I recently had the pleasure of visiting Sala One Nine, located at 35 West 19th Street NY NY 10011. I will definitely be going back, and back and back. The atmosphere was comfortable, warm and home-like with a bar in the front as well as the back and beautiful art work on the walls.
Upon our arrival we were greeted by Oscar behind the bar, and within minutes enjoying a pitcher of their signature Red Sangria. Manager, Serafin Perez started us off with a delicious bowl of their Gazpacho a refreshing cool combination of tomato, red pepper, cucumber and white wine vinegar. From there we started an amazing Tapas Journey.
We were treated to Queso De Cabra Con Miel (fried goat cheese drizzled in honey and topped with candied onions), Datiles (dates stuffed with almonds and wrapped in bacon), Tortilla Espanola (a potato and onion frittata), Calamares A La Plancha (calamari with parsley and garlic), Croquetas (potato croquets stuffed with yummy Serrano ham), Gambas Al Ajillo (absolutely outrageous shrimp sautéed in olive oil and garlic – perfect for bread dipping), and Brie Fundido (baked brie over Serrano ham). My personal favorite was the Queso De Cabra Con Miel. I could have eaten 100 of those! Each item was presented and explained by Mr. Perez who truly did an amazing job of providing us with a true sampling of Sala One Nines fantastic menu.
Towards the end of the Tapas Course we enjoyed Pinchos Morunos (amazing grilled lamb chops marinated in cumin, garlic, cinnamon and paparika) and Trigueros (grilled asparagus with sea salt and olive oil). In addition we tried a delicious Spanish Antipasta which contained Serrano ham, chorizo, manchego cheese and salchichon. This came with Quince, a sweet fruit that paired so well with the cured meats and cheeses.
Up next – ( and yes, I apparently still had room for more; and yes we enjoyed a second pitcher of Sangria) was Paella De Marisco. Sala One Nine’s Paella must be ordered at the beginning of the meal as it takes 35 minutes to prepare and all ingredients are made fresh to order. The Paella arrived in a cast iron pan with shrimp, mussels, calamari and clams and I must say: all seafood lovers should try this dish. It was outstanding!
For dessert we dined on Sopresa Chocolate (warm molten chocolate lava cake), Flan con Vaineilla (a traditional Spanish flan with a hint of vanilla) and their most popular dessert Manzana Asada (roasted apple with vanilla and cinnamon in puff pastry and drizzled in caramel. Each and every dessert was more amazing then the next.
Sala One Nine is an absolutely necessary stop for all Spanish Cuisine enthusiasts. Restaurant Hours are Monday thru Thursday: 12pm - 11pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm to 12am and Sunday 4pm-10pm. Restaurant Phone number is Telephone: 212.229.2300. Please visit their website at www.salaonenine.com for more information as well as catering and event information.