Tinto

[guzzirider]

The impression I get is that this bar reservation thing may be temporary for the time being, and that they are simply trying to keep things under control at this stage of the game. Personally, I think it's a stupid policy, but if it's temporary... so be it. Knowing that's they're policy, I'm not going out of my way to try and get in there any time soon. At this point, I doubt they'll miss my business.

In the meantime, I've got about 40 other places still on my list to visit, so whatever...

__Jason

[Alcibiades]

Had dinner at Tinto last night and it was terrific. The highlights of the meal were:

Chiperones with Squid Ink and Crab Bomba Rice

Turbot with sauce pastis, baby fennel and citris (sic?)

Torchon de Foie Gras

Bocadillo de Bonito

Pork Belly with Chorizo, Black Beans and Braised Cabbage

Fava Beans with Caramelized Pearl Onions and Garroxta

Goat's Milk Mousse

We made some other choices but I mention these because they were the best things we ate. We failed to order one or two of these dishes and Jose was kind enough to send them out so as to assuage our oversights.

I was also thrilled to see the 2005 Domaine Brana Irouleguy Rosado on the list. This is an item that was carried by Moore Bros. a while back until they mysteriously discontinued it. A blend of Cab Franc and Tannat, it makes for a powerful, yet clean and acidic rose. Overpriced, of course, but at $48 it's not going to break the bank (I remember it retailing for around $16).

We got out the door with 10 dishes, dessert wine and the bottle of rose for $140. Definitely worth it; will be back soon.

[wkl]

"I was also thrilled to see the 2005 Domaine Brana Irouleguy Rosado on the list. This is an item that was carried by Moore Bros. a while back until they mysteriously discontinued it. "

the decision to no longer carry this wine was out of moore brothers' hands. there were some issues with the importer.

[herbacidal]

The impression I get is that this bar reservation thing may be temporary for the time being, and that they are simply trying to keep things under control at this stage of the game. Personally, I think it's a stupid policy, but if it's temporary... so be it. Knowing that's they're policy, I'm not going out of my way to try and get in there any time soon. At this point, I doubt they'll miss my business.

In the meantime, I've got about 40 other places still on my list to visit, so whatever...

__Jason

←

If it is a temporary situation, then it is a smart plan.

Garces has so much buzz around him, that the place is bound to be full every night for the first few months, and that'll overwhelm a place that size.

Part of me is suprised he didn't get a larger place. The other part of me knows that he was smarter to keep it smaller to limit the risk, especially if Chilango is coming later.

[Vadouvan]

Had dinner at Tinto last night and it was terrific. The highlights of the meal were:

Chiperones with Squid Ink and Crab Bomba Rice

Turbot with sauce pastis, baby fennel and citris (sic?)

Torchon de Foie Gras

Bocadillo de Bonito

Pork Belly with Chorizo, Black Beans and Braised Cabbage

Fava Beans with Caramelized Pearl Onions and Garroxta

Goat's Milk Mousse

Reservation issues aside, may I ask why it is being actively described as a "Basque" restaurant.

Nothing anyone has described seems Basque.

Certainly it may seem like a nitpicky question but I am finding that there is this general trend in the restaurant industry towards using specific ethnic assignments purely as marketing tools while not actually cooking the food of the specific region or a reasonable interpretation of it simply implying that the dining public is clueless. That being said, the food could still be delicious but really.............. this ongoing regional dishonesty trend seems like a ploy to differentiate Tinto from Amada which may seeemingly be the same restaurant.

Turbot with pastis and fennel is singularly Provence/ Cote D'Azur.

Serving french dishes with spanish name translations strikes me as very disingenous.

If anything "Basque" French borders spain in possibly Aquitaine,Midi-Pyrenees or Languedoc....No ?

A foie gras torchon ????

Pork Belly with Chorizo ????

Even Calasparra "bomba" rice is from Murcia in southeast and the basque dont do much squid ink up in the mountains ?

Edited March 28, 2007 by Vadouvan (log)

[Alcibiades]

At Tinto I saw far too few Xs in the name of the dishes, no obvious ETA plotters and shit, even the name isn't Basque. And the kicker: when I looked on the underside of my plate it said "Made in England." I almost walked out.

But then I reminded myself that I'm supposed to eat there because it's required of me to follow trends (regardless of whether I'm being regionally-decieved), spend some money while I'm at it, and then report here about what importance the intricacies of dining-out carries in life.

I'm glad I persevered because it tasted pretty good.

[cdh]

Alright, Alc. Moving this into terms you're a little more passionate and less snide about, how would you feel if the PLCB offered for sale a bottle marked "Petrus 1994" that actually contained a wine that was a dead ringer for a grand cru burgundy. The fact they they both taste really good wouldn't matter much to you then, would it? It would be a terrible fraud perpetrated upon you, no?

