Boqueria - Tapas for Two

One of our favorite ways to enjoy a lazy Saturday is to check out a tapas restaurant.  We love the fact that the drinks are usually good, and the dishes are tasty yet small so you can snack on a little bit of this and a little bit of that without feeling stuffed.

Boqueria has a few locations, and we had spotted the one in the Flatiron area a few times so we ventured over there one day to check it out.

The space is quaint: narrow entryway with bar seating as well as a booth along the wall with small tables to allow for people watching while eating.  The back of the restaurant opens up a bit with tables for larger groups.  But since it was just the two of us, we opted for the booth near the entryway so we could see all the action.

It was hard to decide what to try, but we went with just a few standards.

Espinacas a la Catalana
(Sautéed spinach, garbanzos, pine nuts, garlic, golden raisins)

Fabulous.  The pine nuts and raisins add a wonderful kick to an ordinary green.

Txipirones
(Squid seared a la plancha, frisée, romesco vinaigrette, tomato confit, crispy scallions)

Great flavors, and the refreshing greens on top helped to balance out the saltiness of the squid.  

Pintxos Morunos 

(Seared Colorado lamb skewers, pickled shallots, salsa verde)

Exquisite.  We wished more of these came on the plate, but taking a bite of the bread after it had soaked up the juices of the meat helped keep the flavor party going.

Patatas Bravas
(Crispy potatoes, salsa brava, roasted garlic allioli)

The salsa and allioli push these up a notch from regular fried potatoes.  But as expected, this dish is quite filling so only order it if you are super hungry or don't plan on getting much else.

We really enjoyed our sampling of Boqueria, and would certainly return.  In fact, Melissa wound up going to the Soho location with her sorority sisters and it proved to be equally good.  They tried the various croquetas (all very rich and decadent) and bombas, along with the spinach and patatas bravas.  The one downside Mel discovered during that second visit, however, is that Boqueria gets pretty pricey if you're with a larger group.  For two people just snacking, you can get a decent amount of food for a decent amount of money.  But in order to have enough to share with a group, you each wind up spending a pretty penny.  Plus, the servings of each dish don't come in quantities that are easy to divide.  At a table of four, the croquetas and bombas came in uneven amounts so Mel and her crew wound up having to cut things strangely to make sure everyone got their share.  Not the end of the world, but if you're going to spend that much money you'd like to think that everyone has a satisfying meal.  

So yes, we do recommend Boqueria overall but personally think it's best to go solo or with one other person.  Beyond that, be prepared to plunk down a good chunk of change to share lots of little bites.