Si Tapas, 2949 Crockett St, FW. 817-615-9977. 11:30-10pm Mon-Thu, 11:30-11pm Fri-Sat.
After 15 years serving a broad menu of traditional Spanish tapas and Spanish cocktails and wines in the idyllic State-Thomas neighborhood in Uptown Dallas, owner and Spanish native ldefonso Jimenez recently expanded Si Tapas westward.
With warm wood tones and a sleek modern design, the location formerly occupied by Fireside Pies in Artisan Circle (formerly Crockett Row, formerly West 7th) drew in Jimenez. Along with longtime Executive Chef Jose Luis Lopez and General Manager Will Arriaga, the owner/operator softly opened Si Tapas’ second location in March.
Though Spanish in origin, the cocktails here seem mostly familiar. Combining Coke with house red creates the refreshing kalimotxo, a concoction from the 1920s that gained popularity in the ’50s when the first Coca-Cola factory opened in Spain. Si Tapas also serves a house-barrel Spanish negroni, a Jerez (Spanish sherry and orange liqueur), and the Asiatico, which is like a carajillo but includes Spanish brandy with the Licor 43 and espresso. Or you can keep it simple and just go with the house sangria. Every beverage is a qualified suitor for dinner accompaniment.
Para picar, or “to start,” begins your journey on what seems like an overwhelming menu, one that features items not found in Dallas due to the Fort Worth location’s pizza oven, but what this accomplishes is the ability to offer choices to satisfy every palate and for diners to brush up on Spanish 101. Potatoes are a recurring ingredient as a show of popularity in Spain, and the sautéed patatas con chorizo or juevos rotos with fried egg and Ibérico ham tasted like a glorious Madrid breakfast on a Sunday morning.
On our second visit, we opted for the shrimp in garlic sauce and the lightly breaded fried calamari to avoid feeling too weighted too early in our culinary campaign. The shrimp was robust amid the delicately balanced oil and garlic, while the calamari was peppery, with a lemon sprinkle providing adequate amplification along with dips into the accompanying creamy aioli of garlic, herbs, and lemon. Very little of the sauce was needed, allowing the notes of the seafood to stay afloat.
Photo by Cody Neathery.
The menu is divided into seafood, vegetables, and meat, though the seafood casts an adventurous range. Vinegar-soaked white Spanish anchovies and cooked baby eel swimming in garlic sauce mingle with cazón en adobo (a marinated baby shark) and seared tuna with cracked black pepper; flaky baked empanadas stuffed with tuna and tomato; fresh scallops in cava gratin sauce; or clams in a pool of white wine sauce.
The vegetable section offers the most selections among the three, and the flavors here shouldn’t be overlooked when compared to the meats. We found some of our most memorable bites here without surf and turf to add flavor, proving what a thoughtfully created vegetable dish can offer.
Bright, earthy-red beets bathing in extra-virgin olive oil and goat cheese sprinkles provided a fresh and tasty reprieve from our previous meat-dominated plates. Cauliflower gratin with Manchego cheese and almond sauce came as a welcome change of direction as well. There are several options that still include carnivorous habits, but we suggest giving pause to the protein here and enjoying the fare from the garden, or de la huerta.
The meat section serves up the most familiar options, with grilled quail and sautéed chicken in beer sauce (not a joke), but still feeling enterprising, we opted for the morcilla de arroz frita, or fried blood-rice sausage. The spicy herbaceous flavors were pronounced while the texture of the batter rendered a satisfying crunch. The flavor can become redundant, so we started mopping slices in sauces from other plates, which lifted the flavor profile.
Photo by Cody Neathery.
Winding down our adventure, we chose chuletas de cordero a la parrilla, or grilled baby lambchops, and the sirloin in Dijon sauce. Albeit widely known, the execution of both was precise, retaining tenderness with internal juices flowing from the pressure of knife and fork. Saving stomach room, we made mental notes of the fried pork belly in chocolate sauce and grilled pork tenderloins smothered in caramelized onions and Spanish blue cheese to be on our return agenda. And the amount of food to try warrants several visits, where each dining experience can be as different or similar as the next.
Either visiting for a date night or with friends, Si Tapas accommodates any occasion where the European dining norm of lots of conversation and a slower pace are welcome. And if you’re wondering about Spain’s most famous dish, yes, there is an abundance of paella to choose from, but we know not to spoil ourselves in one sitting.
Si Tapas
Chuletas de cordero a la parrilla $16.50
Calamares fritos $10
Cazon en adobo $9.50
Ensalada de betabel $9.50
Patatas con chorizo $8.75
