I miss Solera. Loud, ambitious, energetic—it matched the mood in the Twin Cities dining scene in the 2000-2015. You could pop in and get Spanish-style tapas and have a casual drink or do it up for a big-time date night. So, when the sign went up on the former Handsome Hog on Cathedral Hill in St. Paul for Tasca Madrid, I was intrigued.
I went to Tasca Madrid on a Sunday night about two months after dinner service debuted. The neighboring bakery has had huge buzz since it opened, and the breads made at San Román are all over the menu at Tasca. The layout of the room is identical to Fitzgerald’s and The Fitz (sports bar) and Handsome Hog. While Tasca refreshed the interior with new touches celebrating Spain, including the mural below, it’s not a major visual change.
We were struck by how approachable and affordable the menu is. Many things come in “tapa” size, half and full orders. If you come to a Spanish tapas restaurant, there are a couple things everyone orders: patatas bravas, tomato bread, and Iberico ham. All three of these at Tasca Madrid are works in progress.
Pan con Tomate is so close to great. The tomato is perfectly grated, the garlic is strong and fresh, but it needed a pinch of salt, and the house-made sourdough had nice flavor to go with the tomatoes, but it didn’t quite hold up to the toppings. Frankly, day-old sourdough might work better here, a little bit more crusty. This is such a simple and satisfying Catalan classic, but there aren’t many places to hide, it’s so close to perfect I will try it again and wonder what you think. The full order ($9) had two pieces of bread cut into six pieces, but you can get a single section for just $3.
The Plato Ibérico was disappointing. We got the half order ($15), which featured serrano ham, chorizo, and Salchichón salami—all of it was sliced a little more thickly than I’d expect. I want that jamón serrano to melt in my mouth, and it was just too thick.
And the Patatas Brava was perfectly fried crispy potatoes, the garlic aioli was spot on, but there was something off about the brava sauce. Not enough smoky/spicy? Too much like gravy? Not enough acid? A small tweak could elevate this tremendously. The end result was a dish that was screaming for more punch.
There were enough huge hits on the menu to give me hope for the future of this place. The giant beans (Habas blancas) were spot on. Great texture and great flavor of these big ol’ white beans in a bath of terrific olive oil.
From the plancha, a true home-run. There’s a Mar y Tierra dish with beef and prawn ($45), but we wanted to try the Cerdo pork tenderloin. Our server said no problem, swapped out the beef, and the pork was glorious. Incredibly well-seasoned, both the pork and prawns were perfectly cooked. More of this energy throughout the rest of the menu!
Desserts from the neighboring bakery were all very tasty: the Tarta de Santiago ($9) almond cake was rich, moist, delicious; the Tarta Rustica with pineapple was especially surprising. Just a great explosion of flavor ($10).
Tasca Madrid is open for lunch with a three-course prix fixe for $28, and on the weekend lunch is paella on the patio which looks super fun. I see a lot of potential here. Chef and owner Alberto Blanco worked with Stewart Woodman at Heidi’s, and he owned an acclaimed restaurant in Guatemala (and is known for his skill with wine). The list is rich, going way beyond Rioja, and very affordable by the glass. This should be a fun spot to have a glass of wine and a tapa!
You should know the kitchen closes an hour before closing time, which is clearly stated on the website, and our server told us about it immediately, as we arrived about 80 minutes before closing time.
Tasca Madrid, 173 Western Ave. N., St. Paul, tascamadrid.com
No reservations, open daily except no Tuesday dinner. Parking lot to the west of Red Cow on Selby.
