The latest culinary hotspot to land in NYC is Tertulia (359 6th Ave), an Asturias-inspired casual Spanish restaurant inhabiting the former home of the West Village's La Palapa. We slipped in early on night, barely avoiding the crush at the door, and found two plush barstools waiting. From this vantage point, we watched two women churn out tapas near the window while a line of people formed behind us. Note to New Yorkers - if you want a seat right now, get there early. Beyond the bar, the space is divided into two cramped rooms with an open kitchen in the back.
Happily ensconced at the bar, we quickly learned that they are still overwhelmed from last week's opening and have some work to do. The opening enu was somewhat cut down - supply issues were blamed - and wines by the glass were not printed but posted on a blackboard in the back of the front room, all but impossible to see from our vantage point. We tried some Raventos Blanc De Nit cava and some cider from the taps installed in the large oak cask sitting next tot the bar. The cava was good if pricey ($14) while the cider was something of a revelation - a cloudy yellow in color, complex with a hint of fruit and a bit of earthiness. The sizing will throw you off at first - $4 for 3 ounces - but the portion size keeps the cider fresh. A rose from the tap was advertised as more earthy than its counterpart in the bottle but we didn't really taste it. Sangria was flowing freely while we were there but otherwise there are no cocktails yet. Seven sherries are available as well, which we plan on delving into at some later date.
The food has some items of note and a lot that will be familiar to fans of Chef/Owner Seamus Mullen's cooking. Recommended starters include a very good tortilla espanola and the delicious tosta matrimonio, black and white anchovies over creamy sheep's milk cheese with roasted tomatoes. Less exciting were the lamb meatballs, which had a nice tangy tomato sauce but needed more oomph, and the grilled octopus which, along with its sliced potato accompaniments, lacked seasoning, not to mention the apple which really added nothing to the dish. Not to be missed is the Arroz a la Plancha, a medley of mushrooms, snails, calasparra rice, celery and fennel topped with pieces of Iberico ham. The nice crust the rice gains from the plancha brings the dish an extra layer of flavor. And for those leery of snails, they are chopped into very small pieces so as not to disturb any delicate sensibilities.
Tertulia has the makings of a good neighborhood spot in an under-populated stretch of Sixth Avenue - once the crush moves on to the next hotspot. In the meantime, get there early if you want a seat at the bar.
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