This “Spanish” restaurant in the Warehouse District gets a ton of recognition from the local media, but I really can’t endorse it. I don’t know if they have had to “Clevelandize” their offering to appeal to locals (no offense), but the food tasted more Slavic than Spanish, and many of the items on the menu did not seem remotely Spanish. The chorizo a la plancha (grilled sausage) was strikingly kielbasa-like, and the chuletas de cerdo en salsa de ajo (pork chops in garlic sauce) tasted like a poor rendition of something my Czech grandmother used to make. I never recall gravy being an integral part of Spanish cooking, and didn’t know that “Spanish potatoes” were the equivalent of kettle-style potato chips. On top of it all, this non-Spanish Spanish food wasn’t even well prepared – my partner’s duck was ordered medium/medium rare and delivered well done, and my pork chops were very overcooked.
I had high expectations for the restaurant, and was seriously disappointed. The staff were very professional and polite, but the food was lousy. I can say with confidence that this was the worst Spanish meal I have eaten in the United States.
I usually give a place a second or third chance if I think it was a bad night, but I feel confident that the restaurant’s food doesn’t cut the mostaza on other nights as well.