Estragon

Walking into Estragon feels as if you are walking into a Toulouse Lautrec painting. Nineteenth century France meets Old Hollywood in this South End eatery. The restaurant’s theme is very vintage, from the black and white movie playing in the background to the Victorian furniture adorning the lounge area. Out of all the tapas restaurants I’ve been to in the city, this has been the best one so far.

Drinks

In case you were wondering, Estragon means Tarragon Wormwood in Spanish. This is very fitting given that I started my meal with a fabulous absinthe cocktail. It was minty and refreshing. I suggest taking your time with this drink. It was definitely on the stronger side. I also recommend ordering it before or after dinner because the taste is overbearing and will not pair well with your food. I took a few sips in between bites and the taste of the absinthe lingered for a long time, making it difficult for me to truly savor my food. Luckily, I decided to order a pitcher of sangria with dinner and set the absinthe cocktail aside for after dinner.

The sangria was very simple: red wine, brandy (lots of brandy) and citrus fruits. Unlike, the absinthe cocktail, it paired very well with the food, serving as a perfect way to cleanse your palate between tapas.

Scott ordered the El Jefe Margarita made with chili-infused tequila and a salt-paprika rim. The paprika rim was both smoky and spicy and it complemented the spiciness of the tequila very well. I took two sips: one without the paprika rim and one with. I noticed that the paprika rim made the drink noticeably spicier.

First Course

We shared the fried artichokes and the pork belly. The artichokes were slightly fried without batter and topped with a garlic alioli sauce. Scott couldn’t have described this dish any better when he said they tasted like “lemony garlic”. The artichokes were soft and just dissolved in your mouth.

The pork belly reminded me of chicharrones, which is very popular in Cuban food. It is essentially a freshly made pork rind. These were topped with a red sauce that was mildly spicy. If you are concerned with your caloric and fat intake, don’t eat this! If you enjoy a greasy piece of pork as much as I do, I recommend you order at least three orders of the pork belly. You’ll eat them like popcorn!

Second Course: Pinxtos

The second course consisted of pinxtos, or pinchos. Pinchos are baguette slices topped with tapas. Think of it as a bruschetta with unlimited options for toppings.

We shared four different pinchos.

The first one was a goat cheese and tomato pincho. The goat cheese was warm and slightly heated the tomatoes. The saltiness of the goat cheese was all the seasoning it needed. It was a very simple dish with a ton of flavor!

The second pincho was topped with beef tongue. I always had my reservations about tongue, but after eating it at Estragon I concluded that I love tongue and I will eat tongue over and over again. The tongue was very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Think of it as eating the skin of a chicken: crispy with the right amount of fat. The only downside to this dish was the one hot pepper that topped the dish. I am not sure what kind it was, but it was the hottest pepper I have ever had. It made my tongue hurt long after I ate it and nearly made me shed a tear or two. I asked for a glass of milk, which I couldn’t drink it fast enough!

The third pincho was very simple: Spanish chorizo topped with a lonely banana pepper. The banana pepper didn’t add much to the dish. I would have liked a few more in order to get that tangy, spicy taste banana peppers offer.

The last pincho we sampled was topped with pork belly, bone marrow and beef shank. These three ingredients were mixed in together with the shank being the most predominant flavor. The marrow had a very buttery consistency and I am certain it played an important role in bringing out the flavor of the beef.


Third Course

Two large scallops were served in pool of saffron cream sauce. The saffron was subtle, which is a good thing in my opinion. A strong saffron flavor can be overbearing. The texture of the scallops was slightly rubbery and tough.

Two small lamb skewers were grilled, served on a thick piece of toast and accompanied with cumin mustard. The skewers were seasoned very simply, perhaps with only salt and pepper. The mustard was very strong and served on the side of the lamb. I would have liked more cumin. Otherwise, this dish was flawless. Absolutely perfect!

We ordered, of course, the chicken croquetas, my favorite Cuban street food! These mini chicken croquettes could have used a dipping sauce, perhaps a romesco or a red pepper sauce. Their consistency was a bit ‘soupier’ than I am used to. When I normally make them, they have a meatier consistency; however, they were still delicious and I ate them in a single bite.

Our last plate consisted of several slices of manchego cheese and serrano ham, with the former being nature’s greatest gift to mankind. I’ve eaten a lot of manchego in the past and the one at Estragon was phenomenal. This dish was flawless and perhaps my favorite dish in the entire meal (besides the tongue!)

Dessert

I ordered a cheese plate containing blue cheese and a soft cheese (which I later learned was Mahon), quince and a cranberry compote garnished with walnuts and honey. When this dish arrived at my table, I realized the waiters at Estragon were not the most knowledgeable or the most passionate about food. The menu did not specify what kinds of cheese were served. When I asked the waiter, he said that one was obviously a blue cheese (I knew that already, but I would have liked to know the specific variety) and that the other was a manchego. It did not taste or look like manchego to me. It wasn’t until I went to Whole Foods two days afterwards that I learned that the mystery cheese was Mahon. A restaurant of this caliber should properly train their waiters so that are knowlegebale about the food they are serving, especially their cheeses!

Scott ordered the flourless bitter chocolate cake which tasted, felt and looked like a soft moist browny. The caked was drowned in a runny Basque sauce, made with heavy cream and vanilla. The sauce was very simple, but it paired exquisitely with the moist cake. It was almost like dipping the cake in a glass of milk. I loved this dessert! It was truly the perfect way to end the best tapas meal I have ever had.

I will definitely eat here again because there were numerous items on the menu that I want to try, such s the little necks cooked with serrano ham and cooked in Spanish hard cider. Drool… Next time, I will make it a point to order my tapas two at a time. I ordered everything at the same time and the waiters kept on bringing everything out without waiting for us to finish the previous dish. I felt rushed and a couple of my dishes turned cold before I was sample them. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant.

Bon Apetit!