Dining Review

Kathy Mader

In my little world, very few things are better than an appetizer; a

little whet to your whistle, a taste-teaser of all good things to come.

The only thing better is a restaurant actually named after appetizers.

Tapas Grille (tapas is the Spanish word for appetizer) in Newport

Beach clearly knows the potential effect of an appetite enhancer -- and

delivers, soundly. The owners and their chef enjoy good food; therefore

you enjoy good food. And that is really all I ask.

The restaurant is under the new ownership of Patricia and Stu Rains,

whose goal was to bring Tapas Grille into the year 2000 with style. And

how. The menu is more diverse, the food is better, and salsa lessons and

flamenco shows are all part of the program.

This restaurant is a hot and spicy dining/dancing spot on the weekends

and a calm, cool dining experience during the week.

The dim lighting and ceiling fans also work to give the place a cozy,

romantic feel, along with the black-draped archways that divide the

restaurant from the dance room. I had to peek behind these curtains

several times just to make sure there wasn’t anyone having more fun that

I was.

The menu is a Mediterranean mix with emphasis on dishes from Spain but

with sauces and spices from Italy. For example, as an appetizer, Tapas

has a grilled chorizo spicy sausage with a splash of spicy marinara over

the top. This is a full-flavored, tasty dish.

We ordered the antipasto Madrid ($13.95), an appetizer platter that

included the aforementioned chorizo as well as a chicken empanada,

tortilla Espanola, crab croquettes and sauteed mushrooms. The chicken

empanada is a dish unto itself -- chunks of chicken and vegetables in a

rich sauce, baked in a puffed pastry. The tortilla Espanola is a kind of

potato-tortilla torte and something I would be happy to eat for

breakfast. The crab cakes are crispy and the sauteed mushrooms are reason

enough to visit again.

It is always worth it to bring people with you to a restaurant; it’s

not that much fun to eat alone and they order things you might not. They

also tend to order better.

My friend Christine chose well with the pork Valencia ($15.95), a lean

pork loin topped with a sweet chorizo pear sauce and heavy-duty garlic

mashed potatoes. The sauce was creative and delicious; however,

Christine’s favorite “dish” was the sangria. I will say that Tapas serves

extraordinarily good sangria -- rich and full-bodied with slices of

apples. Better than water any day. And it goes down just as easy.

We also tried the halibut Madrid ($13.95), a slightly spicy marinara

with olives blanketing a truly melt-in-your-mouth piece of halibut. Our

waiter, Bernie, suggested this, and he knew what he was talking about.

You can’t talk about a Spanish restaurant without mentioning the

paella, a traditional rice dish usually steeped in saffron and spices and

loaded with fish or meats. But I confess, we did not try it.

All the customers near us ordered it, however, and the aroma alone

suggests this is a potential destination dish.

The menu offers several prepared-fresh-daily paellas, from the house

Paella ($15.95 per person, minimum of two) with chicken chorizo and

shrimp; to the seafood paella ($18.95 each) with shrimp, scallops,

mussels and clams; and the vegetable paella for all the poor, misguided

souls who don’t eat meat.

The Spanish know how to do desserts and this knowledge makes its way

to the Tapas Grille tray. An orange-topped flan and a raspberry

cheesecake are among the selections, but try the pear a la Galicia: a

whole pear saturated in a burgundy/strawberry sauce. I was ready to storm

the kitchen for this recipe.

Step up big time and order the flaming Spanish coffee with Tia Maria

liqueur and brandy. It goes well with the sangria and a taxi.

If Spanish food appeals to only half of your crowd, I should mention

that there are several completely Italian dishes available, including

capellini pomodori, chicken Marsala and seafood linguine.

As you leave, grab the Tapas Grille entertainment calendar for a list

of monthly events paired with free Friday night salsa lessons and

Saturday night flamenco shows. And after enough of that sangria, it might

be you tango-ing on the tables.

* KATHY MADER’s dining reviews appear every other Thursday.

FYI

* WHAT: Tapas Grille

* HOURS: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30

to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 5:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and

Saturdays

* WHERE: 4253 Martingale Way, Newport Beach

* HOW MUCH: Moderately expensive

* PHONE: (949) 756-8194