Marilu F.
Yelp
I would love to write this in Spanish and while I am able to, I think that I am much more able to convince you to go in English.
This restaurant is a gem and my only mistake was not visiting it sooner. I had heard so much praise from friend after friend about this place located in the Neo Lofts Building, yet somehow it never struck me to eat there until around a week ago or so.
Originally the plan was to go eat at another restaurant, but without a reservation and with their being understaffed, there just was no way. Seeing as it was a group of four and two of those in said group wanted the touristy experience, well... how much more touristy can you get than Calle Ocho? Although technically this isn't on Calle Ocho, it's not too far from it. That and it's Spanish food, which isn't exactly something typical for those who were in my group.
It turned out to be a wise decision. I made a call and was able to secure a reservation within half an hour from my calling time for 1:30 PM the day after Christmas. Upon arrival, we were a bit confused where the entrance was, but I asked the valet of the building and we went straight into what can only be described as an immense bodega.
Immediately we were greeted in Spanish, and surprise surprise, our waiter, Fran, only spoke Spanish. My guests? All French speakers, only one of which also spoke English. What ensued was only a trilingual tongue-twister of translation with Spanish, English, and French. Oh dear, it had been awhile since I had to do that. Fortunately we were all able to communicate and get our points across.
Now onto the food and drink, a.k.a. the important stuff. We ordered a lot, specifically the following:
-Wine: I don't remember which one it was, but Fran recommended it and I think it was $88 or so a bottle. A Tempranillo maybe? Come to think about it, maybe it was less. He recommended a lot of wines. All I remember is we picked a red one and it was a winner.
-Jamón ibérico de Bellota (5J): Those in my group really wanted this. Had I not been in a group, I seriously wouldn't have been able to justify this. It was expensive, but hey, one bite of this and it's worth every penny, especially when you have this with their freshly-made bread that happens to be complimentary.
-Tortilla española: I'm obsessed with this dish and had to have it. I always order it at every Spanish restaurant I go to. How can you go wrong with potatoes, eggs, and aioli? You just can't. This one was mouthwatering and probably my favorite ever THUS FAR.
-Paella de mariscos: We had two seafood lovers amongst us and one of them ordered this. It was a huge plate with all sorts of seafood. Shrimp, clams, mussels, I forget what else. He took this home and had leftovers for the following day.
-Paella Valenciana: Essentially the same as the paella de mariscos with the added bonus of meat. Again, this was big enough to feed an army and this was also taken home.
-Súper chuletón de Buey: This is a dish for two people and since one in our group and I wanted steak, it made sense for us to share one. One problem. He likes his rare, I like mine well-done. We opted to compromise on medium. The dish came to the table and I dug in sans thinking. It was juicy, flavorful, and to my shock - medium rare! I liked it so much that when they asked if they wanted us for them to cook it more, I ACTUALLY SAID NO. Do you know how unheard of that is? This is the one and only place I've ever been able to eat meat below medium. Oh, and this brought vegetables and potatoes that were great, too.
To add to these hearty distributions of tasty heaven, the chef and owner Felipe actually came to our table to talk to us. He spoke some English, so the other person in my party who spoke English was able to communicate with him. Still, the majority of the conversation was in Spanish, but no matter what language we all spoke, the heart of the restaurant, its center, was universal. Those that only spoke French saw that and commented how they hadn't had such care in a restaurant in so long.
Had it not been that we had other plans that day, we would've stayed for the flamenco show. Apparently our waiter, Fran, was a singer for it. He gave me some ads on the way out and invited us to come back. I have no idea when my group will be back in town, but I live in Broward County, so I'm only a car ride away. This restaurant may be a bit pricey, but portions are beyond generous and the service is one of a kind.
And here I end this on a Spanish note: Barriga llena, corazón contento. TRANSLATION: Full belly, happy heart.
And believe me, that last phrase, sums this lunch out to a T.