Labels do matter. Truth in labelling is important.

[Vadouvan]

At Tinto I saw far too few Xs in the name of the dishes, no obvious ETA plotters and shit, even the name isn't Basque. And the kicker: when I looked on the underside of my plate it said "Made in England." I almost walked out.

But then I reminded myself that I'm supposed to eat there because it's required of me to follow trends (regardless of whether I'm being regionally-decieved), spend some money while I'm at it, and then report here about what importance the intricacies of dining-out carries in life.

I'm glad I persevered because it tasted pretty good.

Why is it required of you to follow trends ?

Lemmings are required to follow trends.

Who requires that you follow trends ?

Frankly where the china is made is irrelevant, my point is that Image creation that is blantantly inaccurate ought to be called out because there is nothing worse than the mis-education of the masses.If you use another country as an example, what if you opened a provencal restaurant and served Alsatian food or in America a Cajun restaurant that serves Pennsylvania dutch food ?

[Jeff L]

I could be wrong but I took the following trends comment to be of a sarcastic tone, at least I hoped it was.

[Alcibiades]

Chris, V, you're both right: truth in advertising is important but I guess it doesn't matter much to me in the case of Tinto because I was served good food and treated well and I was in good company. In short, I had a good time.

The restaurant world is packaged, marketed and consumed according to "cuisine," with respect to a particular ethnic/national provenance. There are very few restaurants where the theme of the place is not specific to a country or its culinary traditions. Going out for Thai, Japanese, Cajun, French, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Spanish, Middle Eastern, Cuban, Basque--that's how we package the product we call "Restaurant." Even "fusion" or "Global Tapas" is an inhered reference to the bringing-together of different groups' cuisines.

If we can agree that's how these things are done then it only strengthens the point you're both making. For my part, I guess I just don't really need that to be front-and-center in order to enjoy myself. If Jose is pulling a fast one on people by enticing them to come in for Basque food, then caveat emptor. For some that's important (myself included, to some extent) but I won't fail to patronize Tinto again because there wasn't anyone playing Jai Alai.

[rlibkind]

. . . there is nothing worse than the mis-education of the masses.

←

Uh, I can think of a few.

[Vadouvan]

Like I said...

Certainly it may seem like a nitpicky question but I am finding that there is this general trend in the restaurant industry towards using specific ethnic assignments purely as marketing tools while not actually cooking the food of the specific region or a reasonable interpretation of it simply implying that the dining public is clueless. That being said, the food could still be delicious

Good food that is tasty and at the right temp is great.

I dont think however eliminating definitions is a good idea in the long run.

I despise the term "Global Tapas" in particular.

[townsend]

Will spent some time eating and trekking his way around the region last summer to gain a better understanding of the cuisine; translating that directly to 20th St. Philadelphia is probably not as easy as it may seem...many of the ingredients are difficult to source consistently, and some of the treats he brought back are not marketable. As far as intentionally mis-representing the cuisine, I doubt that is the case. Sure, many of the systems and offerings mimic Amada, which makes sense. (If it ain't broke...)

When I stopped by the other day everything I tried was very good, and as they grow I would expect to see some development of the menu to test the waters...

And you should dislike the term global tapas...it doesn't mean anything.

[matthewj]

what up dog

[matthewj]

I am glad that Wild Bill is doing well. I heard that Tinto is packed. I did not know that it was a Basque restaurant or not, but who really cares. The press a lot of times pushes to put a definition on types of restaurants. . It makes it easier I guess to quantify it. Example: what is "Continental cuisine with a french and global flair"? That sounds more like a show to me, but that is used to describe a restaurant in Philly. It is odd how that changes the a notion of a restaurant. But if the food is good maybe that was what the influences are. A vietnamese restuarant could have carpaccio on it can't it?

[townsend]

I am glad that Wild Bill is doing well.  I heard that Tinto is packed.  I did not know that it was a Basque restaurant or not, but who really cares.  The press a lot of times pushes  to put a definition on types of restaurants. .  It makes it easier I guess to quantify it.  Example: what is "Continental  cuisine with a french and global flair"? That sounds more like a  show to me, but that is used to describe a restaurant in Philly.  It is odd how that changes the a notion of a restaurant.  But if the food is good maybe that was what the influences are. A vietnamese restuarant could have carpaccio on it can't it?

←

It was formerly known as Raw Flank Steak until Benny changed the name to Vietnamese Carpaccio...I still insist on ordering it as raw flank...

It was good to see Will, and watch his progress on the project. The food is solid, and I hope that Jose will let him continue to grow. There are a few opportunities that they could utilize to make it more 'basque', but the bones are there.

