I met the book club ladies last night at
Tapas, a new restaurant in Midtown Tallahassee that was, as I predicted, packed. Tallahasseans swarm to new eateries of any kind, and a place with decent buzz can stay mobbed for months. Local restaurant critic Ashby Stiff gave it four-and-a-half hats, so it's officially a hot ticket.
The food was delicious, and the service attentive. We shared several different dishes, and all of them were winners — hummus with olives, seared manchego cheese, sea scallop paella, grouper tacos, organic greens. Throw in some wine, and no one had room for dessert. The only quibble is that it's loud inside, but the outdoor patio should be nice once the spring weather kicks in.
I discovered tapas dining a couple of years ago when my friend C. took me to Jaleo in Bethesda, Md. It's a running joke that we have to eat at Jaleo whenever I'm in town, because the food there is so good. I'm glad Tallahassee has its own version now, so come on down, C.!
Footnote: Midtown Tallahassee is adorable, and I can see that it is rapidly becoming a hipster magnet. When we went next door for coffee, I saw a lot of skinny jeans, Apple laptops and slightly pretentious-looking hats. But it's not so edgy that I was out of place in my Working Mom gear, either.
