Murray W.
Yelp
Coming in on a Tuesday evening, the place was about half full; a comfortably-sized crowd that kept the restaurant from being awkwardly empty, but didn't keep us from getting a table right away. The interior is kind of quirky, with a decor that's hard to describe but I would generalize it as a modernized version of your quirky aunt's place. A cool little marquee sign complete with the Edison bulbs framing it display the day's specials next to a nicely lit bar, whose shelves are comprised of a mix of square and rectangular boxes. I'm not sure how/if any of this ties in to their old school, pastoral-ish name, sign and social media cover pictures, but it all kinda works somehow.
We started out with a round of drinks; I ordered the nicely balanced Clockwork Orange, comprised of bourbon, Aperol, Cynar and orange blossom water, while my wife went for a rum-forward cocktail on special that was a bit too sweet for my likings, but was right up her alley.
Despite my other half's dislike of seafood, there was still plenty of tantalizing choices on what's still a relatively lean menu. Our first round of edibles was comprised of the croquettas, patatas bravas, and the meatballs. I appreciated that all of our plates came out one by one, which allowed for enjoying the food and good conversation, the way more meals should be these days.
The croquettas came out quickly, three to the plate, with a dollop of garlic sauce. Panko crusted, they were ultra-crispy on the outside, and yet incredibly smooth on the inside. The garlic sauce was pungent, but not so much that it took over the light taste of the potatoes and manchego cheese.
Batting second in the line-up was the patatas bravas - chunks of skin-on, fried potatoes tossed in a lightly tangy tomato sauce, with small dabs of their omnipresent, but tasty, garlic aioli. While they don't have the crunch of your typical fry, the flavour was nice.
Moving past the carb-heavy first two selections, our meatballs arrived, in a thick tomato sauce, with a dusting of cheese and pine nuts. I'm not sure what meat was in them other than beef, but it was a fantastic mix. Or maybe it was just high quality beef. Either way, these were fantastic, and my wife, who isn't very keen on most red meats, said it was the meatiest meat she had ever eaten and really enjoyed.
For our second round of food, we ordered the Iberian ham, the quail egg and mushroom pinxto, and the Brussels sprouts with 'nduja.
I have wanted to try Iberian ham since hearing about it on one of the food/travel shows I watch. The heritage breed pigs forage in fields and forests resplendent with tree nuts that flavour the pigs themselves and the stratospherically expensive ham made from them. A mere 25g (a typical package of grocery store deli meat is 150-200g) is $16 at Highwayman, so it isn't a daily, or even weekly, bar bite to have with post-work drinks, but I was eager to try it for the first time. Shaved razor thin in slices the size of large coins, the meat had surprisingly thick bands of fat in it for ham. The smell was surprisingly nutty, so much so that I thought it was all in my head from my previous knowledge of it, but my wife confirmed its fragrance. That flowed through to my taste buds as well, and it had strong grassy notes as well, making it altogether unique compared to every cured meat I've ever had. Each slice was appropriately cherished and enjoyed, and in the end was well worth the price. I've had countless meals I've spent $16 on or more that are less memorable than this meat.
While the jamon Iberico was a tough act to follow, the quail egg and mushroom pinxto somehow rose to the occasion. A fried quail egg was perched atop a sautéed mushroom cap, on a slice of baguette with a thin spread of garlicky goodness, and a light pesto-ish sauce brightening up the small bite. While seemingly very basic in its execution, it was the most well-balanced of all our plates that evening, with the umami-rich egg and mushroom playing against the bite of the garlic and lightly vegetal sauce.
Last, but not least, for our small plates marathon was the Brussels sprouts and 'nduja, which I was informed was a sort of Spanish pate. This was by far the largest dish, with a pile of deep fried sprouts on top of the 'nduja, and slices of pear breaking up the plate a bit. Generations of people growing up with steamed sprouts has led to the unfortunate reputation that they have, although this has gladly been improved by dishes like this. The crispy sprouts paired well with the slightly spicy meat spread, and the occasional slice of pear added some sweetness and acidity to cut through all the richness.
If you're going to eat a full on meal here, it won't be cheap, even if you exclude the expensive-ass ham. But if you're out for a night out, or drinks and a small bite after work, Highwayman is gonna serve up some excellent food to share with people you like spending time with.
