Review: La Bodega

La Bodega's varied tapas offerings are $5 or $6 each. (Credit: Pam Spaulding)

The Spanish tradition of tapeo has universal appeal. Whatever your nationality, going to a favorite bar to chat with friends, sip some relaxing beverages and nibble on a succession of artfully crafted savory bites has to rank high in the catalog of civilized pleasures.

Testimony to the appeal of tapas can be found in the many restaurants around town that feature their variation on the theme. But until now, Louisville hasn't had a real tapas bar, an institution as integral to Spanish society as the pub is to the British or the cafe to the French.

La Bodega opened last month next door to the city's only Spanish restaurant, De la Torre's. Chef Miguel and proprietor Maggie De la Torre also own the tapas bar, which is connected by a short corridor to the main restaurant. The opening is notable for another reason: It has brought a full bar to the restaurant, which used to serve only wine and beer.

Friends and I ventured to La Bodega recently to make an evening of conversation, tapas and drinks. We settled into a corner table by a window overlooking the parade of nightlife along Bardstown Road. But any of the tables in the handsome space, with colorful tiles set in white walls and beautiful wrought-iron lamps, would have been comfortable.

The first order of business was to choose drinks from the new cocktail menu. While De la Torre's has continued its practice of having a Spanish-only wine list to match the menu, the Spanish colonial tradition of the Caribbean has a place at La Bodega. Many of the drinks are rum-based concoctions.

Because Ernest Hemingway famously spent time in both Spain and Cuba, it's fitting that the Papa Doble (invented for the author at the El Floridita Bar in Havana) is offered here. White rum, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, a squeeze of lime and a splash of maraschino juice are served over ice in the refreshing drink ($5.50). For an even tarter treat, check out the Karpinsky's caipirinha ($4.75), a puckery rum punch.

Spanish wines (including sherries) are also offered by the glass and the bottle, as well as a house sangria.

Cold and hot tapas are displayed in cases on top of the bar, which dominates one wall of the room. We took turns checking out the displays (each item was $5 or $6) and finally decided that the best way to dine that night was simply to order everything.

Our very patient and efficient server brought the dishes to our table three and four at a time (while keeping our basket of crusty bread filled) and we passed the plates around, mixing and matching combinations of savory meats, salty seafood, marinated olives and sharp cheese.

The tapas for each evening are chalked on a slate that is passed from table to table. The night we were there meat dominated over seafood, but on another night, that combination could change.

Subtly seasoned ground beef meatballs were the first bites to arrive, along with hot mushrooms (championes) stuffed with pieces of aromatic garlic. These were especially good with juicy, tender pieces of roasted lamb that melted in the mouth, while marinated calamata olives provided a tangy counterpoint.

We liked the chicken croquettes so much that we ordered a second round. How did Miguel De la Torre make these little wonders, airy pillows of batter-encased chicken in creamy bechamel sauce? The tortilla brava (egg, potato and onions) and rectangular slices of white Indizabel cheese (mildly sharp) were almost as notable.

Seafood was well represented by white anchovy filets. Oily and strongly fishy, they are to fish lovers what stinky cheeses are to fans of fromage. I think I would have preferred them earlier in the parade of dishes, but being an anchovy aficionado, I still enjoyed them.

The cold potatoes in ali oli would also have fared better earlier in order. Other tapas were sliced roasted red peppers and baby eggplants, grilled pieces of pork tenderloin on skewers and olives stuffed with anchovies.

We decided we needed a little sweetness to cap our dinner of small bites. An order of cream-filled profiteroles ($5) from the dessert menu next door was perfect.

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