I visited Bar Dalí with a friend for dinner before play at Center Stage last weekend, and we really enjoyed ourselves. This subterranean (sexy way of saying it's in the basement) tapas bar from Spike Gjerde (chef and owner of one of my local favorites, Woodberry Kitchen, and several other projects in Baltimore) opened recently (late March/early April?), and I suspect it will make quite a splash. We made a reservation for a Saturday night (early evening) and were seated in a booth in a slightly secluded part of the restaurant. The booth area was cool (and romantic?), but the main dining area was also beautiful but comfortable. (There's something about the natural light just sliding through the front windows above street level that make you feel like you're in an older time?) I imagine the menu will change frequently, but it's generally broken up into several categories of Spanish dishes: tapas; croquetas; banderillas (tapas served on a skewer - think the classic Gilda, which they have on the menu); bocadillos ("small bites" sandwiches) and montaditos (small, open-faced sandwiches); raciones (larger plates) that are further broken up into vegetable, fish, and meat dishes. We shared a few things: French onion croquetas (with sherry mayonnaise); white bean salad (with cucumber, asparagus, and green garlic); pork belly fricando (with ancho, crema, and ramps); and a side of grilled bread (to sop up the sauce in the pork belly dish). Everything was good - no complaints! The croquetas were a fun take - and I love caramelized onions, so it was a no brainer. The white bean salad was weirdly good - cold and refreshing and the freshest of spring dishes. I'm not usually the biggest fan of pork belly (it's a texture thing for me), but I really enjoyed how they got the pork belly skin so crispy! And the grilled bread was what all grilled bread should be (just at the line of burnt and served with good olive oil in a bottle on the side). And then there are the drinks! They have everything: spritzes, vermouths, gin and tonics, cocktails (including classics like Licor 43 and a Brandy Alexander?!), beers on draft (Spanish beers, Natty Boh, and Guinness); sherry; and wine. I had a glass of their wine of the day (a natural, chilled, red sparkling wine/pet-nat from Andalucía) and a glass of Txakolina (from Spain's Basque Country) that was recommended by our server. Speaking of our server - Finn - he was the best. He was helpful (we were talking too much to read the menu but he helped us narrow down our options so we could get our order in and not be there for days) and friendly and patient with us! He made what was already a good experience ever better. All of the staff who brought dishes or glasses of wine by were also really friendly. From food to drinks, service to ambiance, Bar Dalí is one of the best new restaurants I've been to in a while. I usually go to places when they're too new and you see all the kinks that still need to get figured out and you wish you'd waited longer before checking them out. I didn't feel that way at all at Bar Dalí. It felt like they'd been open for ages. They're already a great new restaurant option in Mount Vernon. read more