Tapas
[TAH-pahs]
Popular throughout Spain in bars and restaurants, tapas are appetizers that usually accompany sherry or other aperitifs or cocktails. They can also form an entire meal and can range from simple items such as olives or cubes of ham and cheese to more elaborate preparations like cold omelets, snails in a spicy sauce, stuffed peppers and miniature sandwiches.

Most tapas served now is more involved, think mini servings almost. There are both hot & cold tapas, make sure to try both.

There are some menus for tapas listed on all the websites below to give you an idea of what to expect.

Tapas is lots of fun as you get to try a great variety of dishes, deciding as a group what to get next, and served with the sangria is ooooooohhhhhh so good.

A few tapas restaurants in Chicago I�ve been to are:

Emilio�s Tapas - has various locations, I have only dined at the Ohio street location and thought is was very good, as was the sangria. http://www.emiliostapas.com/

Caf� Ba-Ba-Reeba 2024 N. Halsted Street - http://www.leye.com/restaurants/rest_home.jsp?id=5


Caf�-Ba-Ba-Reeba was good, Emilio�s was very good, and my favorite would be Caf� Iberico at 739 N. LaSalle. http://www.cafe-iberico.com/

indo79 reviewed Caf� Iberico: http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...ML/000100.html

Anyone been to others in Chicago?

From Zagat online:

Artista Ba-Ba-Reeba!: Picasso Tapas and Wine Dinner: Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! hosts a six-course tapas wine dinner paired with a slide-show presentation of Picasso's work narrated by curator Claire Kunny of the Art Institute of Chicago (May 20, 7 PM; $40 inclusive; reservations are required; tickets are available at www.cafebabareeba.com or at the door).

Thanks for the heads-up...what do you like most about Cafe Iberico? I haven't been to any of these places but I love tapas/Spanish wine and would like to try one of these places on my next trip to Chi.

Cafe Iberico has the best croquetas. It is a very reasonably priced restaurant.

Less splash, more substance. Not to take anything away from Emilio's, I feel that Cafe Iberico is more rustic/real.

Thanks Willie...I'll try Iberico on my next trip.

I've been to Caf� Iberico a couple of times. Tapas are pretty good there. The place can be very noisy and packed in the evenings though... Not suitable for an intimate occasion, but great fun in a group (getting drunk...)

There's a really good tapas restaurant in Evanston as well, right on Chicago Ave. The place is called Tapas Barcelona.

My fav is Cafe Iberico, though. Weekend evenings do get really busy by 6pm. In case you're wondering, they do not take reservations for weekend evening.

------------------
Jimmy

Saw this tapas restaurant advertised:

1492 Tapas Bar
42 East Superior
312.867.1492

�four floors of Spanish hospitality in the Gold Coast�

Live Flamenco Music and Dance Performaces on the weekends.

sounds expensive...flamenco music is a nice touch though. going to check it out?

I walked past this place when I was on my way to Iberico and touring Superior Place last weekend. Didn't stop to see the menu but the place was in one of those vintage 2-3 story homes and look pretty deserted.

I noticed their frequent advertisements in the Tribune though.

Arco de cuchilleros around Wrigleyville serves good tapas. However, my favorite is still Cafe Iberico. It truly feels like Spain inside...

Another for Cafe Iberico.

Having lived in Spain for many years, Cafe Iberico is by far the most authentic in the city. As for the noise, that makes it all the more authentic for me. They also have a deli that you can take out some of the great food including sausages and cheeses to be enjoyed later at home.

Arco de Cuchilleros should be avoided, in my opinion. Cafe Babareeba is very Americanized. The two times I have been there, I could not find someone who could even understand Spanish to take our order.

Has anyone dined here and ordered Cava (sparkling Spanish wine - not Champagne) from the wine list? Do they even have Cava? I looked at the list on the restaurant's web site and didn't find any. I like Cava with tapas, but I could be very happy with a nice Rioja.