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“Barca 18-- CLOSED”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Spanish	Flatiron	Moderate	Good

I was not sure about the interplay of cheese and salt cod, but Kate was into it so I went along. My fear was for naught. I loved it. It was a perfect coca—which is a very crispy flaky dough, sort of like a dense phyllo rather than a pizza crust—topped with silky slices of just salty enough cod, and translucent shavings of Manchego, and thinly sliced onions and peppers. I loved the textures and the contrasting flavors. Who knew?

On a final visit for dinner with a bunch of friends—Kiri, Steven, Debbie, and Court—we tried the remaining cocktails (we all agreed that the Gaudi was primo), appetizers and worked our way through some of the larger plates. I loved the crispy calamari ($9) with a racy romesco sauce. The calamari is cut in half lengthwise, not into ribbons, and this method takes out the toughness and leaves the flesh unbelievably tender against the light golden breading. Brilliant. But what was decidedly not brilliant was Ripert’s version of tortilla d’Espana ($7). Usually a simple dish made from layers of potatoes and eggs topped with garlicky aioli, Ripert has gone off the deep end here, adding blood sausage, asparagus, piquillo peppers, black olives and Manchego cheese to the mix, as if to scream: I CAN USE ALL OF SPAIN’S CLASSIC INGREDIENTS IN ONE DISH! Not smart. The result is an unfortunate inedible brick. The lesson here would be less is more.

Less is more is the theme of the rodaballo, what is better known as turbot ($24). A gorgeous filet of fish— dense, sweet, moist, flaky—is cooked on a slate and drizzled with a simple warm herb vinaigrette. We also liked the rabbit, crunchy skinned with tender, flavorful meat, modestly served with a sweet garlic aioli ($22). As for the paella, you have choices. We found the Paella de Langosta Y Camaron ($28)—lobster, shrimp, mussels and chorizo and chicken—to be a bit dry, but the Paella Negra was delish—a great inky rice stocked with lots of plump rock shrimp, mussels, calamari, and sepia, dotted with peas and peppers ($24). It’s hard to say what happened there—one was so good and the other so not.

The desserts ($6), a collaboration between Michael Laiskonis of Le Bernardin and Elizabeth Katz of Fiamma, include the must have churros with spiced hot chocolate, and a great café y crema—impossibly creamy mascarpone mousse with malted milk chocolate rum ice cream.

The room at Ba ... [more, click below]

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Posted: November 20, 2005

Other restaurants in Flatiron :
+ Suenos   + Amuse-- Closed   + Dos Caminos   + Lucy-- Closed   + Gramercy Taver   + Veritas   + Fleur De Sel   + Bolo -- CLosed   + City Bakery   + Shake Shack   + Kalustyan's Cafe   + Devi   + BLT Fish   + Sugarcane   + BLT Prime   + Barca 18-- CLOSED   + Beppe   + Barbounia   + Boqueria   + Eleven Madison   + Lonesome Dove-- CLOSED   + Hill Country   + Olana   + Wildwood   + Primehouse   + Allegretti   + Bar Breton   + Aldea   + SD26 by Bao Ong   + ABC Kitchen   + Ciano   + The NoMad   

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