Phantom Gourmet: Great 8 Tapas
They say good things come in small packages, even when it comes to food. These are the 8 Greatest places to go for tapas and small plates.
Barcelona
Brookline, South End
Kicking off the Great 8 is Barcelona in Brookline and the South End. This gorgeous space is unlike any tapas restaurant Boston has seen before. The gigantic bar is always packed. The huge dining room is always full, and the oversized menu offers about eighty ever-changing options. They're all meant for sharing, because a meal here is a communal experience.
Galley Kitchen and Bar
Scituate
Galley Kitchen and Bar in Scituate is a contemporary gastropub specializing in small plates, fresh-shucked oysters, and anything and everything that's fresh and local.
"We like to say it's tapas style service without being all tapas style food, because it's not 100% Spanish. There is some Spanish style influence to the menu, but we've got some Asian flair, we've got some creative American food."
Snappy Patty's
Medford
Another Great 8 winner is Snappy Patty's in Medford. This small, charming spot sports an industrial look full of metal stools, high exposed ceilings and funky artwork throughout. The biggest sensation on the menu is the mini patty melt sliders, full of juicy beef and melty cheese on crispy toasted brioche bread that's made in house.
Moxy
Portsmouth, N.H.
Located on a side street in downtown Portsmouth, Moxy is a fun and casual two story space, sporting an open kitchen, that creates some of the tastiest small plates in New England. There's Short Rib Marmalade featuring beef that's slow cooked with sugar and red wine vinegar; Fried clams served on a skewer, and a pair of local grass fed burgers topped with lettuce, tomato, housemade barbecue sauce and shredded cheddar.
Watch: Great 8 Tapas, Part 2
Cork Wine & Tapas
New Bedford
Cork Wine & Tapas in New Bedford is a romantic spot in a beautifully refurbished three story building that dates back to 1838, with exposed stone walls and wooden beams. The menu is lined with sharable plates like grilled flatbread pizzas, truffled French fries tossed with basil, thyme and Peccorino-Romano, and piping hot Philly rolls, stuffed with steak and served with onions rings and Sriracha aioli.
Blue Dragon
Boston
Another Great 8 winner is Blue Dragon in Boston. Celebrity Chef Ming Tsai's Asian style gastropub brings the Far East to Fort Point, offering up East-West mashups perfect for mixing and matching. When you're sharing, nothing beats chicken that's fried in buttermilk tempura and served with sweet chili sauce. It's $25 for a whole chicken that feeds four people.
Tres Gatos
Jamaica Plain
Tres Gatos in Jamaica Plain specializes in Spanish style tapas, but this is no ordinary restaurant. There's a full-fledged book and music store in back where hungry diners browse the shelves while waiting to sink their teeth into crispy chicken confit, grilled steak, or tasty patatas bravas.
Estragon
South End
Rounding out the Great 8 is Estragon in Boston's South End. This sexy space is clad with plush couches and red lighting with a fun bar scene and authentic Spanish style tapas. The menu is lined with tasty small plates like grilled lamb skewers, meatballs in herbed brandy cream, and the addictive, crispy fried Flamenquines.
Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.
