My husband and I recently went to Aioli Bodega Espanola on the advice of a friend who is always raving about it. The location is right in the mix of the downtown action and has a really genuine Euro kind of feel. It did not feel like a fake attempt at creating atmosphere like one might find in a Tex-Mex place with sombreros and pi?atas hanging from the walls. It felt legit and they even had a Spanish guitarist playing music in the background! However, we did not go here to listen to the music. We came here to eat and? and boy did we eat well! We started with an order of portobello mushrooms sauteed with sherry and garlic and scallops pan sauteed in a garlic beluga lentil anchovie sauce in a garlic. These dishes were so awesome and very well presented. For the entree, we had rabbit marinated and cooked in rioja wine with celery roots, mushrooms and olives as well as seared duck breast, medium rare, in a glaze of old red wine vinegar with a hint of cinnamon, vanilla and cayenne pepper, equally scrumptious!! After enjoying a hard to find bottle of Spanish wine, we split an order of sponge cake layered with fresh fruit & pastry cream, imbibed with malaga wine. The coffee was very tasty and not watered down. Throughout the entire meal, the service was professional and attentive, even though the place seemed very busy.
Pros: Real European Dining Experience
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