Michael S.
Yelp
Well, of all the places we've tried in Grand Rapids, San Chez tapas has been the most impressive.
Each dish does a yeoman's job of faithfully representing the dishes as I remember them from my times in Madrid, Barcelona, Ibiza, and the Canary Islands.
The roasted olives were perhaps the best ever had by my olive-loving dinner companion, although I showed her that that it's even better when when when mixed with the Manchego tapas.
The chicken and chorizo tapas comes with a side of garlic aïoli, which was so good that we got a side of that. (Read on.)
The paella, with the chorizo, was beautifully done, especially with a squeeze of lemon. BUT adding the aïoli and stirring just made the dish POP!
The pulpo salteado (braised octopus, anchovy aïoli, patatas bravas, and candied lemon) wings my vote for best of show. Perhaps the best octopus I've ever had. Tender, flavorful, beautifully spiced. Our third diner, who had more than some trepidation not this dish, chowed down!
The Jamaican jerk ahi tuna did its own great job of both being a fun dish and highlighting the ingredients.
The scallops and pork belly, with a blueberry apple chutney, was the weakest dish, brought down a teeny bit by inconsistent cook on the pork. The scallops were damn near perfect. The chutney was a nice touch but the proteins were so good it wasn't really necessary.
The cinnamon pecan roll & gelato was a fine ending. We were full and couldn't try them all.
With a frequent rotation of tapas, San Chez would be on my monthly visit list, and on our next trip from San Francisco we'll be back, guaranteed!
From now on, when someone asks me about the state of Grand Rapids food culture I'll point to San Chez.