Nurturing my inner... at the tapas of my list

I love tapas.  If you haven't been to a tapas bar (make sure to enunciate properly or people will automatically think it's that other place of ill repute) then you are missing out.  Tapas are Spanish small plates.  As our tastes in this country gradually become even more culturally diverse, many of these restaurants are popping up all over.  I went to two (on different evenings) while I was in Connecticut.  Ibiza in Hamden and Barcelona in New Haven.  Both were very good.

Let's go over Ibiza's menu first.  Or really the portion of it that I tasted.  You can check out the rest online for ideas or if you are local to Connecticut and can go, you'll be prepared to order.

Advert on side of very plain building. My bro
said first time he drove by he thought,
"Where are those people going?"

Seems as if the Spaniards are big into croquettes, so that's were we started the journey.  Lightly fried, they were not greasy, nor heavy.  Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  We had:

Croquetas de pato con ensalada de cous-cous: Duck confit croquettes with cous­­-cous salad (If I had to choose my favorite, and that was not easy, this would be it.  It was too incredible to describe.)

And their special of the day: cheese croquetas.  Which my brother noted looked like minions.  (If you saw "Despicable Me," you'd understand the reference.)

Duck in back, cheese in front.

Cordero Lechal con Pure de Garbanzos: Braised baby lamb with vegetables, white wine, and chickpea purèe.

Like an upside down shepherd's pie. Had to
get a meat dish when out with a guy.

We also had Patatas Bravas: Fried spiced potatoes, but I tried not to take too many pictures and annoy my company.  (That doesn't stop me very often.)  Thank goodness somehow we saved room for dessert.  Barely.

Croquetas de Chocolate: Chocolate and almond croquettes with coconut foam and lemon gelatin.

Ooey, gooey, warm chocolate inside. The
lemon gelatin cut the richness.

Torrija de Queso: Bread pudding with fresh cheese, dulce de leche ice cream and sweet and sour strawberry sauce.

Yeah, incredible. Soft/crunchy, sweet/tart.

And now for Barcelona's menu.  Well first, finding the place.  No sign outside.  Very inconspicuous, wood slat door.  Architecturally appealing, yes.  Helpful, no.  So we asked some guy loitering outside (he was oddly there when we left as well) if this was it.  He was sketchy looking, but he said yes.  We were hungry, so we believed him and went inside.

A sign would have been helpful.

These places always have mood lighting.  Which means they are dark and make it hard for me to take pictures at night with my very ordinary digital camera.  Their official website can help you with better interior pictures.  I did attempt to show you the wine grid that was against the side wall.

It's functional and artistic.

Let's not waste any more time.  On to food.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts: Pickled Shallots.

Shaved thin, delicate. Trust me, you'd like them.

Jamon & Queso Croquettes: Dijon Aioli.

And more croquettes. They never disappoint.

Chorizo with Sweet and Sour Figs: Balsamic-Sherry Glaze.

Great combination of meaty, smokey sausage
and sweet, sticky fruit.

Herb Goat Cheese and Wild Mushrooms: Balsamic Reduction.

I love all mushrooms. The cheese was a
nice ingredient for balance.

Three people/three desserts.  We each picked what we wanted most to try and then shared:

Warm Chocolate Hazelnut Indulgence: Raspberry Sauce & Coconut Ice Cream

Flan Catalan

Crepas Salguero: Dulce De Leche, Chocolate Sauce & Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream

My choice was the first one. I'm a sucker
for anything with hazelnut and chocolate.

We also had a cheese plate at Barcelona.  Manchego is delicious on bread with quince paste.

The nice thing about tapas is that you can eat light or walk out with a full belly.  The choice is yours.  Some days just a couple small plates and a glass of Rioja is all I want.  Other times I go in super hungry and everything on the menu sounds too good to pass up.  Either way, tapas bars are always satisfying.