Little Spain at The Farmers Market

I’ve heard so much about this new Spanish restaurant that opened up late last year and I thought why now try a new one. And so off we went to Fairfax and 3rd. I’ve been eating and shopping at Monsieur Marcel for a number of years now and that’s the only place I eat at the Farmers Market. So I came into Little Spain thinking maybe I’ll have an alternative to MM.

front/bar

Definitely Spanish… then we passed by the “market” area…

left side

right wall

We were seated at the back patio which was a really nice space. It can be heated up if it’s chilly out. It’s a very cozy space with simple, heavy wooden dining tables and chairs. I love the fact that it’s quite secluded despite the noise of 3rd st and Fairfax even at night. Some may not like these situation but I do.

view on 3rd St

it is right next to Starbucks

Went over the menu and we got the following…

Croquetas Españolas with Jamon Serrano, $5

According to the menu, it is their popular Spanish croquettes and you can have it with chicken ($4.50), Jamon Serrano ($5) and crab ($5). It came with french fries and 2 sauces. The white one tasted like mayonnaise and the darker one is barbecue sauce. Seriously, like bottled barbecue sauce. The croquettes were so-so, made worse by the sauces. French fries were crispy at least. If you’re craving for croquettes, Porto’s has the best for the money. They have ham and chicken, I’ve had both and the chicken is delicious. So far, the start to our adventure into Spanish cuisine is disappointing.

Tabla de Quesos Española, $10

Next, I ordered the Pa Amb Tomquet with a plate of four cheeses. According to menu, this dish is originally from Catalunya in Northeastern Spain. It is an artisan toast smeared with tomato, olive oil and served with a typical Spanish topping. At least this one’s good. For that amount, they could have at least doubled the amount of toast.

Fideua, $12

B ordered the paella’s first cousin, the Fideua. It is a thin and short pasta that’s crunchy on the bottom and soft on the top (kinda like the paella). This dish was made with cut-up angel hair pasta with garlic, scallops, shrimp and calamari. It came with this mayonaisse-y sauce on both sides of the plate which got my daughter confused because she didn’t know what it was for. I had some of this dish and more disappointment came over the whole family.

Paella de Mariscos

Finally, J and the hubs had the seafood paella and hopes were high. The first bite was like the pin that popped the balloon. Just like that disappointment washed over us once again. How can food be this bad given that on Yelp they have 4 stars? I mean, the components were there. I can certainly taste the saffron but the flavor’s just so “non”-intense. The flavors, or the lack of it, screams lame. And if you’re a chef, you know that diners eat with their eyes first, nose second and taste buds last. The fideua and the paella both looked very unappetizing.

I feel so bad having to say this because I’ve never had it this bad. But it was bad. Thank goodness the hubs stopped me from ordering dessert. He said not to put the kids through that. Imagine? The trauma the kiddos will experience if the churros con chocolate got murdered.

But, I will go back. Because I wanted to give it another chance. I wanted to see what the people at Yelp that gave it 5 stars tasted. Maybe it was the chef’s “off” day. Whatever excuse… I want to taste the churros con chocolate.

I feel bad and I’m still hungry…. 😦

xo, Emilie