Tasca

[Nathan]

in sum, this place was as good as Tia Pol...and a heck of a lot easier to get a table at.

Tasca is roughly Spanish for "bar" (as is taberna) and has taken on a meaning somewhat similar to today's faux gastropub trend....except that tascas have been around for a lot longer.

the menu is divided into a long list of tapas and a few larger entrees.

we only ordered tapas....the portion sizes were surprisingly generous...think the size of the plates at Bar Room at the Modern.

the Tortilla Espanola was by far the best rendition of this traditional dish that I've had in NY. the Albondigas were quite nice....I'd compare these to the veal meatballs at Falai Paneteria and Cafe Falai. Chorizo E Higos (chorizo with figs) was addictive. the Pinchos Morunos (lamb skewers) were perfectly cooked and excellent cuts of meat. the oysters were merely fine. pulpo may be all over NY menus right now...but this was nicely grilled (a la plancha I assume)...

the wine list is small (maybe 40-50 bottles with about 10 by the glass) but with a reasonable range of selections.

[davythefatboy]

I liked the stuffed pepper at Tasca quite a bit. But I prefer the Tortilla (and almost everything else) at Ostia across the street. Ostia is clearly a labor of love. And that tastes darn good.