Toro

Toro Restaurant Review:

The restaurants in Ken Oringer’s empire --- New French destination Clio, sashimi bar Uni and red-hot taqueria La Verdad among them --- are all well and good. But dollar for dollar, this tapas bar he runs with chef Jamie Bissonnette remains our favorite. Displaying all the brick-and-wood rusticity of its progenitors, it contains an open kitchen turning out Spanish tidbits, authentic in spirit as well as in their ingredients --- from white anchovies marinated in vinegar and olive oil to spicy green peppers topped with sea salt. The seared foie gras with piquillo pepper and candied walnuts deserves a lot of attention; however, the enormous paella Valencia is the real standout, overflowing with shrimp, mussels, clams, chorizo and chicken. We can never get enough of the griddled cheeseburger topped with Toro’s own “special sauce” and pickled onions. Meanwhile, wine from the exclusively Spanish list flows, especially cava, served as it is in containers called porrons, which raise drinking to an art form. The intimately festive mood thus created isn't even dampened by a tab that's rather higher than it would be in Toro's Barcelonian counterparts. Prepare for a long weekend wait and icy service, yet plenty of eye candy whenever you go.