Print
E-Mail
tool name
closeWednesday, Aug. 12, 2009
Small Spanish dishes pack big flavor at Si Tapas
Small Spanish dishes pack big flavor at Si Tapas in Uptown.
By LESLIE BRENNER
Special to dfw.com
Tapeo, tapeas, tapea. In Spain, tapas are so popular that tapear (to eat tapas) is a verb.
As lifestyles go, tapeando is more appealing than ever: A few inexpensive tapas among friends add up to a chic evening out that won’t break the bank.
At Si Tapas and Spanish Cuisine, a new tapas bar in the charming Uptown Dallas cottage that used to house Watel’s, it’s nice and cool inside; if you sit in the back, you can look out over a lush, green field edged with shady trees. There’s a patio back there, too.
It’s best to order in waves; otherwise, a dozen dishes might land on the table at once. Maybe begin with classic gambas al ajillo ($5.95), a tortilla española ($5.50) and an ensalada de naranja con zanahoria ($5.50).
The ensalada is gorgeous: ribbons of shaved carrots dressed in a light citrus vinaigrette flecked with mint, surrounded by slices of orange. It’s a super-refreshing way to start. The gambas are tasty, small shrimp sautéed in olive oil with lots of garlic. We asked to keep the plate when we were done, so we could sop up the sauce with bread.
Tortilla española is Spanish for potato omelet. Here, it’s like a dense potato cake; there’s not much egg in it, but it’s delicious.
After all that, you might want a new plate: The one you’ve been eating on is tiny (about 4 inches), and now it has three kinds of sauce on it. We asked if we could have bigger plates.
"No," the server answered before ducking into the kitchen.
In fact, the service got only a wee bit friendlier than that, though five minutes later a server appeared with bigger plates. We had to borrow one another’s silverware to serve the tapas, so we asked for a few spoons. This, too, seemed to irritate the staff.
On my second visit, we ventured into main-course territory, ordering seafood paella ($35).
It was extremely disappointing. Though served in a paella pan, clearly it wasn’t cooked in that pan. The rice wasn’t the right texture; it was mushier than good paella rice, and though yellow, it didn’t have much saffron flavor.
The clams and mussels were awful: Both had a scary off taste.
The brains behind Si Tapas is Ildefonso Jimenez, whose last venture, Hola, closed in February. He was also involved with Cafe Madrid.
For dessert, Jimenez makes vanilla ice cream in-house, then adds mix-ins. Featured one night was Manchego cheese and quince ($5). It’s actually quite clever, a spin on the traditional pairing of Manchego and the Spanish quince paste known as membrillo. And it worked — beautifully.
Si Tapas has a lot going for it: an inviting, tucked-away setting, a very Spanish feel, an interesting wine list and some compelling tapas. If Jimenez coaxed that put-upon attitude out of the service, dining there would be much more enjoyable. In the meantime, at least he has ordered bigger plates.
2207 Allen St., Dallas
214-720-0324
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday
Signature dish: Tortilla española, paella
Entree cost: An entire meal of tapas can be had for $31-$50.
Essentials: Major credit cards, full bar, wheelchair-accessible, no smoking.
Good to know: A pretty back patio looks out onto a parklike field. Reservations for large parties only.
Recommended for: Friends who want to nibble through a sophisticated meal without paying exorbitant prices.
DFW.com is pleased to be able to offer its users the opportunity to make comments and hold conversations online. However, the interactive nature of the internet makes it impractical for our staff to monitor each and every posting.
Since DFW.com does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted on our website. In addition, we remind anyone interested in making an online comment that responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not DFW.com.
If you find a comment offensive, clicking the exclamation icon will flag the comment for review by the administrators; we are counting on the good judgment of all our readers to help us.
