The evenings leading up to Christmas frequently found me at Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar in Hamden. It’s my go-to restaurant, because it’s located just a mile from home, it’s warm and welcoming, and its food is affordable (all regular menu items are priced under $10), authentic, delicious and ever-changing.
Here’s what the exterior looked like this past summer.
The convivial interior features the distinctive yellow and red colors of Spain.
Connecticut’s top ambassador for Spanish cooking, Ignacio Blanco, who also owns Ibiza Restaurant in New Haven and Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar in Northampton, Massachusetts, originally hails from Galicia, Spain.
Blanco is known for his welcoming nature, supportiveness of other industry professionals, cutting-edge sensibilities and well-run restaurants.
Here is Ibiza Tapas’ colorful bar during a quiet moment.
Wine is my beverage of choice with Spanish tapas,
but on some occasions, I’ll ask Scott for a good beer
like this Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA
or Allagash White.
Just as much fun is a refreshing cocktail like this passion fruit mojito
or these miniature margaritas.
Part of the fun, the tapas concept allows for almost endless variety. Most of the dishes I will be showcasing are ones I haven’t shown previously. The biggest problem for a restaurant like Ibiza Tapas can be that customers get too attached to favorites. But Blanco’s not one to rest on here’s laurels, which keeps his chef constantly challenged. Here’s Juan García greeting a group of friends.
With about 40% vegetarian tapas, Ibiza Tapas is a vegetarian haven, even if that may not show in my selection. Frequently pre-cooked in Spanish restaurants, Ibiza Tapas serves freshly prepared individual tortillas, which have nothing in common with Latin American dishes of the same name but are potato and onion omelets.
A mix of sautéed shiitake mushrooms, Pardina lentils, sliced garlic and olive oil is topped with a Guindilla pepper.
Ibiza Tapas’ arugula salad with green apple and San Simon cheese in a sherry ginger vinaigrette is a customer favorite.
Grilled artichoke heart and fresh herbs are served in a fruit vinaigrette.
Ibiza Tapas pay greater attention to fresh ingredients than most restaurants do. The restaurant purchases its fish whole and breaks it down itself. Likewise its squid, which is almost unheard of. Savvy customers can taste the difference. Boquerones are house-marinated white anchovies with tapénade and roasted pepper served over crispy olive oil toasts.
Piquillo peppers are sometimes stuffed with codfish, oxtail or baby lamb, but on this occasion a seafood rice.
Grilled Scottish salmon is served over a leek emulsion with crispy potato.
A slice of Galician tuna empanada is filled with albacore, tomato, onion, bell pepper, olive oil and paprika.
Grilled baby squid is finished with shallot, pepper, tomato, mango in an extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinaigrette.
Steamed octopus is served with potato, extra virgin olive oil, Spanish paprika and sea salt.
Beautifully grilled sea scallops like this one are served over a roasted leek foam.
Not on the menu but fabulous is this special of grilled Dublin bay prawns.
Another special was slow-cooked, salt-cured codfish in a Club Ranero sauce.
A real favorite is sushi-grade blue fin tuna marinated with scallion, tomato, black olive and sesame oil.
Perhaps my very favorite seafood item is these toasts topped with a lump crabmeat salad, aïoli and Guilda pepper.
There are plenty of options for meat eaters, too. One I am just crazy about is the hamburgersitas Ibiza, which are beef and oxtail sliders with Manchego cheese, roasted tomato and a natural jus dipping sauce.
The richness of grilled pork belly lying atop grilled polenta is offset by a lovely quince sauce.
Hearty eating, a special of braised oxtail lasagna benefits from the use of Tetilla cheese.
And braised baby lamb shank is cooked with potato, vegetables, white wine, saffron and other herbs.
Desserts aren’t the usual suspects, either. Most who try it consider a Spanish-style crèma Catalana an improvement on crème brûlée.
The pan con chocolate is amazing, with chocolate truffle, olive oil and sea salt on toast over a moat of passion fruit sauce.
Also great is this special of creamy nougat with chocolate and passion fruit ice cream.
But making me wish it could be Christmas year round was the roscon de navidad, a bready Spanish cake that I could eat every day of my life.
And what do you do when you have a cute date?
Put the X is Xmas!
Watch out for an Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar to open in Danbury in January, 2013!
Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar, 1832 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, 203-909-6512, www.ibizatapaswinebar.com