"This long, narrow Spanish and Portuguese restaurant that’s behind a bright-red door is usually packed, which is great if you want to cosplay as a sardine or have an excuse to bump elbows with your date. (If you’d rather avoid that, try to sit up front by the door where there’s a little more room.) The a la carte menu has things like braised rabbit with manzanilla sherry and flank steak with piquillo peppers, most of which are easy to share with a group. Naturally, the wines skew Spanish, and there are affordable gems, like a red blend from Murcia named after pine trees. The long bar running the length of the restaurant is an ideal spot to dine solo, but we also like bringing some friends to pick at a salad (the manchego and duck fat endive was a past highlight) before seeing a show at The Riverside Theater or the Bradley Symphony Center." - kristine hansen
