Spanish food in Manhattan?

[yvonne johnson]

Just as I was thinking of going to Meigas, I see it has closed. I can’t seem to find decent Spanish food in Manhattan. El Cid does pretty good tapas, at least they did a while back. Last w/end went to Riazor, 245 W 16, and it was dull bordering on the unpleasant. The stripe stew had something going for it as unlike the other dishes it had flavor. Chorizo appetizer didn’t have that delicious depth of flavor that even supermarket chorizo has, the paella was mushy and underseasoned and when I asked my husband how his pork with potato salad was he answered by shrugging his shoulders, so I didn’t ask for a bite of that.

I’ve been to El Faro, and Spain….say no more. And why are these Spanish restaurants so grim looking? Do the owners think we expect the docor found in Goya's  paintings of witches to make believe we are in Spain?

So, where to go? Do I really have to leave Manhattan?

PS: Newark is on my list for Portuguese.

[Jason Perlow]

Yvonne Newark should definitely be on your list for Spanish as well. If you ever are going out here for dinner, feel free to give me a call, Rachel and I would love to join you.

[yvonne johnson]

That's very kind of you Jason. I am on occasion in Newark and I know people are saying that the city is experiencing a revival, but walking the streets at night (I'm not a car person and use public transportation) is scary. It's as though I'm the only person there. I usually get right home and am glad when that train gets into Manhattan Penn. But I must linger a little longer one day and sample the food.

[Wilfrid]

Even an edible paella would be worth knowing about.   Every Spanish restaurant we have tried in New York (never got to Meigas either) had someone in the kitchen who couldn't cook rice: raw, mushy, distinctly microwaved, we've had them all.  About the best was at Bolo of all places, but heaped, of course, with inauthentic luxury ingredients like lobster tails.

So any ideas about a good paella, or tripe Madrid-style with chickpeas and chorizo - somewhere in the outer boroughs maybe?

[foodgeek]

I like N~ on Crosby Street for tapas, but it has two bars, and only a couple of tables. It also tends to be smoke filled. The tapas are good though,a nd they have good mixed drinks, a sherry list, and a wine list.

I recently tried Pipa, but was not impressed.

I used to like the tapas at Meson Asturias, a Galician restaurant in Queens, but haven't been there in a year or so. I particularly remember the garlic shrimp. It is a restaurant with a small bar.

[smithi]

I've been to Meson Asturias, in Elmhurst Queens, a few times.  The last time was earlier this summmer.  Excellent blood sausage appetizer...Good food at good prices.  They used to have flamenco dancing on a small stage in the corner - I don't know if they still do but it was a nice part of the experience.  Paella was decent, but I've never had any paella here that compares to the ones I had in Spain (at almost any restaurant I went to).  

[Bux]

Perhaps unwisely, Meigas did not serve paella, hoping instead to introduce real Spanish food. Okay paella is real--sometimes, but it's also become the tritest dish in NY Spanish restaurants. There is some sous vide prepared paella that is being featured in a few Manahattan restaurants and ever advertised by the company that supplies it. The idea is unappealing. I was not a great fan of Meigas, but we returned several times. I am sorry to see it go. They also had a good Spanish wine list.

I was far less impressed by Pipa all around, but they had some good wines too. It's interesting that a Galician restaurant is named Meson Asturias as Asturia is the province just east of Galicia. There's a cute little place by the name of Pintxo on Greenwich Street just south of Spring. As one might expect it serves Basque food and features the option of pintxos--the Basque version of tapas. It's cute more than gastronomically noteworthy and every time we've been there (not often) it's sadly been almost empty. There's not enough there to draw me back often, and although small plates sound cheap, it all adds up before you finish eating. Spanish food is unheralded in NY and there may be no stellar examples. A lot of it depends on the ingredients. Perhaps it's not so surprising that it has few fans in the US. I was never able to get into it at all and much preferred France and French food. A few years ago that all changed for me and we've spend some time in the north from Catalunya through to Galicia and I'm eager to go back. There's an interesting mix of really rustic food and a few incredibly creative and fine chefs that seem to be leading a movement.

[Wilfrid]

"There is some sous vide prepared paella that is being featured in a few Manahattan restaurants and ever advertised by the company that supplies it."  Yes, I've seen the Paellador sous vide paella advertised.  I haven't tried it, but have been tempted only because exactly the same is widely available in inexpensive restaurants in Spain.

[NYFoodie]

I've enjoyed Convivium Osteria in Park Slope, a (sort-of) new place serving Spanish & Portugese food with a couple of Italian dishes thrown in.  It's on 5th Avenue, I think around Bergen/St. Mark's.  It's very small and takes cash only.  I went there a couple of months after I'd been to Spain and the atmosphere brought me back.  I had grilled sardines, cod with potatoes, Manchego cheese with honey for dessert, and some nice fino sherry--heavenly!

[yvonne johnson]

Thanks for reminding me about Ñ, Jayask. I’ll try it.

I keep forgetting about Bolo too. I know many people think Flay is a pain in the neck, but I had a really good lunch there a few years ago.

Both Jayask and Bux weren’t impressed with Pipa (ABC building, 19 th Street). I’m interested as to why. I’ve been to Chicama (Rodriquez’s other restaurant round the block) once. Granted it was during a restaurant week, but the lunch was very uneven. Really surprising was the lackluster fried oysters, one of his signature dishes when he was at Patria. Maybe there was a great team at Patria a few years back when the kitchen sang. But is Rodriguez unable to recreate this elsewhere?

[foodgeek]

It wasn't that Pipa was bad. There was one dish I really didn't like, but everything else was good. It just wasn't good enough for an upscale restaurant, or one that charges what Pipa does. I was more inpressed with the food at N~. Too bad the lack of sufficient tables and smoke will keep me from frequenting N~.

In truth, I had heard a lot of people say that Pipa isn't that good, but I tried it anyway. That's what I get for being stubborn. :)

-Jayask

Quote: from yvonne johnson on 1:19 pm on Oct. 26, 2001

Thanks for reminding me about Ñ, Jayask. I’ll try it.

Both Jayask and Bux weren’t impressed with Pipa (ABC building, 19 th Street). I’m interested as to why.

[Ruby]

Yvonne, I used to like the seafood paella and shrimp ajillo at Sevilla on Charles and West 4th Street in the Village. The waiter used to tease me and say "After you eat our shrimp ajillo, you won't be able to kiss anyone for a few days." After a large pitcher of sangria, nobody seemed to care about the garlic and were kissy-kissy anyway.

I haven't been there for awhile so don't know how it presently is but they still have lines to get in on the weekends. If you haven't been there already, try it during the week.

[wingding]

Marichu.on east 46th street,serves good Spanish food,especially fish dishes.

[Wilfrid]

I must say I was disappointed with Marichu.  It is theoretically a Basque restaurant, but I don't recall anything distinctively Basque about it.  Like so many restaurants, it was okay-ish.  We never went back.

If anyone has had great Spanish or Basque cooking there over the last year, it would be interesting to hear details.  I don't know if you can expand at all, wingding?

[Bux]

Sorry, I never answered Yvonne's question. I can't really remember my one visit to Pipa, but few of the plates we ordered really pleased me and most seemed far inferior to versions I've had elsewhere, namely Meigas and Spain. Variations from the traditional were not improvements either, as I recall. I agree with Jayask, it was not bad, just not so great and I had the feeling it was not a great value. I do recall enjoying one wine. Memory fades on this too, but I think it was a Godello I have not seen elsewhere.

I've yet to understand the fuss about Rodriguez' cooking, although I've not met a ceviche I didn't like including all I tasted at Chicama.