Estragon, the South End's self-proclaimed "slice of Madrid," serves up a nice mix of traditional Spanish favorites with a few modern twists. Inspired by 1930s Spanish salons, Estragon's funky style (the black and white checkered floors reminded me of our kitchen at home frankly) creates for a charming ambience. It relishes in its own imperfection: the vintage Facism poster print on the wall that borders between avant-garde and offensive, the dim lighting that's just a tad too dark, the closely-packed tables so that it's just a bit too noisy, the music selection that switches from flamenco classics to Shakira, and the waiter that's so twitchy he's either suffering from an affliction to the nervous system or he's on drugs. One or the other.
I started with their enticing cocktail menu choosing the Zoie Samone - raspberry vodka and chambord in a martini glass that they top off with a splash of rose cava - yes, the "girliest" drink imaginable, but so good! Of course there's always the sangria staple, a universal crowd-pleaser. The tapas menu had the traditional sections of appetizers on toast, vegetables, seafood, meat, and cheese, including the larger paella plates as well. We selected the Espinicas a Catalana first, my all-time favorite Castillian spinach dish sauteed with pine nuts and golden raisins, which are little nuggets of sweet goodness that pop in your mouth after the rich garlic-infused greens. Then for the crispy fried artichokes, which had the nice crunchy exterior and soft, warm inside, one of the most mouth-watering dishes we tried. The grilled leeks with Romesco tomato sauce were nice and smoky to taste, though to the point of being too blackened and stringy in some parts, making it difficult to cut easily with a knife. The garbanzos fritos, crispy paprika chickpeas, were not at all what I expected - I ordered them after hearing good reviews and was surprised to find a dish of individual garbanzo beans coated in the spicy crust rather than more falafel-like cakes as I had expected, and initially I was turned off by their appearance. But give these a second try, as I found the firey after taste of these tiny morsels to be almost addictive, and soon they had all but disappeared. Following our assortment of tasty vegetable dishes we chose the seared scallops, served in a warm, aromatic saffron albarino cream and topped with fried leeks to add a nice crunch to the soft scallops on the tongue. The scallops were cooked perfectly, soaking up the flavorful cream and emulsifying after each bite to melt away ... each bite was a delight.
So Estragon offers tasty Spanish food in a fun, bohemian setting - definitely worth a trip.
3.5/5 stars.
I started with their enticing cocktail menu choosing the Zoie Samone - raspberry vodka and chambord in a martini glass that they top off with a splash of rose cava - yes, the "girliest" drink imaginable, but so good! Of course there's always the sangria staple, a universal crowd-pleaser. The tapas menu had the traditional sections of appetizers on toast, vegetables, seafood, meat, and cheese, including the larger paella plates as well. We selected the Espinicas a Catalana first, my all-time favorite Castillian spinach dish sauteed with pine nuts and golden raisins, which are little nuggets of sweet goodness that pop in your mouth after the rich garlic-infused greens. Then for the crispy fried artichokes, which had the nice crunchy exterior and soft, warm inside, one of the most mouth-watering dishes we tried. The grilled leeks with Romesco tomato sauce were nice and smoky to taste, though to the point of being too blackened and stringy in some parts, making it difficult to cut easily with a knife. The garbanzos fritos, crispy paprika chickpeas, were not at all what I expected - I ordered them after hearing good reviews and was surprised to find a dish of individual garbanzo beans coated in the spicy crust rather than more falafel-like cakes as I had expected, and initially I was turned off by their appearance. But give these a second try, as I found the firey after taste of these tiny morsels to be almost addictive, and soon they had all but disappeared. Following our assortment of tasty vegetable dishes we chose the seared scallops, served in a warm, aromatic saffron albarino cream and topped with fried leeks to add a nice crunch to the soft scallops on the tongue. The scallops were cooked perfectly, soaking up the flavorful cream and emulsifying after each bite to melt away ... each bite was a delight.
So Estragon offers tasty Spanish food in a fun, bohemian setting - definitely worth a trip.
3.5/5 stars.
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