Ox Bar de Tapas: A taste of Barcelona in the Beltline
Julie Van Rosendaal | CBC News | Posted: May 13, 2017 10:00 PM | Last Updated: May 13, 2017
Big, bold flavours dished out on small, shareable plates
Since 2011, Ox and Angela has been known for its Spanish tapas and interesting cocktails.
Its sidewalk-facing patio and prime location on 17th Avenue has made it a weekend late night hot spot, with food made for socializing. But it was a bit too dark and closed off for a true Spanish dining experience.
In recent months, the restaurant underwent an extreme makeover, enlisting the talent of Frank Design Strategy.
The two segregated rooms have been combined into one, opening the space up for a brighter, breezier dining experience — one that better reflects the essence of a Spanish tapas bar.
Chef Kai Salimäki moved into the kitchen a few months ago. He and wife Jean previously opened The Block in Mount Pleasant, and have histories at Catch, Notable and Vin Room.
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Latin libations
The bar, which has been moved over to the left side of the room as you walk in the door, focuses on gins and sherries, with a couple dozen bottles of gin on the shelf.
They make their own tonic concentrates, matching the flavour profiles of the herbs and botanicals with those of each unique gin. The menu has stayed more or less the same — why mess with a good thing?
"We've stayed with traditional Spanish tapas," said Salimäki, "Just big, bold flavours."
Taste-worthy tapas
On the counter, the leg of imported Spanish jamón ibérico (acorn-fed Iberian ham), cured for 48 months, stands ready to slice paper-thin.
It's sweet and nutty with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. A taste is worth the menu's highest price tag of $38.
Spanish tapas are the original small plates, designed for sharing and socializing. Try the crispy patatas bravas with romesco and aioli, salt cod and potato cakes, and grilled endive with walnuts and Cabrales (a Spanish blue cheese) cream.
Pans of paella
Ox Bar de Tapas also offers traditional Spanish paella, made from scratch with bomba rice.
You can choose between one with clams, squid, chicken and chorizo, or one with peppers, onion, fennel, eggplant, zucchini, chickpeas and tomatoes.
The 11-inch skillets take 35-45 minutes to cook, giving you plenty of time to nibble your way through the menu, sip gin cocktails and sherries and pretend you're in Barcelona.