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“Tasca”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Spanish	West Village	Moderate	Good

e to avoid injury. It’s much more amusing to be a spectator than a participant in this particular exercise.

Like most Spanish spots, Tasca is small. Adding to its petite size, is its odd shape. It’s like an angled geometric figure they haven’t yet named (somewhere between a triangle and a parallelogram). Its major design mark comes from the serpentine white-tiled bar that’s matched with about half a dozen long stretched teardrop shaped light fixtures that look like oversized white tadpoles. Tables and chairs are dark wood and floors are tiled in colorful Gaudi-esque motifs. On the far wall, there’s a wine room stocked with a terrific selection of about 150 traditional and off the beaten path Spanish wines by beverage director Jeffrey Weinstein. I’d definitely get him involved with your wine decisions. He’s got a ton of passion and enthusiasm for Spain and a lot of knowledge to share. We had a few of bottles of AN/2, a bright, juicy, peppery wine from Majorca that we loved.

To break in the wine, we started with a couple of platters of Spanish cheeses (manchego, majon, cabrales, la serrana, monte enebro) and meat (Serrano ham, chorizo, lomo, salchichon and sobrasada). They were delicious, and beautifully arranged on long wooden paddles with membrillo, fig jam and grilled slices of raisin bread. Our waiter impressed us, giving us a mini-dissertation on each of the cheeses and meats; a Power Point would not have been out of place. As we worked our way through the platters, pulling off meats and cheeses with our fingers, Sam was marveling over how good the chorizo was. “Oh my god, The Devil Wears Chorizo!” he cried. Our conversation was slowly devolving. Soon, Steven and Sam were engaging in some raunchy talk (of course, Katy and I did not take part). But by the time we were done with our cheese and meat, someone suggested that the wooden paddles/platters that might be used for something other than cheese. Boys, behave, now. Yeah, it was one of those nights.

In any case, we made quick work of the platters of cheese and meat and soon moved on to The Big Dance—the tapas. I liked the sound of many of these little plates, but unfortunately, they read a hell of a lot better than they ate. Bummer, man. Salt cod croquettes, shaped like little missiles, were good, but they could have been cooked a little longer. They were slightly jaundiced in color, rather than the golden ... [more, click below]

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Posted: March 12, 2007

Other restaurants in West Village :
+ Jefferson-- Closed   + La Palapa Rockola   + Sumile   + Babbo   + Tasca   + AOC Bedford   + Home   + The Spotted Pig   + Barbuto   + Numero 26   + Mas   + August   + Alta   + Cru   + Blue Mill Tavern-- Closed   + Employees Only   + Lassi   + Metropol--Closed   + Turks and Frogs   + Bellavitae   + Yumcha-- CLOSED   + Gusto: SEE EARLIER REVIEW; THIS CHEF HAS LEFT GUSTO   + Perry Street   + Home   + Ditch Plains   + The Little Owl   + Cafe Condesa   + Cafe Cluny   + Gusto   + The Waverly Inn   + Morandi   + P*ONG   + Perilla   + Soto   + Market Table   + Centro Vinoteca   + Barfry   + Dell'Anima   + Bar Blanc   + Smith's   + Commerce   + Elettaria   + Bar Q   + Cabrito   + 10 Downing   + Minetta Tavern   + Braeburn   + Scuderia, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Bar Blanc Bistro by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Joseph Leonard   + Bar Henry, by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Kin Shop   + Monument Lane   + Wong   + Bin on Bleecker, by Dara Pollak   + Ristorante Rafele   + Cole's Greenwich Village by Guest Reviewer Claire Jaffe   

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