Day ten of the Taste of Hartford found my companion and me on Wethersfield Avenue for the second night in a row. It’s no secret that I have a passion for the cuisine of Spain, and Costa del Sol is one of my favorite restaurants—in Hartford or anywhere. Appropriate for a restaurant named for Spain’s sunny southern coast, a profusion of colorful blooms sprang from the planters stationed around the entrance and patio.
Costa del Sol’s interior featured plenty of color as well. Dishware mounted on the restaurant’s walls ranged from classic
to contemporary.
In addition to the large Emma Marianetti mural that I have previously featured on this website, there were charming smaller works by this talented artist, including this vase of flowers,
these cured meats,
and grapes so real we wanted to pluck them.
But we, and hordes of other diners,
were there for the edible artwork that emanates from Costa del Sol’s kitchen. Everywhere we looked, we saw happy faces.
When we learned that Costa del Sol was offering substantial discounts on a handful of good wines, our smiles only broadened. I keep telling anyone who will listen that Spain has the best wines for the buck of any nation, and to my taste, the best wines period. We were thrilled with a nice 2008 Monte Oton Garnacha, Campo de Borja, Spain that was discounted from $28 to $20.
We tried virtually everything offered on Costa del Sol’s generous Restaurant Week menu. It quickly became clear that, unlike some restaurants participating in the Taste of Hartford promotion, no portions were reduced at Costa del Sol. From the appetizers, we had a vivacious gazpacho laced with sherry vinegar,
a green salad with tomato, cucumber, red onion, white asparagus and piquillo pepper tossed with the house vinaigrette,
a pan Catalán (Catalan-style bread topped with tomato, garlic and olive oil) with Serrano ham,
housemade tortilla Española (classic Spanish potato and onion omelet) with a little arugula and tomato salad,
and finally, and best of all, a housemade Galician chicken empanada.
Lest you think this moist, fragrant mix of chicken and vegetables sandwiched between two pastry crusts doesn’t meet the definition of an empanada, remember that there are countless styles of empanadas around the world, that there are numerous styles in Galicia, and that most food historians credit the Galician region of Spain with developing the empanada in the first place. That means the Spanish get the first word on empanadas—if not the last. When I visited Galicia a few years ago, I breakfasted and lunched on big, pizza-shaped octopus empanadas and tuna empanadas. Beam me back, Scottie!
Costa del Sol’s entrées also were great, clearly among the best of any Taste of Hartford participants. Salmon cooked on the plancha was finished in a lovely Spanish orange brandy glaze.
Perfectly al dente fusilli pasta were tossed with grilled chicken breast, chorizo, mushroom, roasted red pepper and garlic.
Stunning grilled flank steak, each slice a beautiful glowing pink, was topped with a vibrant chimichurri sauce. Both the salmon and the steak were accompanied by terrific patata panadera, roasted potato cooked with red and yellow bell pepper, garlic, olive oil and sea salt.
But the most amazing entry on Costa del Sol’s Taste of Hartford menu was its paellas (which required a two-customer order). For those who are not seafood lovers, there was a chicken and chorizo paella, but we feasted on the incredible house paella, which was bursting with mussels and clams in their shells, shrimp, and yes, chicken and chorizo.
Click on this close-up and try not to salivate!
Costa del Sol’s desserts also were memorable. Its rice pudding was delightfully creamy.
Its mousse was chocolatey and not overly sweet.
Finally, its flan was one of the best I’d had in a long time.
For those who’d like to take a little Spain with them, there’s a little shop inside the restaurant with all kinds of delicacies.
Take away, also, the memory of the friendly Feijoo family, among the warmest hosts found in any Connecticut eatery.
Costa del Sol, 901 Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford, 860-296-1714