A (wary) defense of La Tasca

Truth be told, I've always kind of considered La Tasca the poor man's Jaleo. The tapas aren't as high a quality as the Jose Andres restaurant, plus La Tasca has the added "bonus" of sporting a decor that, as my friend Audrey put it, "invites the image of Antonio Banderas swinging in on a chandelier." Plus, it hails from the dreaded "Arlington Chain Restaurant" family (though come on; there's four La Tascas and three Jaleos. Is this really giving them a fair shake?)

I wonder if a poor man's Jaleo with cheesy decor really is a bad thing. Sometimes you really are poor, and feel like taking advantage of La Tasca's within-walking distance location. Plus, there's the occasional roaming Flamenco dancer. I've found La Tasca's tapas hit and miss, but they're cheaper than Jaleo, have larger pitchers of sangria, and are a great place to hold a birthday gathering. On the negative side, our service was pretty inattentive (and I prefer the traditional tapas serving style of bringing dishes out when they're ready, rather than overwhelming the table all at once).

So really, it's your call. Don't walk into La Tasca expecting a culinary epiphany. But don't hang your head in shame as you enter its doors, either. But don't worry. I won't be coming by next week with a (wary) defense of The Cheesecake Factory. Some things are blasphemy.

The tapas we sampled this weekend:

Sangria a La Tasca: So fruity you forget it contains alcohol, their offering may be too sweet for some sangria purists, but it's delicious and the pitchers are generous. And if it's not your thing, they have about 8 other options for you (even, strangely, a Red Bull sangria).

Patatas Bravas: This was fried potatoes with a tomato sauce and a garlic aioli. A little on the soggy side, but satisfying (I must confess a prejudice; I don't like mayonnaise, so I avoided the aioli)

Manchego and Jamon Serrano: Good ham and cheese, but definitely could have used a less generous dousing of olive oil

Monkfish: Subtle without being bland; I was a fan.

Baby Octopus: Just enough chewiness and crunch for my taste - a simple, paprika-based presentation.

Salmon y Queso Fresco: Almost seemed a little too NY-breakfast to be at home in a Spanish restaurant, these rounds of bread with cream cheese and salmon were nonetheless tasty.

Flank steak and potatoes: The sherry-based marinade for the meat was fantastic.

Tomato and goat cheese salad: A refreshing side dish, particularly in light of some of our heavier choices

Shrimp with avocado: The shrimp were good; they skimped a bit on the avocado, but it was a nice combination.

Lamb chops: Meaty offerings, nice and tender.

Marinated pork loin: I found the accompanying peppers overcooked and uninteresting, but the pork was thinly-cut and well-seasoned.