DiningFever Picks the Hot Tapas Deals at New York City Restaurants

New York City, NY, October 17, 2007 — “Tapas,” “small bites,” “pintxo,” “cichetti,” and now “stuzzichini”: no matter how you say it, New York is definitely in the throes of a love affair with small dishes, usually accompanied by a wine from the appropriate region. Although the cost of these small plates can add up quickly, especially while sitting at a bar with a best buddy, most tapas menus sport combination plates, which often represent a great value. Share a couple of these and a bottle (or carafe, quartino, mezzo, flight) and it’s a great way to spend an evening.

Here are DiningFever’s suggestions for hot tapas deals at NYC restaurants:

Bar Stuzzichini
As the newest hot spot in the Flatiron District, Bar Stuzzichini has been packing them in all summer, and its long marble-topped bar is the perfect place to try the bite-sized appetizers for which the restaurant was named.

At this Italian casual dining restaurant, stuzzichini are divided into five categories on the menu: Friti, Verdure, Formaggi, Pesce and Salumi; individually, they are priced at approximately $5.00 - $10.00, but order plates of five choices for $22.00. Two of these and a dessert with a bottle or quartino from the all-Italian wine list and you’ve got a delicious meal for two.

Matador Bistro Latino
Contemporary Spanish and Latin cuisines mix with Asian and Middle Eastern influences to create Matador’s eclectic tapas menu. Located on Greenwich Avenue in the West Village, Matador Bistro Latino is offering individual dishes ranging in price from $3.00 to $9.00, but for real lovers of Latin food, I recommend the Plato de Charcuteria y Queso, a mixed platter of meats, cheeses and olives, for only $14.00. Stay for dinner and take 20% off your food bill and enjoy a complimentary glass of Sangria with an exclusive offer from DiningFever.com.

Alta
No combination plates here, but the all-Tapas menu is extensive and features creative and unusual dishes. Bring some friends to Greenwich Village, snag a table or a couple of bar seats and share a bunch of the small plates, which range in price from $3.00 for Marcona Almonds to $14.00 for Sauteed Fois Gras. A moderately priced bottle of wine from Italy, Spain or France and a couple of desserts (don’t miss the plate of five Spanish cheeses for $12.00) complete this relatively inexpensive (and sabrosa!) meal.

Antique Garage
At this romantic Soho spot (Mercer St. bet. Grand & Broome St.), the culinary influences are described as French, Italian, Turkish and “modernized Ottoman cuisine.” The owners invite you to “fill your table with several small plates from the Meze section,” which features two combination platters: a selection of meats and cheeses and a sampling of meze including humus, tzatziki, eggplant salad, circassian chicken and borek, $24.00 per platter. Sunday through Tuesday evenings, take 15% off with our DiningFever exclusive.

I Trulli Enoteca
Adjacent to I Trulli Ristorante is its tiny offshoot, I Trulli Enoteca. The small Enoteca menu features a well-chosen assortment of meats, cheeses, and olives from Italy’s Apulian region. Choose three ($18.00) or five ($24.00) and be sure to pair it with one of several flights of three wines, ranging from $11.00 to $18.00.

La Bodeguita
Someday we’ll be allowed to visit Cuba; until then, luckily, there’s La Bodeguita! At this Cuban Tapas Lounge in the Gramercy Park area, you can certainly create a delicious feast from the extensive assortment of Tapas, but try to save room for one of La Bodeguita’s authentic Cuban entrees, complimented, of course, by a pitcher of Sangria or a selection from the mostly Spanish wine list.

Tapas menus burst on the New York dining scene a few years ago, and the trend has shown no evidence of abating. It seems new tapas-style restaurants open every season in this city, each with its own spin on the popular theme. Although tapas originated in Spain, where “there are as many variations of tapas as there are cooks,” according to an article in globalgourmet.com, today it seems that every country’s cuisine is well-represented. Italian, Indian, Turkish, and of course Spanish and Latin restaurants have all added a selection of small plates to their menus, taking what began as “bar food” to a whole new level. Now, more and more, restaurant patrons are creating their own meals from a combination of these dishes, and restaurant owners are taking note and making their selections more extensive and appealing.

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