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| - *3.5 rounded up*
My heart still tears up when I recall the marvel that was Tapino, and I keep on hoping that a tapas bar would appear that rivaled it one day.
But, July 22nd was not the day, and Tapas Papa Frita was not the much hoped-for rival.
Don't get me wrong, Tapas Papa Frita is a solid choice for tapas in the valley. The menu, though for the most part unoriginal, contains a few little tidbits for the more adventurous eaters, such as oxtail (oxtail????).
My friend J and I started with a Sangria, and perhaps if we didn't order a *$22* pitcher of Sangria, I might have been more enthusiastic about the value of the place. However, a mediocre, very fruity Sangria was ordered, and drunk in good time; there was enough in there for a little more than 2 glasses each.
From the tapas menu, we ordered the calamari rings, the spanish meatballs, and potato pie (in English :-), no need to embarass our gringo waiter with our gringo pronunciations.
The calamari rings were friend to a light gold, perfect, and it came with a trio of dipping sauces that consisted of a vegetable compost (mostly eggplant), a spicy marinara (though more spice than marinara), and an aioli, which was disappointing as far as aioli goes. They were well worth the $6. The meatball, however, was entirely unoriginal, though entirely soaked in a hearty marinara. I probably wouldn't order that again. The potato pie deserves a 4.5 star based on novelty alone! I love potatoes, and I love pie. Who knew? :-) The only flaw, really, in their potato pie was the cream aioli served on top. If you must have a bland item like potato, at least have an interesting dipping sauce, or something that complements it, instead of being simply a limp bystander.
We also ordered the Valenciana paella. It was brought to the table still haughty in its pan. On their menu, they list the the dish as a "masterpiece", and, sigh, it's good, just not masterpiece-worthy.
On the plus side, I probably would have given them 4 stars without the $22 Sangria.
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