I remember once many years ago when I worked at California Pizza Kitchen, a guest asked the bartender if she knew of any good tapas bars in the area. Without missing a beat, the bartender told him about Scores down the street. You see, Scores is a topless bar and a tapas bar is a restaurant that sells small plates, usually of Spanish descent. I think it would be genius if one day somebody opened a topless tapas bar. If this Eat This thing doesn’t work out, I have my back-up plan.
The wait staff are fully clothed at Txikito, but they do sell tasty small plates. And two of their menu items appear on Time Out’s list. I already discussed the pulpo and we also got to try the Tutera, which is labeled as a gratin of artichoke on roncal toast with jamón.
They came out looking like your typical dinner party hors d’oeuvres. But these are a far cry from anything I’ve had at a Bar Mitzvah. The artichoke was baked to crispy perfection with the roncal (sheep milk) cheese adding some bite, the serrano ham bringing in smokey saltiness, and the toast being the canvas for the whole thing.
We also had some other great dishes that didn’t make Time Out’s list (morcilla sausage, salted cod, and lamb chops). But the only thing that would have made the experience more exciting were topless women walking around. A topless tapas bar. I’m telling you – a gold mine!
Would Txikito’s Tutera make my Top 100 of the year? 8 out of 10 confirms that this tapas dish is in a league of their own. They are reminiscent of passed appetizers but more complex and flavorful than anything you’d find at a catered affair.
