Brasa Bar Menu

[malarkey]

oh goodie I can go then!! er, that is, if that ends up being the day...

[malarkey]

YES!!

I finally went last night with a friend. Had frites, the mussels, and the wood fired olives & walnuts app thingee. Had the "Confusion" speciality cocktail (yum yum) (ok, I had two of them while eating) and finished off the evening with a Beaumes de Venise Muscat.

Wow, what a deal. I wanna go back.

[heyjude]

Malarkey, we just did go back, last night and can now rave about the crispy onions, the hummos and the paella. Drinks were great again and the Brasa Sundae is a little different every time. We'll have to keep checking it out. Who's organizing the eGullet gala? We should discuss at Nightscotsman's.

[nightscotsman]

OK, I just had a sudden inspiration to head down to Brasa after work tonight (tonight being Friday, Nov. 1st). I think the bunny paella is calling my name. I'll be there at about 5:30 if anyone wants to join me - just show up!

[malarkey]

hey yeah... I loved heyjude's idea of going down there and ordering everything on the bar menu. was this discussed last night and I missed it?!

the bunny paella, too funny, I'll have to try that next time.

[Eat_eat_eat]

I don't know if Brasa has just enforced this recently but we will now have to order beverages to get the bar food for half price.

I also want to say the steak frites was not good. It was hard and not juicy. I should have ordered something else because I rarely encounter good steak frites. Still, this is a very good deal for a meal.

[LaurieA-B]

Thanks for updating us, Eat; I don't recall ever seeing or hearing that policy before, but we have always ordered drinks anyway. (I often do not order a drink while dining, partly to keep the bill down, but the food at Brasa happy hour is so cheap that I feel comfortable ordering a drink, and they have delicious cocktails.) We had dinner there on my birthday before going to a movie, and I ordered a Roman Holiday. Can't remember what was in it, but it was really good.

I was not impressed with the French fries at Brasa, but the fried onions are extremely fabulous.

[Ye-Ye Girl]

I'm soooo glad to have found this thread! The Dude and I had decided to do a night of bar-hopping last Friday. Seeing that I'd been reading this thread all day and I'm the one who always gets to pick the food , Brasa it was.

I had the pizza with grapes, goat cheese, cabrales and walnuts, and it was completely loaded. The flavors melded together very well, and the crust was perfect. It's been a while since I peeked at their kitchen, but I'm assuming they have a wood-fired oven, yes? The Dude was already delirious with happiness because the server didn't ask "gin or vodka?" when he ordered a martini. He was also pleased with his steak frites, but we both agreed that while the frites were flavored nicely, they were a little soggy. And though we didn't need the extra food I (of course) had to order a side of crispy onions after seeing the raves. I wasn't expecting the very large portion (not that I'm complaining!), and they were indeed extremely well done. I also had a Purple Haze (vodka, loganberry liqueur and fresh lime juice) from the bar. Don't know that I'd get another, but they sure don't stiff you on the drinks.

I'm supposed to have drinks & noshes after fun girl stuff on Friday, and I'm thinking I'll have to go back and try something new...

[MsRamsey]

I also had a Purple Haze (vodka, loganberry liqueur and fresh lime juice) from the bar. Don't know that I'd get another, but they sure don't stiff you on the drinks.

I'm supposed to have drinks & noshes after fun girl stuff on Friday, and I'm thinking I'll have to go back and try something new...

Thanks for your report, Ye-Ye Girl. When you go back, try The Vamp, which is one of their specialty cocktails. It's festive and delicious.

[col klink]

I can vouch for the Vamp too, as well as the Vesper. They make nice cocktails at Brasa.

[Ye-Ye Girl]

Thanks for the suggestions, MsRamsey & col klink. I'll have to give the Vamp and the Vesper a try.

I'd stop tonight before my dinner at Zoe, but then I'd want to eat something off the bar menu. Besides, I hear Zoe makes good cocktails, too.

Oh, the choices we must make.

[col klink]

I hit the bar menu for the first time last night and was very pleasantly surprised. My drink was the San Sebastian which is Saphire gin, brandy and capers. Before I tried it I thought it was blasphemy to mix Saphire with anything but the brandy gave it a subtle sweetness that was pretty tasty without diluting the gin too much. I can't remember what Batgrrrl ordered but it was poundable and probably had cranberry juice in it.

I ordered the steak frites with cabrales butter, medium rare. I was surprised that it was a pretty decent steak but the star was the frites. Batgrrrl ordered the fried squid with a marinara sauce and a creamy garlic sauce. These were possibly the best fried calamari I've ever had but I've never really been a big fan of fried calamari. I prefer mine sauteed in bacon fat and served with cilantro and lime juice.

I'm really embarassed that this was our first time for the bar menu, it's sweet! Afterwards we ordered the spanish donuts and hot chocolate dessert. The donuts came right from the frier hot and creamy. We dunked the donuts in the small hot chocolate which together made for something a little too sweet but the hot chocolate straight was perfect. Rich, dark cocoa flavors without a lot of sugar but plenty of cream.

Unfortunately the dessert menu is half off during happy hour. But it was still worth it.

[MsRamsey]

Unfortunately the dessert menu is half off during happy hour.    But it was still worth it.

The Brasa Sundae is the only dessert on the bar menu and is also half off, and it's really good.

[col klink]

I tried the lamb burger today and was deeply dissapointed. It was only a few moments ago that I realized why I didn't like it. I ordered it medium rare and the outside wasn't grilled/charbroiled at a high enough temperature so the result was warmed lamb on the outside and red lamb on the inside. A burger needs to be browned and crispy on the outside, not what I had. Blech.

The frites on the other hand were fantasic as was the pan-seared fish that Batgrrrl ordered. It was cod and served with a white wine reduction and cream sauce with the house bacon and parsley. A wonderful combination. Her "onion fries" with preserved lemons was also an unexpected and tasty gift.