New York City 2023 Travel Log: Day 3 — A Glorious Feast of Spanish Tapas at Boqueria

My brother got us a reservation for the Chef's Menu at at Boqueria, so for our last family dinner in NYC, we indulged in a glorious feast of Spanish tapas:

Tabla de Quesos y Embutidos: Manchego, Caña de Cabra, Jamón Serrano, Chorizo Ibérico, served with olives and pan con tomate
Patatas Bravas: Crispy potatoes, salsa brava, pimentón, garlic allioli
Croquetas de Setas: Creamy mushroom croquettes with truffle allioli
Croquetas de Jamón: Creamy Jamón croquettes with quince purée
Dátiles con Beicon: Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds and Valdeón blue cheese
Brócoli con Ajo Blanco: Roasted broccoli, Marcona almond ajo blanco, sumac, raisins, and mint 
Bruselas con Chorizo: Brussels sprouts, Chorizo Palacios, lemon, and chives
Gambas al Ajillo: Shrimp, garlic, brandy, lobster reduction, and Guindilla pepper in olive oil
Paella de Mariscos: Bomba rice, monkfish, sepia, squid, shrimp, clams, mussels, saffron, salsa verde
Churros Clásicos: Traditional cinnamon-dusted fried dough with dulce de leche

Indeed, an epic culinary journey to Spain and back. Standouts for me were the patatas bravas, the croquetas de setas, the gambas al ajillo, and the paella de mariscos. I guess this just begs the question: Why do I not eat more Spanish tapas? 

Boqueria

260 W 40th St.

New York, NY 10018

(212) 255-6047

Photolog 2020: Day 314 of 366

I still had two full bulbs of garlic in my fridge from over a month ago and was trying to think of what I could make to use them up, so I decided to cook spaghetti olio e aglio with gambas al ajillo for dinner. (The idea was randomly inspired by BTS, as I recalled Yoongi cooking both of these dishes during both Bon Voyage Seasons 3 and 4, and how he had to recruit several of the members just to peel garlic for him because of how much of it the recipes called for.) Unfortunately, I didn't have any parsley. Or sherry. Or hot smoked paprika. So they're not exactly authentic, but hey, I used up six cloves of garlic! My hands are gonna smell for two days and I have serious dragon breath now, but they actually turned out surprisingly good so I still consider it a win.

Photolog 2019: Day 319 of 365

Jamón Joselito Gran Reserva 2015 Hand Sliced Ham
Canapé of White Truffle with Porcini Tartufata
House-baked sourdough with artisanal fermented butter and stuffed olives
Chilled lobster with Ontario artichokes and tomaquet with in-house paprika
New Zealand short-fin eel with broccolini pistachio tartare
John Dory fish with neck clams in Spanish-style wine sauce
Portuguese squid cooked over charcoal in squid ink onion stew with almonds
Guinea hen stuffed with foie gras on top of porcini mushroom risotto with spinach
Guinea hen stuffed with foie gras on top of porcini mushroom risotto with spinach (plated by me)
Quince and apple sorbet with roasted apple, pumpkin seed oil, and pumpkin seeds
Baba au rhum with Chantilly cream
As per tradition, a tasting menu for my birthday with Ronsee (this is his birthday gift to me every year). This year's choice? Edulis, where we had a gorgeous, four-hour, 10+ course, seafood-based meal. They offer a five-course or seven-course tasting menu with a select few seasonal options as add-ons, so we went for the seven-course and added two Canapés of White Truffle with Porcini Tartufata ($35 each) as it's apparently white truffle season (we couldn't not take part in this), and the Jamón Joselito Gran Reserva 2015 Hand Sliced Ham ($50 per plate) to share. Every single dish was incredible and beautifully presented, but standouts for me were the Canapé of White Truffle with Porcini Tartufata, the New Zealand short-fin eel with broccolini pistachio tartare, the Portuguese squid cooked over charcoal in squid ink onion stew with almonds, and the Quince and apple sorbet with roasted apple and pumpkin seeds. Just amazing combinations of flavours, textures, and aromas.

The space itself is quite small — a single main floor dining room only holds about 30 people — but it is intimate and cozy without feeling too stuffy. For a restaurant that only serves tasting menus and is considered one of the best in the world, Edulis is incredibly modest, down-to-earth, and almost casual. Our server was super-nice, accommodating, knowledgeable, and never once interrupted our conversation. She refilled both our water glasses and carafe regularly so they were never empty, and always asked how our dishes were every time she came to pick up the plates when our courses were done. My only real complaint is that it's just a bit too dark in there (the servers literally have to use flashlights to read labels behind the bar, plus any and all pictures taken here are going to be grainy as hell as you can plainly see), but it's a wonderful experience that both Ronsee and I thought was well worth the price. They're not the #7 best restaurant in Canada for nothing.

Photolog 2019: Day 171 of 365

Roasted bone marrow
Spicy patatas bravas
Mushroom croquettas
Beef empanadas
48-hour braised short rib with roasted cauliflower
Took Ronsee out for a belated birthday dinner at Tapagria this evening because he was in the mood for Spanish tapas. We've been here once before, a couple years ago, but haven't been back for some reason (I guess we never think of having Spanish tapas?) and I'm seriously wondering why because every single dish we ordered was on point both in flavours and presentation, the service was wonderful and attentive, and it's decently priced considering the quality and the portions. The food in general is quite rich and fatty (something I used to not care about, but I have to be conscious about my health now), so it's not something I'd eat often, but it's definitely a nice option for special occasions.