Last night I had the chance to try out the popular and frequently talked about Toro, located in the South End of Boston on Washington Street. I don't frequent the South End very often, but when I do I always try to find a new location to have a great meal or a drink with a friend or two. It happened to be my aunts birthday on Monday so she invited my other aunt and her two kids to join us in her celebration dinner. I got the text to meet them at Toro, as the birthday girl, Margaret, had be dying to give it a try.
After work in the financial district I walked about halfway over and then jumped in a cab in the miserable drizzle falling from the sky. When I finally got dropped off I had trouble spotting this little place. I walked into a fairly sized open room with high ceilings, long communal tables, and a spanish/western decoration. It smelled of cooking chorizo and was extremely homey despite its decor and size. I put our name in around 5:15pm for a table of 5 which I definitely suggest doing since the place really heated up around 6pm. The hostess was very welcoming and said that as soon as the entire party was here I we could be seated. Usually, I really dislike those "entire party must be here" type places, but I didn't mind sitting at the bar in this fun place.
While I waited for the rest of my group, I took a seat at the bar and enjoyed a glass of the Garnacha. This $5 a glass red was amazing. I would suggest this if you are a red person, and even if you aren't, I really think you still might like it. Soon the family was there and my aunt Mary wanted a glass of Malbec. Being a diverse and off the normal menu type place, Toro didn't have a Malbec. No fear. The bartender who had the most amazing spanish accent set up a nice tasting of all of the wines that were a similar to Malbec. They.know.their.wines.
We sat at one of the high communal style tables in the center of the restaurant in order to really be in the action and soak up the fun, buzzing atmosphere. My Aunt Mary along with my two cousins, Margie and Pat, had been here before and knew a lot about the menu, so they took the reigns. Pat just got back from a foreign exchange program in Spain so he was very familiar with Toros classic with a twist cuisine. I really had no idea what we were ordering as Pat rambled off all of the different delicious goodies but I later took a look back to check out exactly what we were having. In the meantime, we enjoyed absolutely delicious light and fluffy bread with a garlicy butter spread.
Like a conveyor belt, the food starting coming at rapid place. Known for their small dishes, it wasn't overwhelming, just exciting to see and smell all of the different things coming to our plates.
The Datiles con Jamon (dates & ham) were absolutely cooked to perfection. They were crispy yet chewy and soft on the inside while the blue cheese complemented instead over overwhelmed as blue cheese can do. I would get a few orders of these as the dates come in pairs per order.
We also took a bite of the Jamon Serrano Redondo Inglesias which was fantastic. The pieces of ham were light, juicy, and flavorful. As a meat and cheese plate type of lady, this was really my cup of tea. One order of this was fine for our party of 5.
The Gambas al Ajillo were garlic shrimp in a to die for sauce that was not too powerful in its garlic taste but worth redipping your shrimp into to get another taste. I believe there were 5 or 6 shrimp in this dish so plan to order accordingly.
The Tortilla Espanola was FANTASIC. This was described as an omelet dish on the menu but really came as crispy, formed square pieces on the plate. On the inside, the fluffy egg held together the potato and onion to make a two bite square of unexpected delight. I would recommend getting two orders of this to share with a larger party like ours.
The Pato con Membrillo, also known as the smoked duck drumettes, were also wonderful. By the looks of it they seem like chicken wings but really, they taste like the most amazing bite of duck ever. They are covered in a sweet glaze and loaded with meat on the bone. I would say this is another example of a great meat to sauce ratio. One order is good for a taste.
The Colifor a la Plancha was a crowd favorite at the table. We ordered two of these little dishes of delight. The cauliflower is cooked in a raisin, pinenut, and spanish spice mixture which infuses the different flavored into the vegetable. The attributes really make the dish seem like something exciting and foreign but at the same time something you can make at home.
The Maz Asado con Alioli y Queso Conjita was by far the best thing on the menu. I cannot really do this dish justice through words,although I will try, so this MUST be your reason to visit Toro. The small ears of corn were covered in a creamy butter and shaved cheese sauce, pepper, and lime. These were extremely decadent and delicious. The corn was dense and juicy and the sauce was think and creamy, but really hit the spot. The group of girls next to us watched us eat it in silence with huge smiles on our faces, which sold it to them when they ordered a few minutes later. I would order a few orders of this. We got two and could have easily eaten more.
To top everything off, we also had the most delicious churros off the dessert menu. Complete with a candle for my aunts birthday, we drizzled and dipped them in chocolate. I must say, having been to Spain and enjoyed churros in their natural habitat, Toro did a great job of making them in good old Boston.
All in all, Toro is a great spot for having dinner with friends. The sharing of food provides for a social experience as everyone passes, tries, and talks about the creations coming their way.
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