[thenightwriterblog] The Night Writer: Our trip to the toplesstapas bar

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by The Night Writer:
Our trip to the toplesstapas bar
http://thenightwriterblog.powerblogs.com/posts/1179192584.shtml


   Saturday night the Reverend Mother and I found ourselves kid-free so
   we decided to go let it all hang out at our favorite tapas bar. Trust
   me, we usually get funny looks when we actually say that as opposed to
   typing it out.
   [1]Tapas are small plates of hot or cold Spanish appetizers that you
   typically order in a series. We like [2]Solera in downtown Minneapolis
   because the tapas are a creative treat both in flavor and in
   presentation. While portions are small they are packed with flavor and
   interesting combinations of meats, vegetables and spices. Generally
   you choose several from the menu and they are delivered one or two at
   a time so you can fully appreciate each plate. One time when my wife
   and I went there we played a little game: she took the cold menu and I
   took the hot and then we'd each order something without telling the
   other what was coming. We went three or four rounds like that, sharing
   each dish as it came and deciding who had made the best choice
   (believe me, there were no losers).
   We didn't get the inspiration to go to Solera this time until late in
   the day so when we called there was no way to get a table in the
   restaurant. But, we were told, there was plenty of non-reserved
   seating on the rooftop patio. Since it was a very pleasant evening we
   decided to leave our cozy little suburb to go downtown and dine al
   fresco. Of course, you've first got to change clothes to go downtown,
   especially on Saturday night. I don't have much that will pass for
   urban cool, but I put on some khakis, a blue silk camp shirt
   (untucked, natch) and my Margaritaville loafers -- sans socks! The
   Mall Diva had given me some "Joe" pomade for the new 'do but I already
   had a stylish head of hat-hair going on from mowing the lawn earlier
   in the day and I didn't want to become too irresistible since the
   restaurant is directly across the street from The Amsterdam Hotel, the
   mecca of gay hospitality in Minneapolis (perhaps "Mecca" and "gay"
   shouldn't be linked like that). The Reverend Mother did her part to
   save some souls, wearing those snug jeans I like that could make Elton
   John look twice. Also, since it was less than 85 degrees, she wore a
   jacket.
   When we got up to the patio there were only a few tables already
   occupied so we had no trouble finding a place to sit. Despite being on
   the roof the view isn't much to write about, but I will anyway. The
   four or five foot wall blocks any sight-lines to the street if you're
   sitting down, but you can see the top of the Target Center, a parking
   ramp, some duct-work for the restaurant and the big white screen on
   the patio where Solera shows movies after dark. You also can't see the
   two-story billboard for the Amsterdam that features four cute guys
   cuddling; I guess it's up to you whether that's a positive or a
   negative. Regardless, it ain't Applebee's.
   We decided on the $25 "Tapas for Two" combination from the menu; six
   different appetizers thoughtfully portioned into even numbers so that
   you don't have that awkward, "No, dear, you take the last shrimp"
   moment. The first plate was some barbequed potatoes, very tasty and
   tangy. Then our black-clad waitress brought us some small grilled
   sausages and grilled chicken strips in a green chipotle sauce, all on
   skewers and served on a bed of rice with raisins and mint. The chicken
   was especially delicious; I told my wife that the chicken was too
   spicy for her and she wouldn't like it, but somehow she was onto me
   and didn't fall for it. Next up was a plate of lightly-battered,
   skewered shrimp the size of small bananas and a bowl of what I think
   was either acini or risoni pasta and cucumber in a minty sauce. I'm
   not much of a cucumber fan, but I surprised my wife by eating and
   enjoying this as well.
   I looked around right about then and saw a waitress bringing a plate
   of what looked like miniature hamburgers to another table. "Oooh,
   those look good," I remarked to my wife, so I was delighted when our
   waitress appeared with a similar plate as part of our course. These
   were actually chorizo sausage patties with a nice cut of roasted red
   pepper on top, served on mini-buns. Very tasty indeed, and my
   puppy-eyes prevailed on my wife to give up half of her sandwich, for
   which I ceded the remainder of the cous-cous and cucumber dish. The
   finale was a plate of seared tuna slices. They looked rather raw in
   the middle, but smelled and tasted great and we've since had no ill
   effects.
   We were too full for dessert, but still had a fun evening of great
   food and better companionship. If you're looking for something to
   spice up your dining out experience, go "tapas"!

References

   1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapas
   2. http://www.solera-restaurant.com/