Tinto

Tinto is right up there with Vetri; both are my favorite restaurants in the city. I've been to Tinto twice, but the pictures and this blog entry describe my most recent experience. After eating here and at Amada, I'm on a mission to try other Jose Garces restaurants. Tapas has become one of my favorite types of cuisines over the years, and Tinto does it best. I vote Tinto over Amada because the dishes are consistently better at Tinto, and the atmosphere is less noisy and chaotic than at Amada.

Charcuterie, Serrano ham wrapped figs, Cheese - We ordered the "mixto" from both the charcuterie and cheese menu, and everything tasted delicious. The cured meats were sliced thinly; the wrapped fig was a perfect mix of sweet and salty (much better than a traditional prosciutto & melon).


Tuna Tartare: big eye tuna, pickled guindilla, chorizo aioli - they could have left the bread in the kitchen and served more tuna


Pulpo: spanish octopus, confit potatoes, lemon powder - deliciously seasoned and very soft texture (despite the bumpy scales you see in the picture!)


Lamb Brochettes: lamb loin, eggplant, bacon, sherry jus - Lamb with eggplant (usually anywhere) is something I will always order, and this dish certainly ranks high among the numerous meals I've had with the same combination. The eggplant was very soft and I loved how it was wrapped around the tender lamb so that one bite included all of the important ingredients. I also thought that the presentation of skewers in "shot glasses" was a nice touch. And as you can see from the photos, all dishes were presented very nicely, so A+ on that.


Mussels with chorizo, fries, wild mushrooms - The mushrooms were the best (from this picture). They came with roasted potatoes, shallots, and parsley, with shallots and garlic as the dominant flavors. The mussels were also very delicious, but they could have been larger (I had the same complaint about the mussels at Vetri; I like big mussels!) The fries were brilliantly seasoned, but they were dipped in lemon aioli which didn't seem to go well.


Be sure to order the Sopa de Castano (not pictured), the best soup (and perhaps dish) that you may ever taste in your lifetime. It's truffled chestnut soup, duck and mushroom hash, fried quail egg, and pistachio. The flavors are just incredible and a hint of smokiness, paired with the distinct taste of truffle, just puts it over the top.