A warm summer night is perfect for tapas. After Roy’s haircut in the South End that’s what we felt like so we headed over to Estragon. It was early so there was lots of room for 2 at the bar.
The restaurant is a big, airy, informal space with a nice sized bar, hi-top and cafe seating and some comfy, mismatched overstuffed chairs and couches. It kind of reminds me of a restaurant in Madrid that’s been around for generations.
The bartender suggested a Txakolina which is the favorite wine of the Basque region. Txakolina is a light, slightly fizzy white which if you’ve been to the Basque region or tapas crawled in San Sabastien you are quite familiar with. The name of the wine was Ulacia and it was poured high from the bottle to the glass which gives it extra fizz. It was a perfect suggestion.
What was on the bar for us:
The required grlled chorizo on a slice of grilled rustic bread
Ensalada a la Parilla – charred Romaine with pickled beets, crispy Serrano ham and a home made cesar dressing. I loved the crispy Serrano. What a great idea. Tasted like bacon, super crispy.
- Ensalada a la Parilla
The obligatory Patatas Bravas – always on our table. These were covered in an alioli and salsa brava. A little of the salsa brava on a little of that bread. Couldn’t get enough!
Pulpo a la Vinagreta – Roy loves this. I’m not a fan of octopus but I have to say the vinegar marinade with a mix of diced celery, onions and peppers made the octopus tender and I liked it!
Almejas a la Sidra – littleneck clams in a broth with Serrano ham and carmalized onions. Fresh, with a broth you could drink!
Dessert – no dessert! My favorite churros with chocolate sauce looked great but we opted to have an ice cream cone at Picco and take a walk on Newbury Street.
Hey, it’s not a tapas crawl in Madrid, but for Boston – 2 at the bar gives it 2 thumbs up!
See you at the bar….
