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Lamano: Cozy Spanish Tapas in New York’s West Village

When you think of Spain, it’s hard to overlook the many delicious flavors that come to life in the country’s food – particularly so in tapas. There’s much speculation about the origins of Tapas – which translates to “cover” – but there are plenty of tales. Myths run wild of bartenders urging sherry drinkers to cover their glasses with thin slices of bread or meat to prevent fruit flies from falling in. No matter the story, tapas have been heavily influenced by introductions of new and diverse spices over time.

Nowadays, tapas are mostly enjoyed as pre-dinner bites, though they can easily translate into wonderfully-diverse dinners.

Walking into LAMANO in the West Village, we’re in for a treat.

This newly-opened neighborhood spot offers a cozy respite from the busy streets of New York and an authentic taste of tapas paired with refreshing drinks. The restaurant is the second Lamano (another is in Chelsea) and has a modern design with reclaimed wood, Spanish accents, a fun neon sign, and a hand-painted map of Spain on its back wall showcasing both restaurant locations.

From what I’ve read, the owners, Jorge Guzman and Chef Partner Mario Hernandez, are “continually inspired by the Spanish tapas tradition during their trips to Spain.”

Guzman was born in the Dominican Republic to a father who owned hotel, restaurant and discotheque businesses, and soon discovered he had his own passion for the hospitality industry. Since his move to New York City, Jorge has opened several restaurants and plans to open more in 2019 – also in the Dominican Republic and Buenos Aires. Chef Hernandez credits his cooking “education” to his grandmother and cooking in her kitchen in Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico. He immigrated to New York City with his father in 16 but always sticks to his roots and uses the flavors of home to inspire his dishes.

Tapas, Tapas, Tapas

Our menu for the evening consists of seafood, meats, and cheese all selected by Lamano’s chef and presented by general manager, Diego Nuñez, a native of Galicia, Spain. In talking to Diego, his passion for food, drink, and Spanish culture really shines through.

As we wait for our food, we’re sipping on deliciously, refreshing Red and Cava sangria – a nice breather from the heat.

Diego starts bringing out dishes to try from patatas bravas (crispy potatoes with spicy salsa brava) to Pulpo a Feira (poaches octopus with potatoes in olive oil and pimenton) to foie gras with wild berries and boquerones (white anchovies in picual olive oil with pickled piparra).

Patatas Bravas, Octopus and Anchovies | Lamano

We order signature cocktails that pair nicely with the various tapas. My favorite is the El Betis consisting of white vermouth, cucumber juice, and pepper, while the other drink is a Sherry Cobbler (Amontadllio sherry, pineapple syrup, lemon, orange, and cherry).

Specialty Cocktails: Sherry Cobbler (Left), El Betis (Right) | Lamano

As we’re still nibbling, the next group of tapas arrives: gambas al ajillo (red shrimp with garlic and quindilla peppers), chistorra a la sidra (basque-spiced sausage with apple cider), croquetas de jamon (a personal favorite of serrano ham croquetas with cheese), higos con jamon (jamon serrano with figs; deliciously spiced), and a tortilla (free range eggs, potato confit, caramelized onions and truffle oil).

We’re filling up quickly, but Diego brings us a final treat. He’s holding a hand-selected specialty for dessert: the Tinto & Blanco Lustau, a delicious sherry paired with an orange peel and rich botanical accents.

If you’re looking for authentic tapas, refreshing drinks, and a cozy vibe, why not try Lamano next? I promise it won’t disappoint.

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About the Author

Nicolette Orlemans writes for Mezze Weekly in New York City. She grew up in a multicultural, bilingual home in The Netherlands to a Polish mother and a Dutch father. She is currently based in New York City, where she works as a communications strategist. When she’s not working, Nicolette loves to travel, and has visited much of Europe, seen many of the U.S. states, and traveled to Egypt. In November 2014, Nicolette founded #CultureTrav, a Twitter chat that focuses on how travelers personally experience travel – adapting to cultural differences, bridging any language gaps, creating new homes as expats, and much more. For more information, visit her website.

