Had occasion to eat at Cava on the weekend for a special dinner and left fully satisfied with the quality of food, service and atmosphere. Cava is about as close to Spain as I will get and if it is any indication, I can totally understand why Spain seems to be THE destination for the travelling gourmand. It seems especially fitting with the recent closing of Ferran Adria's super celebrated "El Bulli", that I take my taste buds to the Iberian peninsula. Truth be told El Bulli is a about as far from Spanish cuisine (or any cuisine) that one can get and is an unfair digression to write about it here however, be that as it may... Cava excels in what it does deliver. No comparisons necessary.
In fairness the chef does put his own little twist on things to elevate it a notch. Dishes are served tapas style and it being a 'special dinner', the food just kept coming, each delicious plate its own special delight. There is a regular menu that one can order from but it was nice to be surprised every 10 minutes or so. With a little help from photographic evidence posted on Facebook, here is a run down of what we had:
Spicy fries with rosemary
Sardines on a crostini
Grilled calamari
Kingfish ceviche
Tamales
Elk skewers
Japanese eggplant with bonito flakes and fresh cheese curds
Pinot Noir poached foie gras
Black cod
Flank steak (or could be skirt steak - not sure at that point cuz the vino was flowing)
Baked cauliflower
and ending with Churros dipped in a spicy salty chocolate sauce.
Every single dish was a hit, each uniquely delicious as the next.
All of this was accompanied by some very special wines brought by the guest of honour. Cava charges a reasonable corkage ($30, i think).
Service was well paced and friendly and the atmosphere in Cava is quite lively.
What a great restaurant! This is definitely the first of many repeated visits.
Super delicious!!