(How about some restaurant reviews of Spanish restaurants in the US? I'm not sure if this is the right forum to stick this in - it's not really part of Spain travel - but I adore Spanish food, and love "talking" about it. Here's a review to start with.)

Restaurante La Encina (West Chester, PA)
[NOTE: JANUARY 7, 2004: This restaurant is closed. The chef is opening a new restaurant outside of Seville.]

OK, so it’s not in Spain. But this recently opened restaurant is so good, I thought I should spread the word to all you East Coast lovers of Spanish food. I just had my first dinner in the US there after a wonderful month in Spain, and a Spanish restaurant was just what I needed.

The chef/owner, an young Andaluz, offers a lovely selection of dishes from all over Spain. There’s a tapas menu, as well as a dinner menu consisting of appetizers and entrees. We were presented with a complimentary dish of marinated mussels that were very good - with a nice taste of cumin I’ve never tried before. Between the six of us we tried a lot, and I managed to sneak tastes of everything. I started with absolutely heavenly pimientos de piquillo stuffed with bacalao on a bed of rice in squid ink from the tapas menu . The gazpacho was excellent, the shrimps were not bad, and the tortilla de patatas was unfortunately slightly burned, as was the garlic in the sopa de ajo. The croquetas de jamon serrano were really yummy. The prices of these dishes ranged from $3.00 to $6.50.

We went on to dorado baked in a case of salt (delivered to the table and served by the very nice, dedicated chef, along with an outstanding hollandaise sauce and boiled potatoes with fresh garlic, parsley and olive oil - perfect for dipping bread into), lubina in sauce with clams, hard boiled eggs, and asparagus; paella, and angus beef on a bed of mojo colorado canario. It was all excellent. Prices for these dishes ran from $15.50 for the fish to $22.00 for the beef.

We were stuffed but decided we couldn’t leave without trying some of the desserts (all $5.00 each) and some nice strong café. The rice pudding, apple stuffed crepes, and tarta de Santiago (still warm from the oven) were beautifully presented with sauces, cinnamon, and fruit, and tasted out of this world. They were huge. I’ll be finishing my tarta de Santiago tomorrow for breakfast.

I’ve been wishing for a Spanish restaurant in the Philadelphia area since I came here five years ago, and my wish has been granted - and only 15 minutes from my house! I’m really picky about restaurants, but this food was better than the food I ate in most restaurants in Spain this summer. The decor was not terribly interesting, but the service was excellent. I’m definitely going back!

(Note - they don’t have a liquor license yet, so it’s BYOB.)

Hello,

While I was living in Chicago I used to go to a restaurant called "Cafe Iberico", it was pretty good (great tapas) and it was usually really crowded. I believe their web page is: www.cafeiberico.com

Adios!

In Madison, Wisconsin, it's La Paella, located on Fish Hatchery Rd, just off the South Belt-Line. Great food, wine tasting area, and decent ambiance.

A bit pricey but a treat to say the least. Their food is Mediterranean influenced so you should consider that if your tastes are more from the central or northern areas of Spain.

You can see what they have at lapaella.com including their menu, etc.

Wolf

If any of you are in Miami and you yearn for authentic Spanish cuisine you must go to Casa Juancho! Very Andaluz!

I went with a group of librarians last December and it was fantastic. They had a group of tuna players seranading the restaurant. The students were on holiday from universities in Spain. The staff are all from Spain.

Here is a list of their tapas:

Jamón Serrano
Spanish Serrano ham, aged 18 months
Jamón, Queso Manchego y Chorizo
Spanish ham, sheep's cheese and sausage
Chistorra A La Plancha
Grilled Spanish sausage links
Morcillas
Blood sausage
Calamares Fritos
Fried calamari
Patitas de Calamares Fritos
Fried calamari legs
Calamares A La Plancha
Grilled calamari
Chorizo Cantimpalo
Sausage Spanish style
Fabada Asturiana
Stew of white Faba beans from Asturias with Spanish ham and sausage
Callos A La Madrileña
Tripe, pig's feet, sausage and blood sausage cooked in a spicy hot sauce
Pollo Al Ajillo
Chicken tidbits in garlic sauce
Solomillo Encebollado
Beef tenderloin tidbits with onions
Tortilla A La Española
Potato and onion omelette
Champignon Al Ajillo
Mushrooms sauteed in garlic
Champignon A La Plancha
Grilled mushrooms
Pulpo A La Gallega
Octopus Galician style
Boquerones en Vinagre
Fresh anchovies in vinegar
Empanadilla de Queso Mahon
Mahon cheese pies
Croquetas De La Abuela
Grouper croquettes
Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos De Bacalao
Roast peppers from Spain stuffed with codfish mousse
Mesón Especial
Grilled squid, shrimp, mushrooms, Spanish sausage and blood sausage
Camarones Al Ajillo
Sauteed shrimp in garlic sauce
Camarones A La Plancha
Grilled shrimp
Mejillones Vinagreta
Mussels vinaigrette
Fritura Malagueña
Assorted fried seafood and pimentos Malagueña style
Queso Manchego
Sheep's milk cheese, aged 6 months
Vieiras A La Plancha
Grilled scallops
Chicharrones De Pollo
Deep fried marinated morsels of boneless chicken
Salpicón de Mariscos
Assorted seafood salad vinaigrette
Mejillones A La Marinera
Mussels in a tomato and white wine sauce Caracoles Borgognese
Escargots Borgognese

-----------

Fantastic, pricey, but well worth the dining experience and ambiance of Andalucia!

2436 S.W. 8th Street, Miami
305-642-2452
Business Hours
Sunday - Thursday, 12 PM to 12 AM
Friday - Saturday, 12 PM to 1 AM

'I went with a group of librarians last December and it was fantastic. They had a group of tuna players seranading the restaurant. The students were on holiday from universities in Spain. The staff are all from Spain.'
How do you play the tuna? I dunno BL, sounds a little fishy to me....

Does anybody know of any spanish restaurants in Charlotte/Raleigh NC area, anything that would be reasonable, authentic??

I noticed a board member in Charlotte area, Puna?, so any info greatly appreciated.

I go to above mentioned cities often and would like to try spanish cousine if possible.

Zzeus11 - I moved here not long ago so reference Raleigh - I haven't a clue. Charlotte has a good one in Miro's Spanish Grille about 20 minutes outside of Charlotte city center. The owners of Miro's recently opened a Tapas bar and restaurant in the heart of downtown (uptown as they refer to it )

I have tried a few of the others and - Miro's (and their new one- the name of which I can't remember but will email you when i do) is the only one I can honestly recommend.

Hope this helps .... And, just out of curiousity, what brings you back and forth to NC - if you don't mind me asking .....

Thank You Puna, I will try Miro's next time.

Well, maybe I should've mentioned it earlier that actually I now live in NC, on the coast close to SC border, in Wilmington.

I go to both cities often to swim meets, my three kids all compete in age group swimming.

It is always difficult to find time, look for new places during these meets, so I try to plan in advance.
We usually stay right downtown, close to Mecklenburg Aquatic Center, Adams Mark, Hampton Inn/Hilton Garden and so on.

In Raleigh, well techically it is Cary or Apex, there is a small resteraunt called Tasca Brava, and it specialized in tapas. The prices are outrageous, but the food is nicely presented, tasty, and the hosts are wonderful. The resteraunt is located on the corner of Old Apex and Cary Parkway, next to Ace Hardware. I have seen it listed in the Raleigh News and Observer in the "What's up" section published every Sat. I assume they will have a small review/phone number to call for directions. Also, they have odd hours (they run on Spanish time more or less), so keep that in mind.

Thanks for the info re. Raleigh/Cary area and Charlotte, I will try both of the restaurants as soon as the circumstances allow.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, there is a restaurant which has the oldest bar in the city, on Canyon Road. I forget it's name, but it has good tapas and wines, and, I think, Spanish entres also. It is also famous for having murals painted by a renowned painter years ago, but I think they were destroyed in a fire some time back. A good friend of mine, David Cheney, sometimes plays good flamenco guitar there, and his wife, una gitana pura, sings and dances.

Washington, DC has a great tapas restaurant--Jaleo. It's the only tapas bar I've been to in the US that I think would be able to survive in Spain... The chef--Jose Andres--will host TVE's new cooking show this fall...

NYC: Azafran

http://www.azafrannyc.com/home.html

and if you are ever in austin, tx. there's is a restaurant called, malaga wine & tapas bar, 208 w. 4th st.