The Bold Character Behind 4 European Coffees from Ireland, Spain and Italy

From France to San Francisco, you’ll find coffee enthusiasts enjoying numerous varieties of coffee beans prepared in every way imaginable, but in Paris, for example, you may find patrons sipping their coffee just a bit slower than their American counterparts. Sure, in a quality-conscious society the traits of the bean and its extraction are important to us, but let’s not forget the character behind coffee consumption.

When taking in these 4 European coffees at coffee shops across America, don’t rush. Consider the character of the European social experience, which includes an expertly prepared coffee that’s typically enjoyed while lingering at a cafe and taking in a bit of quality life.

Café con Leche / Origin, Spain

This coffee treat, meaning “coffee with milk” in Spanish, is a popular breakfast stable in communities around the world, such as the Philippines, but most common in Spain and Latin American countries, such as Cuba. Cafe con leche is traditionally made with strong or bold coffee, usually espresso beans, that is then mixed with scalded milk.

Lattes / Origin, Italy

A latte, the shortened form of the Italian caffè latte, consists of espresso and steamed milk. The method of producing latte art is created by expertly pouring the steamed milk’s foam into the shot of espresso to produce a design on the surface of the latte. It’s a difficult art that depends on the quality of the espresso machine, the temperature of steamed milk and the experience of the barista.

Irish Coffee / Origin, Ireland

This coffee treat, meaning “caife Gaelach” in Irish, is served hot and is made with either espresso or brewed coffee poured over with whiskey, sugar and (not whipped) cream floated on top. Usually enjoyed in the evening, it’s become popular in communities around the world, such as Spain (where the whiskey, coffee and cream are poured in layers), Irish coffee as it’s known today was invented by an Irish chef in the 1940s.

Espresso / Origin, Italy

This coffee treat is a popular stable in communities around the world, and originated in Italy, where it’s consumption. Espresso is both a brewing method and a beverage, and although any bean or roast level can be used in it’s preparation, it’s extraction requires specialized skill and equipment. Served as either a single (solo) or double shot (dopio), espresso is enjoyed prepared across a variety of the world’s most popular espresso beans today.

Experience DC’s MOLA: Brunch from the Spanish Coast

Need plans for the weekend? There’s a new brunch in town that you definitely don’t want to miss. Mola is a new restaurant (from the team behind Nido) in Mount Pleasant serving coastal Spanish cuisine in a bright, airy setting. We were invited in to preview their brand new brunch, and the experience was a real treat.

But First, Cocktails

Mola has a wonderful selection of Spanish brunch cocktails that go far beyond the usual suspects. We tried a classic mimosa with beautiful fresh-squeezed orange juice. The vermouth and soda was my favorite, a light concoction featuring Capitoline Rose (DC-made vermouth), soda and Guindilla peppers.

We also enjoyed the rebujito with sherry, muddled mint and limonata, an Andalusian version of the mojito. This was nice and refreshing with a notable punch from the sherry.

Classic Spanish Tapas

A lot of the time when I go out with friends for brunch, we don’t want to eat big, heavy entrées. Mola’s brunch is perfect for groups who want to snack their way through a weekend afternoon while catching up.

As with any Spanish restaurant, small plates are abundantly available at Mola. We were over the moon sampling our way through several of the offerings, each more vibrant and beautiful than the next. The labneh and chickpea purée with ground spiced lamb were my favorites, but everything was fresh and tasty.

tomato bread with anchovies — Tomato bread with house-cured anchovies

house-cured sardines — House-cured sardines with aioli and piquillo peppers

housemade labneh — Housemade labneh served with flatbread, cucumbers, carrots and olive

chickpeak puree ground spiced lamb — Chickpea purée and ground spiced lamb with Guindilla peppers

olive oil and sherry braised artichokes — Olive oil and sherry braised artichoke with herb, egg and pine nut sauce

Savory Mains from Coastal Spain

Those with heftier appetites have plenty of options as well. I loved all of the fresh veggies featured in the main dishes, many of which are topped with perfectly cooked eggs. You can’t miss the huevos rotos, served paella style in a cast iron pan and the fluffy tortilla Española. Like the snacks, these are all great for sharing.

tuna confit salad — Tuna confit salad with piquillo peppers, potatoes, capers and thyme

tortilla espanola — Tortilla Española -with aioli and pea shoot salad

huevos rotos — Huevos rotos – four eggs over a mix of potatoes, onions, peppers and spinach (serves 2)

huevos rotos with serrano ham — Huevos rotos with added Serrano ham

squash pisto — Squash pisto with two poached eggs and Manchego cheese

patatas bravas — Patatas bravas with chili sauce and aioli

Don’t Forget the Sweets

Finish off your meal with a sweet touch. The torrijas are incredible – cinnamon and orange flavored French toast with orange blossom honey that is sinfully reminiscent of funnel cake (in the best way possible).

