Vega Tapas Cafe
Anecdotes & Analysis
Vega is not, strictly speaking, a tapas restaurant. Tapas bars in Spain might have a hundred or so different little nibbles, each one or two bites. Many of Vega's offerings have Spanish accents, but they're more like generous appetizers, and almost as big as some entrees I've seen.<br /> <br /> I usually wind up eating four or five courses here. Go through the whole menu and listen to the three or four specials before even thinking about ordering. Work at least one cold dish into the mix. It doesn't matter at all what order the food comes out. But don't miss the carp roe dip. Even if the idea of eating fish eggs turns you off, get it. It's creamy instead of grainy, and when you start scooping it up with pita chips you won't be able to stop. I have been know to go through two orders of this stuff single-handedly.
Backstory
Chef Allison Vega opened the restaurant in 1996, in a space formerly occupied by a couple of good Greek places. Vega and her husband left town a few years later to cook in the Caribbean, and sold the restaurant to their manager Glenn Hogh. He has since moved into the kitchen, showing a great deal of creativity both in terms of cookery and marketing.
Dining Room
A long, spacious room with big windows in front. The building is rather old and shows comfortable wear. You pass a small dining room and bar on the way in.
Why It's Essential
Menus dominated by small plates are common now, but Vega was the first permanent restaurant in the New Orleans restaurant to do it. That was over ten years ago, long enough for the place to have not only established its own style, but also to get a good groove going with special menus. Something new is happening at Vega almost every week. Overall, the cuisines of all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea are explored.
Why It's Good
Eating here amounts to composing your own tasting menu. The only large plate on the menu is paella, which can easily be split at the table. The rest of the food emerges on small plates (although some of them are nearly entree size). Indulging in a dinner of four courses is easy to take both in terms of size and price. The menu changes regularly, and the variety of ingredients, seasonings, and cooking techniques is very broad. This is accompanied by a minor but noticeable inconsistency.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Salads</strong></em><br /> Greens, almonds, Manchego, sun-dried tomato-balsamic vinaigrette<br /> Baby greens, apples, brie, caramelized leeks, cider vinaigrette<br /> Spinach, roasted golden beets, candied walnuts, goat cheese, curried vinaigrette<br /> »Jumbo lump crabmeat, arugula, feta, red onion, shallots, blood orange vinaigrette <br /> »Fried oysters, crispy jamon serrano, romaine, basil Caesar dressing<br /> <em><strong>Soups</strong></em><br /> »Creole tomato gazpacho<br /> Sopa del dia<br /> <em><strong>Cold tapas</strong></em><br /> Ceviche of shrimp, Gulf fish, mussels, calamari<br /> »Carp roe dip<br /> »Seared rare ahi tuna, avocado-tomato relish, chili-cilantro vinaigrette<br /> Seared beef, peppercorn vinaigrette, sun-dried tomato cous cous<br /> Spanish artisan cheese plate<br /> Foie gras terrine<br /> »Grilled eggplant layered with fresh mozzarella, arugula, sun-dried tomato and basil pesto<br /> <em><strong>Hot tapas</strong></em><br /> »Grilled roman artichoke, feta relish<br /> Grilled seasonal vegetables, romesco and alioli sauces<br /> »Patatas bravas, garlic alioli<br /> Pasta Mediterraneo, with spicy tomato and roasted vegetable sauce, olives and capers<br /> Pan-roasted Gulf fish on curried cous cous<br /> »Gambas al pil pil (shrimp, smoked paprika-garlic oil)<br /> Cumin-rubbed shrimp, yam salad, cranberries, marcona almonds<br /> »Steamed mussels, capers, fresh dill, white wine-butter broth<br /> »Seared diver scallops, butternut squash puree <br /> Spicy curried giant green mussels<br /> Chicken, wild mushrooms, leeks, feta in crispy phyllo pastry <br /> Smoked duck sausage ‘corndog’ <br /> »Serrano ham-wrapped quail, pineapple-fig-balsamic glaze<br /> »Smoked duck breast with spicy pecan glaze<br /> »Moorish pork<br /> Herb-roasted goat cannelloni, brie béchamel <br /> Grilled beef tenderloin with Valdeon butter <br /> »Pan roasted veal sweetbreads, crispy serrano ham, mushrooms, sherry butter<br /> »Exotic spiced pork baby back ribs <br /> »Paella de la Vega (shrimp, mussels, chorizo, calamari, scallops, chicken, vegetables, saffron rice)<br /> <em><strong>Desserts</strong></em><br /> »Burnt catalan creme custard<br /> »Tres leches waffle<br /> White chocolate bread puddings, saffron anglaise and coconut gelato<br /> Chocolate truffle cake <br /> Gelati et sorbetti<br /> Cheesecake
Deficiencies
Some of the experiments on the menu are unsuccessful. When busy, the service slows down noticeably.
For Best Results
Go in party of four to six, and order for the table. Most dishes are big enough to share, and the range of the menu is so wide that this becomes much fun.
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
1
Environment
1
Hipness
1
Local Color
1
Service
1
Value
1
Wine
Holiday Ratings
2
Christmas
0
Thanksgiving
2
New Year's Eve