Break out the gum and mints; these suckers are irresistibly garlicky
(Credit: Shannon Shih)
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As it turns out, Tinto has a lot going for it. The young (read: seriously gorg) owner, who was raised in Majorca and Barcelona, has recreated the cavernous wine bars of his home. Brick walls and a black leather banquette envelop a wee space filled with small wooden tables. The diminutiveness is very European, though the servers haven’t quite mastered the dance-of-cramped-quarters. Our table was butt-jostled more than once, but we didn’t mind. Service at Tinto is so ardent and accommodating that, hey, maybe they were just flirting.
We had to wait for our reserved table; so sangria was offered on the house for our trouble. We highly recommend it—the sangria, not waiting for a table, though it provided excellent people-watching. Both staff and crowd were chock-full of beautiful people. Not cheesy-B-list beautiful, but possessing an effortless, cosmopolitan air that’s usually seen in supermodels. In fact, larger-than-life Angela Lindvall sat next to us with a table of lovely ladies as they were coddled by dashing Spanish men.
We may never know whether we were drooling over the food or the people. We’ll cop to having low expectations for the former, but we were more than pleasantly surprised. At Tinto anything sautéed in garlic is pungent and sharply flavorful—the shrimp is a definite must. The albondigas sopresas, though not especially garlicky, were addictively good. The “sopresa” in the middle of the meatball happened to be a bit of pancetta, but that changes according to the chef’s whim, so you never know what you’ll get. How coy. The cheese plate was also excellent. While many places will hand over a few skinny slices of popular cheeses, this generous plate was filled with five selections, some of which we’d never had before, each matched with a fruit or jam. It was perfect.
Tapas have been on a wayward, gastro-fusion-happy path for some time now. Tinto may just be the place to bring it back home.
Food: The menu is predominantly tapas, originally defined. There are entrees as well. Be mindful that certain ones, such as the paella, take about 30 minutes to prepare.
Scene: Fun, friendly and worldly—English was the minority language on a recent Friday night, with a mix of Spanish, Italian and Catalan predominating.
Insider Tip: Make reservations, especially on the weekend. It’s a tiny and crowded place.
Katherine Spiers is contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
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