Time for Tapas at Salumi Wine and Tapas Bar!

My husband and I are a huge tapas fan. HUGE. And for those of you like my dad and father-in-law, who have no idea what tapas are, here is your answer: Tapas are snacks, canapés or finger food that originated in Spain.

From About.com, here is some more information: Tapas can be practically anything from a chunk of tuna, cocktail onion and an olive skewered on a long toothpick, to piping hot meat with sauce served in a miniature clay dish - or anything in between. Tapas are served day in and day out in every bar and café in Spain. So much a part of the culture and social scene that the Spanish people invented the verb tapear which means to go and eat tapas!

The idea is to order a bunch of small plates and either share or eat them yourself.

My first taste of tapas was in 2001 when I was spending the summer abroad in London for school and my friend Michelle and I took a weekend jaunt to Barcelona. We went to a tapas bar to eat and I remember having chicken croquettes and they were delicious!! Then when I lived in Washington DC after graduating from college, my friends and I would occasionally eat at Jaleo. SOOOOO good!!

My husband fell in love with tapas when we were on our honeymoon and spent a few days in Barcelona before heading out on a European cruise. So, we have been searching for a place that does tapas with little luck in our area. But then when food shopping one day, we happened to see Salumi across the street! We were very excited to try it.

We went last Friday, and the place is very quaint - small. Only about 10 tables and a bar with some seating. The menu is not very big at all...in fact, there wasn't much I would eat on the menu, so I do wish they expand it at some point. I miss the chicken croquettes! The menu isn't really all Spanish either, there is a great deal of Italian influence, as well as French and Californian influence. But it will do!

Despite being small and having a limited menu, the food was excellent. We loved everything we tasted. Well, we got the braised short ribs and my husband really liked them, to me, they were okay. I think I just don't like braised short ribs. But they were cooked extremely well and were very tender!

We didn't try any of the wine, so I can't comment on that. But we started off with a simple bread basket, which was delicious. The bread was so soft and flavorful.


Then we had "patatas bravas," sliced roasted potatoes with spicy red sauce and cumin aioli. Yum! Along with the potatoes, we had the mini panini, which had sweet sopressata, Italian cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes. Also delicious!!


After that we sampled the short ribs (well-marbled beef stewed in smoked paprika and saffron with chorizo and white beans) and polenta with truffled mushrooms in creamy Madeira sauce. (My phone ate the picture of these things, grrr). These two dishes were good, and well prepared, but the least favorites between my husband and myself. I liked the polenta more than he did and vice versa on the short ribs. The first two dishes we both loved immensely.

We left well-fed and stuffed with plans to return at some point. I wouldn't say it is really expensive, but it is not super cheap. Definitely in the middle, and of course, the more you order, the more your bill goes up. The portions were sizable, and definitely able to share with someone else. We probably ordered one too many things, but it was good.

My neighbor told me about another tapas place about 20 minutes from us so that will be the next to be checked out!

If you have a tapas place where you live, definitely check it out!