#tapas

#tapas

Pan con tomate (bread with tomato) proves it doesn't take a long list of fancy ingredients or complicated cooking techniques to create a mouthwatering dish. Known as pa amb tomàquet in Catalan, this simple tapa hails from Catalonia in northeastern Spain. It's said pan con tomate originated as a way for peasants to moisten dry bread while utilizing the region's abundance of tomatoes and keep hunger at bay between meals. Nowadays, it's regarded as a traditional tapa in both Catalan and Spanish cuisine, working just as well as a homemade snack as it does in a fancy establishment.

Ordering tapas in Spain means embracing joyful disorder. Tiny plates arrive stacked with boquerones en vinagre, dense wedges of tortilla, and paper-thin jamón that melts in your mouth.

Al-Andalus, a new tapas restaurant, opens in the East Village featuring a menu of vegan dishes, all priced at $10 or less, by chef Amira Gharib.

Bar Baserri is a new wine, vermouth, and tapas bar in Williamsburg, aiming to create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere dedicated to Spanish flavors.

The key is adding garlic in two stages: marinating raw shrimp in grated garlic, then sautéing more garlic in olive oil before adding the shrimp.

In my restaurant, Jose, and my new restaurant, Lolo, I see people smiling and chatting over their food, even with strangers at nearby tables.