Greshka P.
Yelp
Planning a Friday night with friends, where we could talk, eat and drink wine, I looked through my bookmarks on the Yelp App and got Candela.
I remember marking this after seeing pictures from friends and reading their reviews and thinking this would be perfect for this group of friends. We have monthly outings, to catch up, and wind down from work, stress, life, etc. We all love trying different dishes and sharing, and love to pair what we eat with wine. Candela being a tapas place, and a wine bar, fit that description flawlessly.
I made a reservation for 7 people, for Friday night at 7:30pm. Some of us got there early, and without a problem they prepared our table and allowed us to wait, sitting down for the rest of our party to arrive. This was good because, usually when early you just sit at the bar and wait but, this is a small place and without a bar. The entrance is the counter, where you can see some cheeses, meats, tortilla Española, and wines. To the back is the restaurant seating area, with a casual but very nice feel to it, with Spaniard accents, included a brick fireplace wall full of bottle of wines.
While we waited we got waters and looked at the menu, while we listened to the live entertainer playing the guitar. This was a nice add on to the ambiance of the restaurant, and appreciated it that it wasn't loud to interfere with our conversation. Instead it was a nice background to enjoy the "silence" of the table while eating.
As mentioned, we like trying many things so we ordered family style:
Tabla Surtida (Charcuterie) - this came with Assorted meats, olives and manchego cheese. Very nice presentation and size for sharing.
Pan Tumaca - I had seen pictures of it on Yelp and knew I needed to try it. This is Garlic Bread topped with tomato and olive oil. Very simple but delicious.
Croquetas - you have the choice of cod fish, ham and/ or spinach. We went classic and got the ham croquetas in a creamy aioli.
Garbanzos with Chorizo was a favorite among my friends... so much they ordered a second one. Very flavorful and hearty. This could easily be a meal on its own
Gambas al Pil Pil (Garlic Shrimp) comes sizzling in a delicious garlic sauce and enough shrimp to share or to make it a meal
Chuleton - This is one of their main dishes. Perfectly grilled (sliced) ribeye with rosemary potatoes on top. The chimichurri sauce is excellent.
Paella - Being in a Spaniard restaurant we had to try it!! We had both the seafood and the chicken with sausage. Both were equally great!
While we enjoyed our food, our server also recommended a wine for us, after the one we had chosen wasn't available. Excellent suggestion, we all liked it and asked him to keep the bottles coming, to pair with the food and keep the conversation at the table going.
For dessert, we also shared:
Flan - I know to some this is a plain dessert but it's one of my favorite desserts, and this one did not disappoint.
Almond Cake - this was the least favorite at the table but honestly not bad
Chocolate Mousse Cake - If you love chocolate you must try this! Creamy, rich, delicious.
We spent about 3 hours there having a great time. The staff came over regularly with new plates, removing empty ones and making sure we were enjoying everything.
This was a fantastic experience from beginning to end.