Bar Jamon

My friends are awesome. I really adore each and every one of them. And one thing they all have in common is great taste in food and restaurants. I can count on them to accompany me to a little pizza place in Brooklyn or a higher end seasonal menu type restaurant in the West Village. Sometimes I am lucky enough to be the recipient of an evening out as a gift for a birthday or some other event. S. recently took me out to the tapas bar Bar Jamon in honor of completing my masters. We share an affinity for Spanish food which was well established on a three week trip through Spain four years ago. We often reminisce and sigh thinking about the delicious meals which included bacalao, stuffed peppers, tortillas and various forms of fried fish (of which we indulged a little too much).

We have been to Casa Mono, Bar Jamon's sister restaurant around the corner. Bar Jamon really is a bar, with bar chairs situated around long, high tables. We got there early to ensure a seat and began our experience with Cava Mono. I don' t know much about sparkling wine, but this was delicate and refreshing and didn't give me a headache, all signs of something good. We wanted to try a number of plates, but ham and cheese were must-haves. We ordered a plate of jamon serrano and manchego cheese paired with mebrillo (quince paste). I am partial to this combination from having to make trays and trays of the paste as a pastry chef in San Francisco. We also had to get pain con tomate. This is basically toasted bread with tomatoes rubbed over the top and drizzled with olive oil. So simple and so satisfying. I think tomatoes on toast is one of the best things to eat. Ever. We also had lomo (pork) served with shitake mushrooms and a plate of pickled sardines. The only disappointment was the churros with chocolate. I think everything served at Bar Jamon is prepared earlier in the day and just plated to order by the bartenders. The churros were hard and drenched in cinnamon sugar, nothing like the light, crispy/chewy fried dough sticks we were expecting. The chocolate was tasty, with a bit of a spicy kick, but it didn't make up for the churros. I guess it is a reason to go back to Seville.

Thanks S. for a wonderful evening out!

Bar Jamon
125 East 17th Street
New York, NY
(212) 253-2773