I finally made it to Tapas Las Ramblas, a cheery tapas lounge on the South end of Andersonville. When Tapas Las Ramblas first opened a couple of years ago, I figured they'd be out of business within a year like the other restaurants that had tried — and failed — to make it work in the same space on Clark St.
But, Tapas Las Ramblas has been going strong for a while, and now I know why. They serve tasty tapas in a fun environment in prime Andersonville location. You'll find all the usual suspects you'd expect at a tapas place: baked goat cheese in tomato sauce, patatas bravas, paella and, of course, sangria, with a few unique offerings and special seasonal items.
The sangria is good enough, and my usual drink of choice to wash down tapas, but I actually preferred the mojitos and martinis at Tapas Las Ramblas. Next time I'll skip the sangria and go straight to a pomegranate mojito, which is bubbly, refreshing and not too sweet.
You have to start with the baked goat cheese in tomato sauce (it's the chips and salsa of tapas, in my opinion), and Tapas Las Ramblas' version is quite good. I especially liked the buttery toasted bread that is served with the dish.
The cold potato salad was also just as it should be — creamy and very, very garlicky. It was the perfect accompaniment to the beef tenderloin skewers, my favorite dish of the evening. If you order them medium rare (as you should), the skewers are tender and packed with enough flavor that they can stand on their own. But, that shouldn't stop you from slathering the bite-size pieces of beef in the horseradish sour cream they're served with.
I also tried the mushroom caps stuffed with spinach, garlic and Manchego cheese. They were fine and a good option for vegetarians, but didn't leave any lasting impression on me. I wanted to sample something from the seafood menu, and should have taken my friendly server's recommendation to try the tilapia, which is sautéed with wild mushrooms, spinach, potato puree and lemon. I ignored her good advice, and rolled the dice with the grilled shrimp with lemon and garlic butter. The shrimp were small and generally underwhelming. Next time, I'll try the tilapia.
On my visit to Tapas Las Ramblas, the kitchen was serving a winter special of pumpkin ravioli, drizzled with olive oil and fresh sage — an offer I couldn't refuse. The ravioli were nicely prepared, but could have used a pinch more savory seasoning. I remedied that with a dash of salt, and enjoyed the dish.
There are plenty of tempting sweets on the dessert menu. The pear poached in Rioja wine with vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry coulis is the one that piqued my interest the most. But, I was too full for dessert, so ended my evening instead with a pomegranate martini, which was smooth, sweet and potent — not a bad way to top off a meal.
While Tapas Las Ramblas didn't knock my socks off, I certainly hope it doesn't meet the fate of its predecessors any time soon. I think it's a reliable little tapas joint and a lively addition to the Clark St. strip. It's a festive place to start your night with a cocktail and a couple of Spanish nibbles and an equally suitable spot to linger for a few hours over several rounds of drinks and tapas with friends.
Tapas Las Ramblas is located at 5101 N. Clark St.; call (773) 769-9700 or visit www.tapaslasramblas.com/index.html .
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