![]() Little Madrid’s version arrived to us darkened with paprika and hot and crisp from the grill. Papas Bravas, Spanish fried potatoes, are in my experience one of the more reliable tapas. The coating was crisp and savory and the silky smooth filling tasted faintly of green chile. We opted for three Green Chile Chicken Croquettes served a small-handled dish with a topping of aioli. More adventurous diners may want to try the Boquerones, anchovies pickled in vinegar. The many other classic tapas on display included Tortilla Espanola, an omelet made with eggs and potatoes, and the meatball dish known as Albondigas. Thoughtful pairings, but they offer less bang for your buck than the other choices. One skewer combined spicy and sweet with a fig and a hot pepper, while the other matched blocks of mildly flavored cheese with red peppers and chorizo. The name comes from Spanish verb pinchar, meaning to poke or stab. Missing from both paellas was the crispy, toasted rice that typically lines the bottom of the pan.Īrrayed in a tray in one display case were pintxos, skewers typical of the Basque region. The dull color belied an intense flavor and a little bit of heat from the green chile and sausage. Burnished with saffron, the Paella de Verduras was well-seasoned and bright with green beans, peas, butter beans and roasted red peppers. The three versions of paella that day included the vegetarian Paella de Verduras, the meaty Paella Valencia and a Paella New Mexico, infused with green chile. More tapas, clockwise from lower left: Paella New Mexico Paella, Pintxos, Montaditos and Paella de Verduras. Little Madrid’s version, served in a plastic cup, was pretty watery and vinegar-forward. Our meal began with gazpacho, the tomato-based cold soup that originated in southern Spain. It was a bit like getting doughnuts, what with the server updating us on how many choices we had left. I ordered five items, my friend got three, and the server crossed them off the bill as we chose. Not cheap, but virtually everything is shareable. One item is $8, three are $21 and seven are $47. Naturally, the pricing incentivizes ordering more things. Instead, you pay by the number of items you order. Most of the items are premade and none are individually priced. Basque Cheesecake, the only dessert on offer, is sold behind a separate counter. One side of the L-shaped counter was dominated by three wide, shallow pans filled with different versions of paella. There were no less than 30 tapas on display on a recent weekday lunch hour, including both cold and hot items comprised of meats, seafood and veggies. Of all the places in Sawmill, Little Madrid has the most wide-ranging variety of menu choices. There are rows of seats along the windows, and lots of additional seating nearby, both inside and out. It’s a very large space by Sawmill standards, and handsomely decorated with hand-painted tiles over the counter facings and back walls. Little Madrid occupies a prime location on the southeast corner of Sawmill, adjacent to the parking lot but away from the clamor of the middle of the hall. The French-born chef’s inspiration came from his time working in San Sebastian in the Basque region of northeast Spain. Little Madrid, the latest arrival to Albuquerque’s tapas scene, is a bit different, being set in a corner of Sawmill Market, the bustling food hall near Old Town.Ĭhristian Monchâtre, maestro of culinary operations at Sawmill, launched Little Madrid in February. Up in Santa Fe, El Farol and La Boca are virtual institutions. Recent years have seen Debajo and Damacios joining veterans MÃS Tapas Y Vino and Gecko’s on the tapas beat. Here in New Mexico we have several places serving up these sweet and savory small plates. Whatever the case, Spanish tapas have had enormous influence on the restaurant world. The word, after all, is Spanish for “lid.” My personal favorite involves bartenders putting pieces of bread or slices of meat and cheese over customers’ glasses to keep flies and dust out of their drinks. One account credits King Alfonso X of Castile, who promoted the serving of food with drinks as a way to combat public drunkenness. There are several different origin stories for tapas, the Spanish snacks created back in the Middle Ages as accompaniments to wine. A sampling of Little Madrid tapas, clockwise from lower left: Green Chile Chicken Croquettes, Basque Cheesecake, Papas Bravas and Gazpacho. ![]()
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