A long layover meant I got to swing by Calle Ponzano on a quiet weekday. I'd read that Arima had good pintxos and that was enough to get me in the door. Ordered a glass of txakoli, plus several small plates. The croquetas de chorizo were perfectly smokey crispy-creamy bites. The buñuelo, a sweet piquillo pepper stuffed with a ground beef sauce then battered and fried, would've been great even without the dough which dulled the flavors a bit. The lechuga batavia, giant bowl of lettuce and sliced onions in a vinaigrette, was nothing out of this world but the acidity was a welcome shift from the fried foods. The briotxe de pastrami was delicious---the toasted brioche and pull-apart pastrami were an excellent match. I only wish there had been less tartar sauce drizzled on top since the pastrami and buttery brioche were rich enough on their own. Overall, the pintxos were great and I'm looking forward to trying more of the menu next time I'm in the city. read more