By Sarah Hurd

Toro Bravo – Spanish Tapas Family Style Dining

Toro Bravo, a Spanish-inspired tapas restaurant, is located at 120 NE Russel Street in Portland, OR. They pride themselves on blending unique (and new) elements into the Spanish style. How could they not be top-notch with John Gorham spearheading a fresh, seasonal menu – he is also responsible for Tasty ‘N Sons and Tasty ‘N Alders, Portland gems!

As a newbie to Portland, I had heard amazing reviews about this restaurant from friends for the past month and have been dying to go! They don’t take reservations so I’ve been told to go early or expect to wait. Well…I went with a group of four other ladies on a Tuesday night at prime dinner time. We must have hit the jackpot because we got in and were seated in 10 minutes. The hostess was really nice and accommodating and took our drink orders while we waited — we started with a sangria pitcher. I am pretty picky with my sangria – usually it’s too sweet, but this one was perfect with tart berries included to tone it down. And pitchers were a great deal for $25.

We immediately got cozy and felt at home at Toro Bravo – splitting a large wooden table with another group. This was no problem at all, as the tables are quite large and you don’t even notice because the atmosphere is impeccable. The restaurant is one big open room, with wooden tables and intense red walls, where you feel invited, comfortable and don’t want to leave. The service was great throughout the course of our meal, and the servers were very cognizant of our table’s allergies and making sure our orders were compliant.

The dishes we tried were all delicious – my favorites were the brussel sprouts with a sherry reduction and the Eggplant/Lamb Ragu. The Brussel sprouts come shaved, with bits of Applewood smoked (i.e. the tastiest) bacon thrown in that add the ideal amount of saltiness to the dish, but not too much that you’re looking for sips of water after each bite. I didn’t even focus on the sherry reduction because the brussels themselves were so delicious. Definitely order these!

The Lamb Ragu is stuffed into the eggplant and it is fabulous. The sides of colorful olives spark your taste buds and prepare them for the perfection that comes next. I know people give eggplant a bad rap…but why? It makes this Toro Bravo dish, serving as the outer layer that allows the lamb and tomato sauce to combine, melt and create the perfect taste in your mouth. And cheese makes everything better — Am I right? I don’t know much about Mahon cheese, but let me tell you, it worked. It melted right on the lamb and eggplant to give it a little smoky mouthfeel. The dish went too quickly.

We also ordered the Cod Fritters – they were ok. To me, the fried batter was too overpowering, compared to the fish. They were a little too salty for me, but the rest of the group loved them.

We also ordered the clam cataplana, the Raddichio salad, Chicken Catalan and the Lemon Ricotta cheesecake with basil sorbet for dessert. I wouldn’t ordinarily order a Raddichio salad because its plain and the other salads often sound so much more complex. But sometimes, my friends, simpler is better. The moral of the story is that I’m now in love with the Radicchio salad. The Manchego Vinaigrette dressing makes it impeccable and the green olive toast is to die for. They grill the toast with a bit of olive oil or butter (some type of delicious fat) and then mush olives on it as a topping, and YOU GUYS. WOW.

The basil sorbet was interesting – not my favorite flavor of sorbet but it’s worth trying. I guess I’m just a sucker for sweeter ice cream flavors. But the cheesecake was so soft, delicate, and very light. They also provide a graham cracker crust for topping that gives it the little bit of crunch it needs.

Overall, the plates at Toro Bravo are all on the smaller side (but then again, its tapas), but it’s a great experience. Bring your friends, your relatives, your significant other, or just bring your appetite to try some of the best tapas in Portland. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Click Here to try some Amazing Creole next at Portland’s Acadia.