And It’s Good When It’s Crowded : Tijuana Eatery Boasts Full Menu of Tasty <i> Tapas, </i> Instant Antiquity

Everything is up-to-date in old Tijuana, at least in its trendy Zona Rio district, where sprawling American-style shopping malls and other commercial developments make the area seem rather like a Mission Valley South.

Not content that the bucks all should stop at the major department stores, developers recently built a collection of specialty shops and small restaurants called La Plaza Fiesta. An attractive maze of white-washed, two-story buildings that recall Mexico’s past, it enjoys a prime location opposite the Tijuana Cultural Center and is very much Tijuana’s answer to Seaport Village.

One of the prime attractions of this new center is La Taberna Espanola, a tiny gem of an eatery that features a full menu of tapas, the savory snacks and small dishes that are the most fanciful expression of Spanish cuisine.

Instant Antiquity

Like the rest of La Plaza Fiesta (and like Seaport Village, too), La Taberna Espanola created an instant antiquity in its decor. Rough white walls, ancient-looking ceiling beams and red-checked curtains make the place look like a country tavern hidden away in the wilds of Galicia or the neighboring Basque country in Spain’s northwestern corner.

The establishment is remarkably small, holding perhaps 30 souls in a situation of some intimacy. However, La Taberna Espanola may be at its best when crowded to the rafters, as it was on a recent, stormy Friday evening, when a handful of Americans rubbed shoulders with a crowd of mostly young locals who perhaps could be described best as Tijuana yuppies.

Some of the menu hangs from the ceiling, in the form of cured Serrano hams, slender morcilla and chorizo (Spanish, not Mexican) sausages, and lengthy ropes of garlic. Various preparations of these meats as well as dozens of other tasty tidbits issue from a tiny serving hatch at the far end of the bar. Though it was impossible to get a good look through this window, the kitchen appeared even more minuscule than the dining room, and seemed populated solely by a middle-age woman who was notably fast on her feet.

Pinchos a Good Bet

The menu will seem forbidding at first to diners unfamiliar with Spanish cooking because it lists perhaps 50 dishes (some are repeated from one heading to the next, however, as they are offered in different-size portions) and is printed in Spanish. The best bet is to order a plate of pinchos, or tiny snacks, and to nibble these while thoroughly reading the menu from its first listing, tortilla (potato omelet) to its last, caracol de mar vinagreta (sea snails in spicy vinaigrette). An excellent house red wine is served in glass pitchers of various sizes, and this seems the perfect beverage for an extended meal; the classic alternative would be glasses of good sherry, of which the bar offers several choices.

Tapas traditionally are considered cocktail-hour fare, and it is perfectly correct to order just a few of them before moving on to dine elsewhere. However, it is difficult to imagine anything more pleasant than to make a meal of a lengthy succession of these highly seasoned appetizers, a point of view that the Spanish-born proprietors of La Taberna Espanola are only too happy to accommodate.

The pincho plate consists solely of finger foods, such as small canapes of cured ham, mortadella-like salchichon sausage, and rich, spicy chorizo. Also included in a recent selection were beautifully seasoned stuffed eggs, tiny lobster-flavored croquettes, small slices of smooth, salty Manchego cheese and squares of tortilla, the deceptively simple dish that probably ranks as the most popular of tapas . Tortilla is simply a baked omelet, in its basic form consisting of nothing more than eggs, potatoes and onions. La Taberna’s tortilla seemed more the gallega (Galician) version, a spicier version enriched with minced chorizo and pimento.

More Pleasant Plates

By the time the party has worked its way through the pinchos , it should be ready to move on to such pleasant plates as ensaladilla rusa con atun , a mayonnaise-bound salad of carrots, potatoes and peas garnished with tuna; salpicon de mariscos , a rich mixture of chopped shellfish in a highly seasoned vinaigrette; gambas al ajillo , the classic saute of small shrimp in olive-oil flavored with much garlic and a little crushed red pepper (La Taberna threw in snippets of fresh jalapeno pepper for a local touch); calamares a la romana , or fried tiny squid served simply with lemon wedges; mejillones a la vinagreta , or mussels in oil and vinegar dressing, and boquerones, fried fish cubes marinated in vinegar.

The preceding list takes care of most of the seafood choices. There are others, though, among them the delightful mayonesa de camaron , or small shrimp swimming in pungent, lemony, creamy mayonnaise, and pulpo a la gallega , or bits of boiled octopus in a strong sauce of its own cooking broth enriched with olive oil, garlic and much paprika. Both are excellent, a comment that applies to most of the dishes that issue from this talented kitchen.

The selection of meat-based tapas runs on and on, starting simply with fried chorizo and fried morcilla de arroz (a type of blood sausage that is made with rice and is considered especially choice), and continuing with the delicious empanada a la gallega (a rich pastry crust baked around an even richer meat filling) and stewed kidneys. These last, which may be had sauced either with reduced sherry or port, are exquisitely savory and well worth trying, especially by persons who have always been put off by the idea of innards; the cooking method quite removes any “off” tastes.

On the more substantial side, the menu offers pincho moruno, or grilled, skewered cubes of seasoned pork, and albondigas al vino blanco, or small meatballs simmered in a white wine sauce. Two classic Spanish dishes that generally are served as entrees are offered as tapas , and the first of these, the fabada asturiana, reminded several guests of American pork and beans. This preparation included white beans, ham and chorizo , all simmered at length with garlic and paprika into a hearty, filling dish. The second classic, callos a la gallega , was not sampled; this dish has beef tripe and chick peas as its main ingredients.

One way to finish the meal is with a plate of queso cabrales, the strong, Spanish blue cheese, which can be consumed with slices of bread and the last of the red wine. Other happy conclusions are with squares of the nougatlike dulce de leche con almendres, or with the typical plate of quince jelly and cream cheese. Oddly enough, La Taberna does not serve flan , and it most pointedly declines to offer coffee; apparently, to do so would be out of keeping with the nature of a genuine tapas bar.

The printed menu does not mention prices, but they are generally quite low. A very large selection of tapas , washed down with sufficient wine, should cost from $10 to $12 per person, including tax and tip.

La Taberna Espanola is quite easy to find. Just after crossing the border, take the Avenida de los Ninos Heroes exit. La Plaza Fiesta is on the right (cater-corner from the Tijuana Cultural Center), at No. 10001 Ninos Heroes. La Taberna Espanola’s address within the plaza is No. 18A; finding it will not be difficult.

LA TABERNA ESPANOLA

La Plaza Fiesta, Tijuana

Telephone: 011-52-66-84-75-62 (OR: Tijuana 84-75-62)

Tapas served daily until midnight.