A meal at Gastro Bar has a way of becoming a party. When we arrived at the new Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar, there were three of us. The downtown location by Columbus Park ups the odds of running into a friend on the sidewalk. Join us, we say. Soon, another friend who lives around the corner stops by. The more the merrier—the menu of tapas, pastas and flatbreads is designed for sharing.
Gastro Bar’s lively, open, contemporary design in aqua, along with comfortable, padded chairs and booths, worn, rustic blonde wood tables, and chevron-patterned floors in shades of ivory and dark and light browns, sets the tone for convivial sharing. Fabric paintings of a matador and a flamenco dancer decorate the dominant bare brick wall.
Across the dining room, a long bar beckons, where we begin our evening with a cocktail from the tempting drinks list, which also includes an ample selection of wines from around the world. High marks for the watermelon mojito; it was refreshing, simple and not too sweet. Same goes for the Cucumber Cooler—gin, lime, muddled mint, elderflower liquor, St. Germain, and a spear of cucumber—and the house-made sangría, with its hint of berry flavor. For those who prefer beer, the international list ranges from Sierra Nevada IPA and Belgian Palm to Italian Peroni.
Once we were seated, our server explained the restaurant’s sharing philosophy, telling us the menu of tapas, pastas and flatbreads is influenced by the cuisines of Spain, France and Italy, each dish with reinvented flourishes by executive chef Paul Failla. With a résumé that most recently includes the trendy Bar Sugo in Norwalk, Failla also gives his updated Mediterranean touch to a smaller selection of entrées of chicken, steak and grilled salmon. It was clear from the outset we’d have trouble selecting just a few plates.
Tapas are divided into Clasicas, Gastro and A La Plancha. But chef Failla’s classics are as creative as the gastro tapas. Take the Higos y Jamón, a traditionally simple dish of fresh figs and thin slices of prosciutto. Here, it is something completely different. Chef Failla stuffs the figs with a square of Spanish Manchego, wraps the figs in prosciutto and bakes them. What flavors! The soft, sweet figs contrasted nicely with the salty ham, rich cheese, and vin cotto, a sweet wine syrup. The accompanying baby arugula, fresh and pleasingly bitter, and toasted hazelnuts were the final touches on a winning dish.
The patatas bravas, spears of potato seasoned with paprika and cumin, are roasted in duck fat (yum) before being warmed in a coating of spicy tomato salsa, enhanced with saffron aioli. Smoky, spicy and satisfying, these potatoes are a must-order. Baked eggplant, layered with soft, thick mascarpone and ricotta cheese is garnished with prosciutto di Parma. When it hits the table, don’t hesitate: Eat it while the cheese melts and oozes.
From the gastro tapas, duck liver mousse with pickled onion gelée and grilled bread wasn’t available—we made a note of it for next time—so we moved onto the a la plancha tapas, all prepared on the flattop. We opted for the chicken brochettes, which come with sunchoke purée. Neatly cubed, the chicken is threaded on wooden skewers with red pepper and charred onion. With subtle spicing of sweet Spanish paprika on the meat, the dish appealed to those who like milder flavors. The sunchoke purée, with its mild artichoke flavor, was sweet and lush. We rolled the chicken in it.
Flatbreads tempted us too with toppings of short ribs, horseradish cream and applewood smoked bacon, or duck ham with Spanish sheep’s milk cheese and pickled onions. The clam flatbread was thin-crusted and golden, and flavorfully seasoned with garlic, chilies, bacon and small clams.
House-made pappardelle with short ribs, black truffle and cream wasn’t available, but that disappointment was short-lived once we tasted the homemade potato gnocchi with creamy wild mushroom sauce. Making potato gnocchi this soft is an art. And the sauce, made of roasted chicken stock and sherry, and enriched with a slow-poached egg, was a comforting indulgence we’d order again.
From the entrées, grilled salmon with horseradish crema, with wonderful patatas bravas, asparagus and a soft-boiled egg, sounded appetizing—another note for next time—but the market fish of the day was soft shells. “How are they cooked?” we asked. Deep-fried, our server replied. Could he sauté them instead? The waiter returned from the kitchen with the answer we were hoping for.
Gastro Bar’s kitchen and servers are efficient. If you want to linger at your table, let your server know. We asked that our tapas be staggered, but before we knew it, the table was full of plates. No problem. We lingered anyway: Our table was full of friends too.