We again decided to participate in the Taste of Hartford by dining at Costa del Sol. On entering we were greeted by the owner and seated at a table for 2. The dining room was largely empty, as was the patio, at 6PM on a Thursday night though business increased as the night progressed. After ordering all 3 courses, we were presented with olive oil and a small loaf of room temperature bread. Change #1 - last year the bread was served warm.
For an appetizer, my wife chose the tortilla de patas - 2 slices of Spanish potato and onion omelet with a small amount of salad greens as garnish. Portion size was generous so my wife ate only one slice of this delicious omelet. I ordered the Chorizo y setas al vino - chorizo sausage slices with mushroom, mushrooms and shallots in a roja wine reduction and Port demi-glaze. Again, very good.
For entrees we ordered the paella de la casa.-the house paella with clams, mussels, shrimp, chorizo and chicken cooked in saffron rice. We have had this dish numerous times in the past and it has always been nothing short of excellent.
Change #2 - the 4 mussels were wild caught and had an off taste as cultivated mussels almost never do. Change #3 - the so-called saffron rice neither tasted nor looked like the chef had used any saffron. This is noticeable in a photo comparison of last year's paella with this year's. The overall flavor of this dish was not bad, but a definite disappointment in comparison to years past.
We closed out the meal with the house flan which was, as usual, very good.
Overall the meal was acceptable though not as good as in years past.
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