Cafe Iberico

Okay is the best I can say for Cafe Iberico (http://www.cafeiberico.com/menu.html) where B and I and a couple of friends shared a few tapas last night. Beforehand, I dutifully did my research and the ever gracious members of the LTHForum.com dutifully provided me with a few options (http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.phpf=14&t=14089&p=215508&hilit=iberico#p215508) one of which was Cafe Iberico.

The place does not take reservations, but the wait for a table around 8pm on a Wednesday was not bad - 10 minutes. We were seated in the middle of a rambunctious but barely decorated dining room at a smallish table. The room was full and the decibel level was high enough for us to have to practically shout to each other to be heard. No biggie - I'm no stranger to these kinds of conditions, although I always do appreciate when the restaurant takes the trouble to provide a bit of atmosphere and reduce the noise level by covering the walls with fabric or other sound reducing material.

We got a pitcher of red sangria, which I thought was good and realized towards the end of the evening was also quite potent. The menu had pictures of the dishes next to the descriptions, which is never a sign of a classy joint, not that this place had any pretensions to class. The list of dishes wasn't too extensive so we didn't take long to choose 7 small plates to share. I'll describe one at a time:

1. ENSALADA DE PIMIENTOS ASADOS $4.95
Three-color fire roasted peppers with olive oil and toasted bread.

The agreement at the table was that the roasted peppers were good, albeit a bit oily, but the bread wasn't.

2. TERNERA ASADA $5.95
Roasted veal served cold with raspberry vinaigrette.

I liked the veal. It was tender, thinly cut and not dry. However, I didn't taste any raspberry vinaigrette, only a citrusy reduction of some sort. Also, the veal was sprinkled with shavings of what looked to be mozzarella, which did not add anything to the dish.

3. PATATAS BRAVAS $4.95
Spicy potatoes with special tomato sauce.

Bitter disappointment. I was very much craving these and all I got was something I can't even describe as patatas bravas. The potatoes were soggy, mushy, covered with a pasty, completely spiceless tomato sauce and looked like they were just pulled out of a microwave after re-heating attempt number 5. A shame. Also, we initially ordered 2 portions of these for the table, but the waiter came back and told us that he eliminated one of the orders because there was a back-up in the kitchen. I thought that was pretty cheeky of the guy, but in the end I was happy we weren't stuck with 2 orders.

4. QUESO DE CABRA $6.95
Baked goat cheese with fresh tomato basil sauce.

This I thought was good, but the rest of our table didn't have much enthusiasm for it. It was basically a round of soft backed goat cheese surrounded by tomato sauce. Very down-to-earth but satisfying dish. Too bland for some perhaps, but I like bland on occasion.

5. CALAMARES A LA PLANCHA $5.95
Grilled squid with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.

I liked this dish as well and so did my friends. Nothing spectacular about it, but the squid was not over-cooked, had a good amount of that smokiness from the grilling and was well seasoned. I wished there was a bit more of the squid and a bit less of the oil.

6. PULPO A LA PLANCHA $7.95
Grilled octopus with potatoes and olive oil.

This in my opinion was the winner of the evening. The octopus had great chewy texture and miniature fries were a good accompaniment.

7. PINCHO DE POLLO $4.95
Chicken brochette with caramelized onions and rice.

My friends ordered this dish. I did not try it since they said it was not good and I was already full.

I wasn't too full for desert though. We ordered:

1. FILLOA DE HELADO Y CREMA $ 3.95
Stuffed crepe with ice cream topped with whipped cream and strawberry sauce.

This dish is certainly for sharing. I would think it could easily satisfy 3 people. And satisfy it did, with yummy vanilla ice cream dripping out of a tasty crepe and covered with whipped cream. Who can resist?

2. CRÉMA CATALANA $ 3.95
Catalonian style cream custard covered with hard caramel.

This is essentially a Crème Brûlée, which last night was infused with white chocolate. It was very nice I thought.

Overall, Cafe Iberico was by far not all that I hoped for, but it wasn't a revolting or frustrating experience. I think it would gain greatly by improvement in the atmosphere. Is it worth a trip back? Frankly, not any time soon.