Soul of a Foodie

18 Reasons for a Spanish Treat

Ines Saldana

Barca 18
225 Park Ave S
New York, NY 10003  
(212) 533-2500
Cross Street: Between 18th Street and 19th Street
Directions: N, R, W; 6 at 23rd St

For many, dinner is a way to share and enjoy each other’s company.  Last night I met with my friend Melissa who recently moved away.  We hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks so it was nice to catch up and enjoy some food. We met a Barca 18 on 18th Street and Park Avenue South near Union Square. 

Barca 18, a Spanish/Tapas cuisine restaurant, is a large cavernous space decorated in rich brown hues with dimmed lighting for a cozier feel. The atmosphere lends itself nicely to the catching up with good friends. Our waiter was extremely attentive and knowledgeable, providing us with the full array of specials and their contents.
        

After looking over some choices, Melissa and I decided to share the shrimp empanada, and octopus appetizer. The shrimp empanada was lightly seasoned with flavorful bits of shrimp stuffed inside a crunchy dough. The octopus on the other hand, was bold and extremely flavorful. The octopus came in a small plate accompanied with small black olives covered with a light and tangy vinaigrette. Melissa and I ordered the Barca paella with shrimp, mussels, clams, bits of chorizo and chicken as our shared entree. The rice contained roasted red pepper which gave it an extra layer of flavor. To finish the night we shared churros (a fried-dough pastry-based snack) with chocolate sauce. The chocolate sauce was light and sweet, which greatly complemented the cinnamon taste of the sugar coated churros. 
          

I will definitely stop by Barca 18 again. I must note that for a Monday night the place was packed, one can only imagine the mayhem it must turn into on weekends. This is definitely a place to check out. -ines@brownscaprod.com