"Gianni Chiloiro, owner of San Francisco Italian restaurant Doppio Zero, opened a new restaurant Vida Tapas on February 3. The 5,300-square-foot space is dedicated to small bites, including standard Spanish fare such as Spanish tortillas and patatas bravas, grand entrees including three paellas and a 34-ounce tomahawk steak, and a robust cocktail menu focusing on mezcal and gin. The back of house, brought in from Sevilla and Madrid, know their way around pulpo, Spanish for octopus. Chilorio says if there’s a main attraction, it’s the pulpo gallego, a Gallician-grilled octopus tapa with crushed potatoes, oil, and a bit of salt. That said, the butterflied branzino might be Chilorio’s favorite. Naturally, he recommends the paellas, but says he thinks the lamb meatballs and croquettes could be sleeper hits, too. For drinks, Vida is opening with three different gin and tonics: the Valencia combines Prairie gin, tonic, and elderflower liqueur; followed by the Barcelona, which adds hibiscus to that recipe; then the Madrid, which adds butterfly pea rather than hibiscus. The house-made sangria aims to be a must-try, as well." - Paolo Bicchieri
