Verdad: Small Plates with Big Flavor

I'm an ADHD diner. I admit it. My head goes into a tailspin when I try to figure out what to order when I go out to eat. It's hard to commit to only one appetizer, one entree or one dessert. What do you do when you can't make decisions about what you want to eat?

Verdad Restaurant and Tequila Bar is my kind of place. Most of the menu is "small plates," which means that you need not commit to a single dish at one sitting, but can instead choose many--hooray! The menu is extensive and even features a section called "nibbles." Feast on a wide array of dishes without looking like a pig.

The "nibbles" offered include a charcuterie board, a cheese board, olives ($6) and oysters of the day with house mignonette ($8). The charcuterie and cheese boards change regularly, and the pricing depends on the selection. The night we went to Verdad, the charcuterie board featured serrano ham, lomo ham and chorizo sausage with sliced bread and a drizzle of rich olive oil for $17.

The "soups and salads" feature a butternut squash soup with ginger and duck confit ($6), huitlacoche fondida (corn truffle and mushrooms, $8), spinach and bibb salads (both $8) and a grilled octopus and calamari dish (both $10).

There are three ceviches on the menu (tuna, hamachi (yellow tail) and shrimp and scallop) priced between $8 and $9. The hamachi ceviche with lime, cilantro, pineapple, coconut and jalapeno seed was surprisingly sweet and tasty but not recommended for those that do not like coconut (as this seemed to be the dominant flavor).

The "tacos y pan" part of the menu is hands down my favorite. I love a good taco more than almost anything. Pork carnitas are made with chipotle honey BBQ and jicama ($10), a Baja style fish taco is reincarnated as "flash fried mahi mahi with soy ginger sauce, carrot slaw and cabbage" ($13), and even strip steak is gussied up with tequila lime marinade, chile marmalade, arugula and queso suizo ($12). Unlike many other items on the menu, the tacos come in a pair rather than solo.

The "sea" items include fish and shellfish. Scallops, crab, tuna, striped bass, grouper and shrimp are prepared with Spanish influences like chorizo espuma (foam) and hearts of palm ($12 to 14).

"Land" options include beef, chicken, lamb, duck and even rabbit with both tried and true methods of preparation and nods to the superstar Spanish chefs who are pushing the culinary envelope. While short ribs with smashed fingerlings and port wine reduction ($15) is more traditional, maple leaf duck with mexcal butterscotch cotton candy, cactus rice cake and cashew ($15) is completely in line with the creative masterminds attending Madrid Fusion. The Giannone chicken skewer with sofrito rice, lemon and capers ($12) was excellent.

"House specialities" feature two kinds of paella (seafood ($58) and chicken chorizo ($42)) big enough to feed 2 to 4 people. The only caveat is that they take 45 minutes to prepare, so be sure to plan accordingly.

From the "Vegetables"(all $5), we chose chorizo patatas bravas, although the cactus fries and jalapeno bread sounded intriguing as well. Patatas bravas consists of potato cubes with alioli (similar to garlic mayonaise) and paprika. The potatoes can be boiled, roasted or fried. Sometimes the potatoes are drizzled with alioli and other times they are tossed in it. At Verdad the potatoes are fried, the sauce is drizzled and red onions, scallions and chunks of chorizo are added. 

For our dining coda we had the berriest strawberry ice cream ever and some churros. The ice cream was the clear winner. 

There is a full bar with--big surprise--many kinds of tequila, a hefty cocktail list (featuring multiple riffs on the margarita), wines from mostly Spanish-speaking locales and a beer list. For tequila afficionados, they offer the pricey Don Julio 1942 and various anejo tequilas as well as the ever-popular Patron. The margaritas are made well, so be sure to pace yourself as they pack a punch (even if you can barely taste the alcohol). I had a lovely Malbec from Argentina, and the beer list includes my favorite Mexican beers Pacifico and Negro Modelo.

The service was good although a bit rushed as it was a Saturday night and the place was packed. The bar area was definitely a scene that can be a plus or minus depending on your stage in life. Most people were having a great time enjoying the food, being with friends and family, and pleasant (though somewhat  loud)  conversation. I remember first working in kitchens and hearing the Hispanic cooks saying "verdad" a lot, and I had no idea what it meant. I eventually learned that though the literal translation is "truth" the way that I heard it was more like, "really" or "really?" depending on the context. 

For what it's worth, I enjoyed a great dinner with friends there and will definitely go back. Verdad.