Tinto
Thursday, October 4, 2007
The other night, I met my friend Bevin for dinner. Bevin and I traded places a few years ago - I moved to LA about 7 months after she arrived in the Big Apple. Now, Bevin has returned home and to mark the occassion, she told me to pick a new restaurant so she could get back into her usual well-informed ways.
I chose Tinto, a new tapas bar on Santa Monica in Hollywood. When I arrived, Bevin was already nestled in at the coziest and most lush looking bar stool I have ever seen in my life, so we opted to cancel our reservation and eat barside instead (which, notably, always reminds me of New York). I looked around and could imagine myself grabbing a journal and coming to Tinto for a glass of wine at the bar and some great conversation with the engaging and knowledgeable bartender.
The small restaurant is warm, sexy, and cozy all at the same time. For those of you who frequent N (pronounced en-ye) in Soho, Tinto will make you feel right at home. I felt like I had escaped to another country when I stepped in the doors - with the wine rack lined walls and the lush, leather bar stools, the deep red curtains and the small wooden tables. I hopped onto my bar stool and settled in for a few hours of my favorite things - great wine, great food, and great conversation with a great friend.
The bartender made terrific wine suggestions from their list of exclusively Spanish wines - a favorite of mine. And I really appreciated the willingness to let me try before pouring me a glass. It's the little things...
Bevin and I weren't starving so we tried the cheese plate, gambas al ajillo, and the mushrooms in white wine and garlic. I wish that I'd been hungry enough to taste more. The cheese plate was not at all wimpy although I would have loved to know what the cheeses were that I was tasting. In addition, there wasn't a ton of variety in the flavors of the cheeses and personally, I prefer to taste things that vary a bit more. But the accompaniments were delicious - from nuts to jams to dried fruits - as well as plentiful. The gambas all ajillo (shrimp in garlic) were some of the best I've ever had. They were cooked to perfection and I sopped every last bit of the sauce up with the crusty bread. The mushrooms were tasty as well, although there was a flavor (perhaps sherry?) that I wasn't crazy about. I'm looking forward to a return visit for sangria, paella, patatas and the albondigas that many have raved about.
Monday night was calm and anything but a scene, although I've been told the weekends are packed and reservations are a must. I was thrilled to find this new little haunt - I'll definitely return. Now Bevin is one restaurant closer to being back in the know about her hometown and I've found another restaurant to frequent.
Tinto, 7511 Santa Monica Blvd. at Gardner, 323-512-3095
Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 3:38 PM
Labels: food and drink
