Before I headed off to Spain for the month of July, one of the last restaurants I chose to visit was, oddly, Spanish. I had enjoyed a fabulous meal at Casa Mono when I was last in New York in April, but I didn't have time to go to Tia Pol, a cute little tapas bar in the Chelsea neighborhood. In April, I had passed by the tiny sliver of a restaurant and was immediately smitten. I have a soft spot for little restaurants with a lot of personality, mainly because that's the kind of restaurant I have always dreamed of opening.
I am happy to report that my little crush has blossomed into a love affair. If I lived in New York, I would become a regular here. Tia Pol, apparently named after a neighborhood cat the owners became acquainted with when living in Spain, is an authentic tapas bar. It's the kind of place you hope to find in Madrid, but often only do if you know someone who loves food. The food is flavorful and cleverly presented and the service is charming.
We started with the only good gazpacho I have ever had in the States, thick and tomatoey and enriched with lots of fruity olive oil. One taste and I was transported to Sevilla. Obviously, given my passions, when I saw there was a special of sardines a la plancha, I couldn't resist. I was not disappointed. As the night progressed we ordered more and more dishes, including succulent cubes of grilled lamb pinchos morunos, mouth-watering anchovy and olive gildas, pacquetitos of serrano ham wrapped around artichokes and cheese. My favorite dish of the night was a plate of paperthin slices of salt cod carpaccio accompanied by a streak of romesco sauce and an anchovy laden frisée salad. Leave room for dessert, especially the almond torta santiago with dulce de leche.
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