So I kind of got dragged to the South End, which might as well be the other end of the earth for me, last week by a couple of friends, one of whom was on furlough (his wife and one-year-old son were on a plane back from California at the time). The destination was Toro, a be-seen tapas bar created by Ken Oringer, the chef behind Clio and Uni in Back Bay – in other words, a really famous chef around these parts.
Anyway, the food at Toro was impressive. The best dish, one that Ming Tsai raved about in a review I found after we ate at the restaurant, was a grilled maize dish. The cobs are seared to the point where the outside of the kernels is starting to blacken, after which it’s rolled in a garlic-mayo (tasted like butter was in there too) and topped with a crumbling of cotija cheese, which I didn’t even know I liked. Other hits included the shrimp in a mildly spicy butter sauce, a braised short rib served in a tiny cast-iron skillet, bacalao croquettes (a little soft inside, but not fishy, with a perfectly fried exterior) with a ring of deep-fried lemon rind, and boquerones (marinated fresh anchovies).
There were a couple of misses, of course. The skirt steak was bland and a bit undercooked (we asked for medium, it was still mooing when it reached the table). The pimientos de padron were very bitter, which was a big disappointment because it was my first time trying them after reading about them in Calvin Trillin’s Feeding a Yen
I’m told the wine list at Toro is solid, for what that’s worth, but since I drove downtown I didn’t partake.
I left not hungry, but not exactly full, for $30 or so, which doesn’t strike me as a great bargain, but is typical of my experiences at tapas places. I’m not a huge eater, but the tiny little plates never seem to add up to a full meal. So if you like tapas or want to go to a restaurant with a scene, Toro’s worth the trip, since the food itself is good. I just like a little more bang for my buck.
Along the same lines, I have often had the same experiences at Tapas houses. Considering the trend that has been going on for a couple of years now to go to these places I go often, but always have the same thought: not enough of the good stuff, too much of the bad stuff, and an overall unsatisfying experience. Speaking of small dishes have you ever been to Craigie Street Bistro in Cambridge? Its another one of these celbrity chef restaurants. I went there late and had the chef’s whim, which was a five course meal of tapas sized portions, and truly adventurous and strange ingerdients in some. The food was pretty good, but for the price I think I could be a lot more satisfied and treated to far more tasty cooking.
Oh man, I love Tapas. My time in Madrid instilled a love for them that knows no bounds. Also, it is great to see people fall in love with buquerones, how were they prepared? Were they marinated in vinegar sauce? That is my favorite preparation but they are also good fried. The Spanish really like anchovies. In fact, if you go to sushi in Spain and get any kind of sushi or sashimi combo you will frequently receive some fresh lightly cooked anchovies right alongside your tuna and salmon.
I will definitely try Toro out the next time I have an occasion in Boston. Just to add on, the my favorite tapa (although it was really even smaller that a tapa, it was a pincho) I have ever eaten was something the bar called “jamon de pato.” Basically, it is duck that is cured like ham. It was served on a tasty piece of toast with an apple compote, yum.
The reason why you probably feel not as full as you want to is that tapas aren’t meant to be particularly filling. I agree that if the restaurant is solely tapas or tapas themed then they should probably do a better job of filling you just on tapas. Still, in Spain you don’t go to a tapas restaurant, tapas are generally free little finger food that you get when you order a bunch of beer at a bar. The best tapas I have had have been free and handed out every so often during long night of drinking pitcher after pitcher of beer with friends. That is the way to enjoy tapas, in my opinion.
There was a smoked duck on the menu, but the friend of mine who, um, took charge of ordering didn’t want to get it. The buquerones were marinated, I think, not fried because they weren’t hot. I was floored that I liked them. And yes, you’re right about how tapas are consumed in Spain – but if I’m shelling out $30 in the U.S., I want to leave full, dammit.
Fran, I’ve never been to the Craigie St Bistro. Sounds like the type of high-end restaurant I hate – like the chef is trying to be clever, almost a forced cuisine. I’ve been to high-end restaurants where the portions were ample (Olives, at its peak, was a sublime combo of quality and quantity), and there’s no excuse for the tiny portions that some fancypants restaurants provide. Fiamma at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas was a perfect example. Great food, but the entire meal was like an hors d’oeuvre.
I’ve been reading for a while, but normally dont contribute. I had quite possibly the best meal I have had in months, so I feel obliged to share tonight. A new place called “Gio’s” in Orlando in my College Park neighborhood opened a few weeks ago, so I thought I would give it a shot. The aesthetic is very dark tones, wood, trendy…and the cuisine is Italian/Italian grill. I must confess up front to not being as food literate as Keith and other contributors.
Tonight I had the Chicken Margarita Roulade: Sauteed chicken stuffed with a spinach chicken mousse, wrapped with prosciutto and topped with a roasted red pepper cream sauce. Finishing it off were diced tomatoes, mozzarella cubes, and capers. All of this over a bed of angel hair pasta.
It was excellent. A knife was not necessary and at first, i was worried that the amalgam of flavors were going to cancel each other out, but I was pleasantly surprised when no single flavor dominated and the end result was a mix that was thoroughly enjoyable. I finished off with a cup of decaf and some tiramisu (also excellent) which was obviously meant for two that I had to take half home. All of this for $27 including tax, which I thought was a decent value. Portions were ample and had a salad been included, it would have been a steal as I took half the dessert home and was definitely full.
I am not sure if this is the best place to put this but I believe last week in one of your ESPN chats you talked about a sushi place in Cambridge or Arlington. I cannot recall which one but if you could reccomend what to get there and let me know which restuarant it is I would be forever greatful.
Paul M, thanks for the review. Next time I’m down there for a few days, I’ll check that place out.
Chad, the sushi place in Arlington is called Toraya, on Mass Ave, past Arlington Center (towards Lexington) on the left-hand side, just before you reach the Stop and Shop. I’ve found their raw fish to be very fresh, and while it’s not up to the standard of West Coast sushi places, it’s the best I’ve had in the Boston area. Very good unagi, sake, and various types of tuna.
Keith,
My parents were raving about this place in Nashua. Safe to say, I was skeptical about the place, but I ended up being surprised. It’s called Surf, and is the sister restaurant to Michael Timothy’s, also in Nashua.
Living in Westford, it’s a short commute, and you get a decent bang for you buck since it’s not in Boston.
Anyways, great reviews. I got the link from one of your ESPN chats which I also love. I’m excited that you are open to writing a book; I’d be anxious to see what you could do with 300+ pages.
Keep up the solid writing.
*Ever been to Syracuse while with the Jays? If so, any recommendations? I’m a student up here at SU and my friends and I stick to chains, but I’d like to get out to someplace decent.