Sticky Business
Tapas, Fire and Cocktail Kegs

Whatever you do, stay calm.

We’re going to talk about Tavernita.

Yes, it’s finally opening. (Sort of—we’ll explain later.) And yes, you’ve heard a lot about it already. But it’s just a tapas restaurant. Sidelining in Uruguayan-style grilling. Overseen by one of the nation’s top up-and-coming chefs. Serving cocktails from kegs.

Actually, when we put it that way, a little pandemonium is rather appropriate.

First things first—take a good look around. You can tell right off it’s from the good folks at Mercadito, all handsome wood planks, copper accents, old-world charm punctuated with just the right amount of sexy—sort of like a Spanish surfer’s secret beach cabin/sangria bar. Yet on a cold and snowy night, you can’t do much better than chef Ryan Poli’s Iberian comfort food: lamb sausage with spicy giardiniera, suckling pig or Pork Belly Bocadillos with apple jam.

One catch: they’re opening tonight for very limited reservations in the dining room (go ahead: unleash a charm offensive). By January 23, however, you’ll be relaxing in a back lounge retreat, sinking into soft leather tufting, sipping housemade vermouth or a kalimotxo, a tempranillo-and-cola cocktail. Soon, there will also be the marble-topped Barcito, the front pintxos bar where you’ll congregate after work with meat on a stick in one hand and a very strong One-Thumbed Gypsy in the other.

Coincidently, they have a cocktail by the same name.