T

[Yannii]

I also recently visited tinto (made bar reservations one hour prior to arriving, but i heard reservations are no longer required at the bar, anyone know for sure?) and really enjoyed it. I have only traveled through spain once, and in no way could be considered an expert, but, i thought the food was certainly "a reasonable interpretation" of basque cuisine. the basque region is so interesting, with so many influences and different regions. One of my favorite basque white wines (which I had at tinto) is a txaxoli called "itsas y mendi" or sea and mountain in basque. that wine, as well as the cusine of the region, certainly has that duality. while they may not "do much squid ink up in the mountains" of the north, they definetly do in the southern regions of the basque. in fact, i believe (correct me if i'm wrong) txipirones en su tinta is a basque specialty, which i certainly enjoyed during my visit to spain. the rice may not be the same kind they use in san sebastian or wherever, but i certainly think tinto's chipirones en su tinta is a reasonable interpretation.

Other dishes that i enjoyed at tinto that strike me as reasonable interpretations of basque classics would be the marmitiko, txangoro, bacalao al pil pil, pipperade, favas with garrotxa, most of the cheeses, and most of the wines. In general, i would certainly hesitate to call tinto's claimed basque focus misleading or deceptive. i thought the food was great and a wonderfull interpretation of the region's cuisine and spirit. the service is, of course, not very spanish (thank god) but that's too be expected, i think.

The wine really stood out for me. I had a txaxoli, the muscat sec (mentioned up thread), an interesting rioja, and an irouleguy. all four were amazing. i can't wait to go back and try more wines.

i was really happy with my meal at tinto, and i am eagerly looking forward to future visits. it is pretty expensive, though, so it may be awhile for me.

[KatieLoeb]

but i heard reservations are no longer required at the bar, anyone know for sure?

I do. Bar reservations are done at Tinto. Got it from management at Amada.

[brescd01]

My wife and I had dinner there tonight and we were dazzled. $75 per person with wine, tax, and tip. 9 plates. Absolutely fabulous. I think the meal was above us, so good I am sure we missed a lot of what the chef was trying to do. I am especially proud because I do not think NYC has even one fancy Spanish restaurant.

Edited May 28, 2007 by brescd01 (log)

[Vadouvan]

My wife and I had dinner there tonight and we were dazzled. $75 per person with wine, tax, and tip. 9 plates. Absolutely fabulous. I think the meal was above us, so good I am sure we missed a lot of what the chef was trying to do. I am especially proud because I do not think NYC has even one fancy Spanish restaurant.

Perhaps this might convince you

http://www.menupages.com/restaurants.asp?home=Y&cuisineid=60

[brescd01]

Uh, no. A search of the NYTimes (the best source of restaurant criticism in NYC) uncovers only one comparable restaurant, by Bobby Flay, Bolo. Remember, most restaurants listed as "Spanish" in most places, include "Hispanic" food, which is obviously not the same thing.

I think Tinto can be comfortable that it is serving something unique and extraordinary.

[Diann]

Uh, no. A search of the NYTimes (the best source of restaurant criticism in NYC) uncovers only one comparable restaurant, by Bobby Flay, Bolo. Remember, most restaurants listed as "Spanish" in most places, include "Hispanic" food, which is obviously not the same thing.

I think Tinto can be comfortable that it is serving something unique and extraordinary.

←

Not trying to start an argument here -- because (a) I haven't been to Tinto yet, (b) I'm excited about going, © I want it to be good -- but as for "fancy Spanish restaurants in NYC", what about Casa Mono/Bar Jamon? Tia Pol?

Point is, who cares whether New York has similar restaurants or not? We've been over this a million times -- New York has greater population density than Philadelphia and is therefore, unsurprisingly, able to sustain a greater variety of restaurants, both in terms of cuisine and price point. Philadelphia's still got a great food scene, though.

Edited May 28, 2007 by Diann (log)

[brescd01]

That's it, I'm calling you out, let's fight...just kidding! Funny to note that those restaurants all appear to be recent additions to the NYC scene, which I do not know at all after 2000.

New York is very populous and it has a vibrant and fascinating restaurant industry, and I think that these two characteristics are only indirectly related.

Spanish is still a fairly exotic continental cuisine and I am happy that we can have two excellent representatives in such a small space (Center City). And that doesn't count Apamate, which has a limited but tasty and authentic-seeming menu. But Tinto dazzled us while Amada merely impressed us.

[Vadouvan]

Interesting.

Edited May 29, 2007 by Vadouvan (log)

[brescd01]

Well, I didn't say Tinto was the best Spanish food on the East Coast! And I am SUPERBLY unqualified to comment on any restaurant, which is why I get paid absolutely nothing for my opnion and post on amateur fora like this!

In any event, my lack of knowledge of the NYC Spanish restaurant scene does not detract from Tinto, which was nevertheless excellent. But I swear, before 2000 there was not a single high-end Spanish restaurant in NYC!

Edited May 29, 2007 by brescd01 (log)