Dining report:
I went last night with a group of 6. Here’s a rundown of what we ordered and some abbreviated thoughts:
(1) Porrón
Someone who I presume was the Spanish manager that @CiaoBob mentioned came around and poured some tasty sangria in our mouths via a porrón. Fun start to the evening!
(2) Amuse-bouche
Small, circular mushroom quiche. I don’t eat mushrooms (don’t @ me!), so I picked those out and was left with badly disfigured quiche remnants, though the remnants tasted good! The rest of the group were fans of the quiche.
(3) Ham Croquetas
Good fry and seasoning/flavor. The red sauce was a fantastic pepper sauce with just the right amount of heat. These were spherical as you can see, as opposed to the more traditional oblong shape, though that is not a criticism, although the shape consistency was a tad off. The filling was a bit more liquid than expected, perhaps a few extra seconds in the food processor, though not to the point where it ruined the dish. The ingredients and presentation are all here, they just need to refine the prep a smidge.
(3) Pan con Tomate
My sister’s first comment was that the bread was not toasted enough, echoing @CiaoBob’s take. The tomato topping was also, as @CiaoBob mentioned, average at best.
(4) Jamón Ibérico de Bellota
One of my absolute favorite foods. They are clearly using the real deal, and whoever carved it did a great job, which was my main concern going in. It was carved slightly thinner than they do at Wally’s, the only other place in LA I have ordered this. Putting it on top of the pan con tomate almost made that dish worthwhile, though purists might say that this special of ham should be eaten plain.
(5) Patatas Bravas
Pefectly crisped and seasoned potatoes beneath a mountain of brava and aioli. A bit too heavy on the sauces, but, both sauces were delicious, and it’s easy to dab a little sauce on your plate if it’s too much.
(6) Empanadas
I can’t recall a single instance of empanadas on a tapas menu in Spain, which perhaps explains why this dish was good but not great. These were thin discs filled with a yellow curry-esque chicke, rather than the standard empanada shape. Solid, tasty, but nothing special.
(7) Pulpo Telefèric
Perfectly tender and a nice presentation. I’m not a huge octopus fan, but I really enjoyed this.
(8) Gambas al Ajillo
These were served head on, which was tough for the youngster in the group, but they were very tasty. Garlic notes without being overly garlicky. It also came with bread, which was toasted a bit better than the pan con tomate bread.
(9) Prime Wellington
Puff pasty encasing a delicious short rib. Interestingly, the pastry here felt closer to an empanada than the actual empanadas on the menu. This came with a few bite sized potato croquettes on the side, which, interestingly, were both less liquidy and more uniform in shape/size than the ham croquettes.
(10) Gazpacho Porrón
The youngster ordered this and gulped most of it down in mere seconds. I didn’t get a picture before he started eating (drinking?) it, but the presentation was really nice. It had more flourish than a standard gazpacho, but the one taste I got told me this was a winner.
(11) Cali-Flower
Silly title, but great dish. This place is very adept at making sauces, and the romesco for the cauliflower was no exception. It came with some cheese and nuts, which were nice additions.
(12) Paella Mixta
Pro-tip, but when we ordered the paella, the waiter asked if we wanted the large version, which is not mentioned on the menu, as the standard paella allegedly only feeds 1-2. I don’t know how many the large is “supposed” to feed, but I can tell you that we all ate good sized servings, and there was still a 3/4 full takeout container left over. We ordered it with the socarrat, and just like @CiaoBob, we felt it was a bit light on the socarrat. The flavor and preparation of the rice was spot on. The pork and octopus were great, the chicken was good but a little dry. The shrimp, however, was bad–not spoiled bad, but texture bad, it was practically mushy. We also thought the dish could have used a few more dollops of the aioli that comes on top, which should be an easy thing to request for next time.
(13) Churros con Nutella
I have incredibly fond memories of stumbling out of the club at 5AM and walking over to the corner cafe for churros con chocolate. There are three things that make a great churro. The churro itself, the chocolate, and the heat. The churro and the chocolate have to be piping hot. These nailed two of the three. The churro was great (though just a tad overcrisped), the flavor was fantastic–it was either nutella inside and chocolate dipping sauce, or maybe vice versa, but it did not come out piping hot.
Final thoughts:
I’m a sucker for Spanish food, having lived in Spain many moons ago, so I was incredibly excited when I found out this place was opening. I have long been underwhelmed by Spanish cuisine in LA. Manchego in Santa Monica is my one reliable spot, though it is firmly of the cute neighborhood restaurant category. It does not have an exciting atmosphere, nor a liquor license, nor a propensity for creativity–it sticks to the classics, and by all means, generally nails them. I’ve been to Soulmate in West Hollywood, which gets perhaps too creative with Spanish/Mediterranean fare, to varying degrees of success. Telefèric is the perfect middle ground. It’s not afraid to get creative with its presentation of classic Spanish dishes, or perhaps add a bit of flair, but it is not flipping the script on its head. It has a full bar (not mentioned, but my cocktail was very solid) and a lively atmosphere, with appropriately-volumed music and a sense of communal fiesta (for example, the manager bringing around the porrón). The food was well flavored and the sauces were outstanding. There are certainly some kinks that need to be worked out–the service was good but still learning. My main criticism was on the cooking precision–the bread needed to be toasted longer, the croquette filling could have used a few seconds less in the processor, the shrimp in the paella was cooked too long (the garlic head on shrimp were cooked perfectly). The flavors are there. The food presentation is there. The atmosphere is there. I’m hopeful they will iron out these minor finish cooking details as they find their footing, which would make it an outstanding restaurant. Though even as it is now, I am excited to return and try some new dishes and re-order the standouts.
