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The Herald - July 13, 2003
Tapas Bar Covers All Bases
E.T. Moore
Isabella's Taverna and Tapas Bar specializes in tapas, a traditional food served in wine bars in Andalusia, a southern region of Spain. The word translates into English as snack foods on top of wine glasses to keep out fruit flies.
From such practical beginnings, a rich culinary tradition has developed. Tapa servings are small - think appetizers - but flavorful and bold, featuring sausage, ham, seafood, mushrooms, vegetables and plenty of seasoning.
Isabella's is in downtown Frederick, MD., in the space vacated by 44 North. Chef Antonio Escobar, a native of Andalusia, keeps the menu lively and the food authentic.
Isabella's provided the first taste of tapas for me and my companion. On an outing for the two of us one afternoon, we dipped the restaurant's warm, crusty bread in olive oil, shared olives and cornichons from a small bowl of condimentos, sipped Spanish wine and shared each other's tapas. We had a marvelous, romantic afternoon for two for about $15 per person, including wine and tip.
That was our first visit. Repeat visits over the past 15 months have deepened our appreciation for Frederick's tapas bar, now 2 years old. We have brought in parties of 5 to 10 and consistently been impressed with Isabella's food,
convivial atmosphere and helpful, informative wait staff.
On a recent visit, six of us - parents, son, two daughters and a boyfriend - shared dinner.
Isabella's dining room is high ceilinged, spacious, inviting. Once seated, the scale is wonderfully intimate. Small wooden tables covered with jewel-green tablecloths are set with dishes bearing salt, pepper and a tall corked bottle of olive oil. Brightly colored salad plates, tiny glass bowls and starched, white cloth napkins lay at each place. Small cut flowers stand in cobalt-blue vases.
A Mediterranean spirit is suggested in the dining room, but the delivery is uneven. Spanish popular music -
sometimes bouncy, sometimes moody - plays pleasantly in the background. But the focus of Isabella's is on the food, as it should be for a restaurant presenting a new style of food to Western Maryland diners. Here, Isabella's delivers.
Our favorites include grilled chorizo - a fine textured, spicy Spanish sausage - served on a bed of garlicky mashed potatoes; and quesos fritos - deep-fried, goat-cheese-and-almond fritters - served with a zesty shallot vinaigrette. The
ping pong-ball-sized fritters were crispy on the outside but smooth and creamy inside.
We also ordered two vegetarian tapas: grilled Portobello mushroom slices topped with bits of spinach, red pepper and Spanish blue cheese; and artichoke stuffed with blue cheese.
Isabella's features a variety of meatless tapas, clearly marked on the menu - a good thing, since one member of our party is a vegetarian. The vegetable platter serves up three tapas and additional vegetables, topped with a pair of goat-cheese fritters.
The platter is one of six entrees on the menu, which also includes eight cold tapas, another dozen seasonal tapas (mostly warm) and salads and soups. There is plenty to choose from, plenty to share with others at the table.
Isabella's offers daily specials. My companion was pleased with one - the calamari deep-fried with sea salt. The tentacle segments were crisp and tasty and the accompanying garlicky mayonnaise so light it virtually floated out of its cup.
Teen members of the party raved about the brochetas del vaille, skewers of marinated and grilled lamb, pork and beef, and a tapa-sized filet mignon. The filet was tender on the inside, seared outside and served with wild mushrooms. Said the meat devotee in our party: "This is how beef is supposed to taste."
We also had different opinions on Isabella's desserts. We ordered a classic Spanish flan with caramel sauce (delicious, rich flavor and not too sweet) and a chocolate-cinnamon brownie with hazelnut ice cream (the dense brownie was popular with the kids).
We also ordered two dessert specials - a mini pecan pie (compared to American pecan pie, much less sweet, and less flavorful, according to my companion) and a strawberry cake (a surprisingly tasty cake with whipped cream frosting and slivered almonds).
Our server, Sedat, was patient and responsive, prompt with drinks and a new basket of bread and helpful in explaining unfamiliar terms off the menu. His service is typical of staff members we have met at Isabella's.
With tapas averaging $5 to $7, we typically order one per person, plus a couple for the table, eat plenty of bread and olive oil, share a couple of desserts and have a culinary experience for $12 to $16 per person, tip included. We usually order one or two glasses off the wine menu, which features Spanish wines and sherries.
It's easy to keep expenses down at Isabella's. The food is exotic and rich. Condimentos and baskets of bread are filling. We share bites, savor zesty flavors, and never go away hungry. With pleasant music, delicious food and a Mediterranean feel, Isabella's "covers" the bases well.
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