Best Spanish Alfresco
STAFF PICK: Café Comidas, one bright, spirited spot, is a grand place to go for Spanish tapas, wine and Flamenco under the evening stars. Go with friends, the more the better. This food's for sharing, simple dishes that pack a wallop of complex and subtle flavor, feel and eye appeal. Their's is not an extensive menu, but what you get will more than please. Be sure to order the sangria, a ruby red mix of wine, softly scented with citrus and spice, served in tall blue bell glasses embossed with sun, moon and stars: and from the way those at our table drank it, a tasty cure to thirst. To start, order a bowl of large green olives stuffed with smoky, roasted garlic and herbed feta cheese. A salad of roasted vegetables, including red and green peppers, eggplant, onions and garlic, is dressed with hints of sweet sherry vinegar. Crusty foccacia stuffed with cheese, pine nuts and fresh basil will sop up the salad's sweet, garlicky juice. A peasant soup of garlic, studded with pieces of toasted baguette, with baked egg enriching broth and merging with garlic, achieves earthy simplicity. Paella, marinated pork tenderloin, skewered grilled sausage with peppers and onions, manchego cheese with roasted garlic or apricots, basil pesto with feta cheese and artichoke hearts, and Cocas, which are a Spanish version of pizza, go well with a group, wine and the night sky.
