Vino Tapas & Wine Bar

18046 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316
info@vinowineroom.com

Tel: 818-343-2525
 

When I heard I was invited to Vino Tapas & Wine Bar in Encino, the first thought that came into my head was...Spain, the beautiful country that offers sangria, gourmet paella and scrumptious tapas. I wonder if an LA restaurant can duplicate this real European ambiance and cuisine? Located in Encino, close to Tarzana, the establishment owned by Alla, is hardly large; in fact, it's a long, narrow room with an ample bar in the rear and whose lush wall decor includes glorious still life paintings by renowned Spanish artist Luis Melendez, among others. Yes, Vino Tapas & Wine Bar does have the look of old Spain. Now, what about the food?

Alla, who was away at an appointment, left handsome manager Chris Warmling in charge and we could not have been in better hands. Chris graciously allowed us to photograph the room and made suggestions about serving us a variety of tapas to satisfy our cravings. Happy hour is every day from 4 pm to 7 pm, and since we arrived at 4: 45, we were right on time to partake of a lovely, rich sangria, made on the premises. Our happy hour tapas included a sampling of albondigas, Spanish meatballs in tomato sauce; eggplant crujiente, crispy and drizzled with honey - one of the more delectable and distinctly different eggplants I have ever eaten; and croquetas, crispy mashed potato croquettes filled with chicken and served with tomato aioli. There was also a tortilla espanola, the traditional Spanish potato omelet; patatas bravas or crispy potatoes with spicy aioli sauce - truly heavenly; ceviche de pescado, seafood marinated in fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and shallots served with pita tostada chips. And to top it all off, sliders, or mini burgers with lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, bleu cheese and tomato aioli and served with thin fries! What a divinely prepared array of flavorful treats...and with the authentic taste of Espana! Dish after dish arrived at our table, and my thought was, OMG, I ordered a filet mignon and my friend, paella for two. Would we have room? It was all too delicious, but box some of the tapas, or I will never be able to eat the entree, listed as a big tapa on the menu.

with manager Chris Warmling

When the steak and paella arrived, I could not have been more thrilled with my tender, juicy filet, beautifully cooked, which was topped with bleu cheese and served with green beans, tomato confit and mashed potatoes. I sampled the paella, and found it delightful, except from memory, I expected yellow saffron colored rice, which is the way I had it in Spain. Maybe that rice is difficult to obtain in the states? Not sure, but not a major prob, as it was all delicious including shrimp, mussels, squid - a lovely seafood paella Valenciana. There are also soups on the menu such as gazpacho and mushroom and a nice selection of salads, but because of the overabundance of tapas, we decided to pass.

But...there's always room for dessert. I ordered the flourless chocolate cake and served with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. It was sheer bliss! My friend had leche frita a vanilla citrus custard with berries and wrapped with a thin fried coating. There's also the Spanish staple... flan, bread pudding and banana bread.

Besides the sangria there's a terrific wine list to suit every palate, and the price for the small tapas, about $8 each...and the steak? Only $15. The paella is $26, but considering the plentiful amount of seafood, that's really quite reasonable.

I noticed that the clientele included couples, both young and middle-aged, and a group of young ladies, perhaps dining out after work. Vino Tapas & Wine Bar is a nice, casual place to sit back, relax, and share friendly conversation over a great glass of wine or sangria and some truly delicious tapas, big and small. As they say in Espana, que sabroso! Alla delivers 'delicious' with a touch of class.

http://www.vinowineroom.com/