathering.

Recommended Dishes:

"Excellent Small Plates"

May 25, 2012

• Food: Spanish Small Plates
• Decor: Contemporary
• Service: Great
• Cost: $$$
• Wine / Cocktails: Full Bar

Overview:

I came to Tavernita with a few girls from work last week. It is small plates so we ordered a bunch of different dishes and shared them between the 5 of us. It was a lot of fun trying new things and being able to discuss and compare thoughts on each dish. A few of the things we ordered were:

Hamachi, which had a little spice to it.
Foie Gras Conserva, which was really good when it was mixed with the chery compote.
Escalivada, which was eggplant and goat cheese on a crostini.

The atmosphere of Tavernita is great too! It has beautiful light fixtures and elegant seating. It was a young business professional crowd with high energy.

I highly recommend Tavernita if you have a large party and want something fun and new to do!

Recommended Dishes:

Hamachi, Foie Gras Conserva, Escalivada

"Nice atmosphere and food."

May 24, 2012

• Patio

• Food:
• Decor: Trendy
• Service:
• Cost: $$$
• Wine / Cocktails:

Overview:

I came here a week ago for a work dinner and because I am a bit picky when it comes to food, I was a little worried about what I might eat. I ended up really enjoying it and am glad I tried everything!

We ordered a bunch of appetizers and starters as well as a few main dishes. My favorite part of the meal was dessert. I can't remember what exactly we ordered but we got 2 different things and one of them had ice cream and whip cream with chocolate- very good!

The tuna and crab, hamachi and patatas were all really good. This place is really good to come to with groups because sharing the food is so easy and there are many options to choose from.

I'm glad I got out of my picky stage for a while and tried some new foods!

Recommended Dishes:

Hamachi, Tuna and Crab, Patatas

"Lunch at Tavernita"

April 18, 2012

• crudos

• Food: Small plates packed with a punch
• Decor:
• Service:
• Cost: $$
• Wine / Cocktails:

Overview:

You know you get the week started off right when you have Monday lunch at Tavernita. Ryan Poli’s much anticipated menu and venue exceeded our culinary expectations, with our return visits booked on our way out the door. We started the meal with one of the fresh and vibrant crudos:

Snapper Ceviche with a great small dice of celery, tomatoes, ginger, cilantro and orange. It was swimming in springtime.

Next delivery was an order of bocadillos (small sandwiches) perfectly assembled with pork belly, pickled red onion, apple jam on a brioche bun.

The photo can speak for itself, but the frites bravas were CRISPY and happy to be dunked in the spicy tomato sauce and creamy garlic aioli. Perfectly seasoned.

Meatballs are always a treat. Rolled with wagyu beef and pork in a traditional romesco sauce that was tangy – and had a spicy kick.

We had to try another crudo – hamachi with avocado cream, lime, jalapeno and cucumber.

Recommended Dishes:

Snapper Ceviche, Bocadillos, Frites Bravas, Meatballs, Hamachi

"Great Birthday Dinner"

April 2, 2012

• Food: Small plates, great for sharing
• Decor: Sexy, south of the border, classy
• Service: Knowlegable, Friendly, Fast
• Cost: $$$
• Wine / Cocktails: Mostly tequila, unique cocktails

Overview:

I came here on my birthday with a table of 8 - we had a few people show up unannounced and they were happy and quick to accommodate. We each had a drink at the front bar while we waited for a larger table. They have a really fun and delicious cocktail menu- most of their drinks are made with tequila.

For dinner we ordered pretty much half the menu and split everything. It was enough for everyone to have a bite of each dish. I was most partial to the foie gras mousse (SO GOOOOOOOD), the hamachi carpaccio appetizer and the octopus. I want to go back soon and try more of Chef Poli's dishes! Also, I just saw on Facebook that they do half off on Mondays - score!

Recommended Dishes:

Foie Gras Mousse, Hamachi Carpaccio

"Fun Spot with GREAT food"

March 9, 2012

• Spanish
• European
• Sharing menu

• Food: Spanish
• Decor: European feel
• Service: GREAT
• Cost: $$$
• Wine / Cocktails: Spanish wines/sangria - unique twist on drinks

Overview:

I went to Tavernita last night for my friend's birthday and it was the perfect spot for it. We ordered from the sharing menu and there was enough food to feed the 7 of us for a week. The vibe is young and hip with a European feel which relates to the Spanish cuisine. Each dish was better than the one before it and the sangria was delicious.

Recommended Dishes:

Greg’s meatballs grilled octopus, pork belly bocadillos, brussels sprouts and patatas (a must)