Rating: 3 forksWe finally ventured out to the edge of our usual restaurant radius a few weekends ago and dined with friends at Estragon in the South End. It's a Spanish tapas place, dishing out some pretty authentic dishes. From the website:
Inspired by the supper clubs and salons of 1930s Madrid, Estragon brings old-world charm and a bohemian flair to the tapas experience. The menu focuses on the fresh and the simple, traversing the entire culinary landscape of Spain, and with an all-Spanish, all-affordable wine-list, a night at Estragon is like a night in Madrid –or the very next best thing!We started at the bar, and ordered-up a few libations: wine by the glass from their pretty extensive list of Spanish varietals, Estrella (a Spanish beer), and one of their specialty drinks called the Prickly Pear, which proved to be far too sweet for a friend. They don't have a full liquor license, so are restricted to beer, wine, and flavored alcohols (which seems a little silly to me, good ol' Massachusetts liquor laws). I glanced around and the decor was definitely mixed and funky, but comfortable; it's like dark and vintage meets whimsical, with chandeliers, vintage pictures, a retro checkered floor, a mix of high and low tables and loungey banquettes, and even an odd, risque mannequin propped at the hostess stand with only legs, lace and high heels. Definitely a European, slightly edgier feel, which I dig.
Our eating extravaganza was kick-off with a small bowl of complimentary blanched carrots in a spicy vinaigrette - delish! We shared a variety of tapas, such as Grilled Baby Leeks Romesco, Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Chorizo and Golden Raisins, Sauteed Mushrooms with Two Scrambled Eggs, Seared Pork Belly with Beluga Lentils, and Moorish Lamb Skewers. And while I love the small plates concept – you get to sample a little bit of this and a little bit of that – and each of these were "pretty good", none really knocked it out of the park for me; well except perhaps the Brussel Sprouts if you can imagine that, man they were tasty! I was anticipating more of a Ken Oringer's Toro experience, where the combination of the boisterous scene and the masterful dishes sends you into total sensory overload; though our wallets were thankful, the final bill was incredibly cheap unlike those we've racked-up at Toro.
Perhaps Estragon is in fact more authentic, and perhaps had it been in Madrid and not cornered between the South End projects, a hospital and high end loft condos it would have yielded a different review from me. I am not sure. I could go back, but am not really in a rush to.
Estragon700 Harrison Ave
(between Harrison Archway & Brookline St)
Boston, MA 02118
617.266.0443
Website
[Image via Yelp]
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