Oh yeah - Mariposita I've been to Jaleo and it is fantastic - great tapas! Does anyone know of a Spanish restaurant in the Richmond area?

There is an excellent Spanish restaurant near where I live in midtown Manhattan, EL POTE, located on Second Avenue between 38th & 39th Street.

I wish to add my agreement with the NY and Washington recommendations of Jaleo (DC) and el Pote (NYC). Here are a few additional Spanish restaurants that I really like to visit when I travel.

- S.F.: Zarzuela (on Hyde Street)
- Boston: Tapeo (back bay area)
- Wash DC: Taberna del Alabardero (18th and I) - this is the sister restaurant to the one near Opera in Madrid. Very good but expensive if you watching your budget.
- Chicago: Cafe Ba-Ba Reeba! (on North Halsted - you can eat here and then go to a Cubs game!.

In Washington, DC I like "Churrería Madrid" , (in Adams-Morgan, next to City Bikes). It reminds me of a typical mesón in Madrid, where the menu is mostly cheap Spanish "comfort food" like a plate of huevos fritos, pimientos, and chorizo, washed down with sangría.

I like it, but my madrileña wife doesn't, because she says, 'why go to a restaurant where you can make most things on the menu at home?'

Scarlett I am about an hour from you and was wondering the same thing. Does anyone know of any real spanish restaurants in the central Virginia area? (say Charlottesville, Richmond, Harrisonburg) I haven't been able to find anything Spanish related around here.

Here is a good website to check out restaurants in the DC-VA-MD area. It doesn't look like there is anything in central VA....

http://www.dcflamenco.com/dcflamenco/index.shtml

Southern California has a variety of Spanish restaurants, but I suggest that one checks the menu prior to making plans, as there are still some morons running restaurants that think "Mexican" and "Spanish" are synonyms.

Of the few I've visted, these are they:

Viva Madrid, a tapas bar located in quaint downtown Claremont, off the 10 fwy at Indian Hill Blvd., the ambience is fantastic, and all the items on the wall [an eclectic mix] are for sale...just ask.

Cafe Sevilla, Riverside [and other locations]. Not fully Spanish, more of a fusion place. Paella was not traditional, but had a few good tapas on the menu.

Luna Negra, Pasadena. Just south of Colorado Blvd., great ambience, but ever since MissMadrid98 left, there hasn't been a flamenco show like they used to have! Food was good, small portions and a bit pricey.

Cafe Madrid, San Diego. Good tortilla. 'Nuff said.

...and my personal fave:

Centro Basco in Chino, south of the 60 on Central Ave. If you like lamb, traditional family-style eating, and good portions for the price, you're in the right place. I'm not biased, either. I took a colleague to lunch here and he suggested that all subsequent lunch meetings be in the same place.

Found a great link for Spanish Restaurants in NYC:

http://www.spanishnewyork.com/spanish-restaurants-in-new-york.html

If I try any, I'll let y'all know!

You all have made me VERY hungry!!

I wanted to add to a previous post that mentioned "VIVA MADRID" in Downtown Claremont...our absolute best restaurant in town, hands down!! The ambiance is very tavern like, rustic, loud, and the food is INCREDIBLE!! The service there has always been fantastic even with a room full of tables.

Our children run from us when we return home because we just reek of great garlic and good food!

If you are anywehre near the area, I definitely would recommend this for a great night out, it's located in a quaint small town area with lots of boutique shops near by.

There also is a restaurant Churreria Madrid located in Washington, D.C.

I have just moved to San Antonio. Does anybody know of one here?

In Kansas City, MO:

- La Bodega: Locals love it. Most Spaniards think it is just Ok.

- Cafe Sevilla: Just opened, across from La Bodega, and everyone loves it. They have flamenco shows over the weekends and a great guitar player and most importantly the Chef is from Spain.

Both restaurants are on Southwest Boulevard, known mostly for its Mexican restaurants.

Even though is way off geographically, I found a decent spanish place in Melbourne!!!. To me it was a total surprise to find it, being alone in the city on a business trip...

"Movida" is quite popular and easy to find in waht's up or similar for Melbourne

Can anyone recommend a Spanish restaurant in Philadelphia?