I'm gonna give this place 3 stars so that it averages with my previous review. We are still at 3.5 stars.
I was really looking forward to trying the paella with rabbit and snails, a combination not commonly seen on menus. Is that probably why it was taken off? Not too popular I presume? A little too exotic? Ah well. The chef came to offer a variation with rabbit and also highly recommended the duck confit with dates option. We were sold on the duck.
I haven't had paella in a long time. I remember there being a lot more rice and a lot less ingredients. It's the opposite here. There wasn't much rice, but there were plenty of beans, dates, various greens, and a large duck leg which we pulled apart and mixed into the rice. Boy, was that ever tasty. Flavours were so rich and hearty. I felt it was a tad on the greasy side but hey, extra goodness doesn't hurt! The portion size was probably just right for two people.
I almost forgot the tapas appetizers. The stacked fried green tomatoes were my favourite. The fried artichokes were a bit sour to me but I enjoyed the combination of flavours. The grilled chillies with the tomato sauce weren't bad, I just wish there were more for $10.
The service was reasonable. Water was regularly topped up. We were asked if everything was alright, if my DC wanted more wine, etc... Not overly enthusiastic service, but still okay.
There's one thing I don't understand. Why are the tables so small when you're serving tapas? People who order several dishes can't possibly fit them all on the tiny surface area, especially on the two person tables.
Again, I've had another lovely dinner outing with good food and great company. It was a 3 hour dinner date! Maybe we might even go on a second! :)