Brunch at Mola offers something for everyone with beautiful, fresh plates of food and tasty cocktails. This is the kind of good best enjoyed with friends and family, sharing a delicious meal and catching up. Consider your weekend plans made.

Kacy Kish, DC Contributor

Kacy Kish writes for Mezze Weekly in Washington, D.C. and with our readers she shares her own international culture experiences through food, drink, while highlighting cultural events and more to check out around the DC area. Kacy also writes for her blog, Bad Sentences where you can follow her own journey through food, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Chef Julio-Cesar Florez Shares a Taste of Peru in Austin Pop-up Dinner

When you’ve gathered together a group of Austin’s international culture and travel enthusiasts to discover Peruvian cuisine, on the day of the country’s independence and at a table in a Spanish restaurant, it’s going to be nothing short of an extraordinary juxtaposition—and celebration.

MezzeCulture teamed up with Austin-based Executive Chef Julio-Cesar Florez in August for a ticketed 4-course introduction to Peruvian cuisine, and how it’s been inspired by Spanish culture. During the exclusive meal guided by Chef Julio, sixteen MezzeCulture guests greeted one another across a communal table and then listened intently to a story as each plate was described, during a unique two-and-a-half-hour Peruvian experience.

For a bit of a history lesson, it was in 1542 that the Spanish extended their rule over the Inca Empire and the Viceroyalty of Peru was established, of course only after a long campaign that took many years before the Incas, the mightiest empire in the Americas, could be subdued. Peru gained it independence from the Spanish in 1821.

It’s now been over 500 years since the Spanish first occupied Peru, and with it left numerous cultural influences from architecture to food. Over the centuries, Peruvian culture has also been shaped by its indigenous populations, including pre-Incan and Incan cultures, as well as influences from Japanese, African, and Italian cultures. We learned from Chef Julio that all of these influences were taken and mixed to form a modern-day creole, or criolla, culture in Peru.

For our diners, the dinner was an opportunity for Austinites to discover in their backyard why Peru is the gastronomic capital of the Americas and has been the number one culinary destination in the world for the past 5 years.

The menu was more than about eating good food, but rather and more importantly it was to learn about Peruvian culture through the food. The menu was culturally inspired by Chef Julio’s own experiences as a kid growing up in Lima, Peru’s capital city. “Lima was the viceroyalty of the Spanish empire in the 1500’s and it was referred to as ‘the city of kings,’ and each dish on the menu has direct Spanish influences whether it’s from ingredient or preparation,” he shared with us.

Attend the next Peruvian Pop-up Dinner with Chef Julio presented by MezzeCulture. Subscribe »

Many times, the cuisine is a person’s first venture into a country’s culture. For all but one guest, who at one time had even hiked to the top of Peru’s acclaimed Incan citadel Machu Picchu, this pop-up dinner was the first time our diners had ever experienced Peruvian culture through food. It was clear from first seating that everyone was excited to try each dish—and some were surprised by some really new flavors. Austin doesn’t have a lot of places to experience Peruvian culture through its food, so the dinner was the perfect opportunity for curious palettes.

Over the course of the dinner, guests were also treated to a Pisco Sour and Chilanco de Pisco, the most popular cocktails in Peru. While pisco is considered a South American classic, especially in Peru, the Pisco Sour was actually invented in the early 1920’s by an American bartender in Lima named Victor Vaughen Morris. Over the next few years it underwent some changes before settling into the modern Peruvian recipe we know today.

The first course served was Cebiche Criollo, a fresh seafood dish made from Hamachi, a type of fish, octopus and fried calamari, with choclo, cancha, and aji limo leche de tigre. “I wanted [this dish] to represent the bounty of seafood the Pacific Ocean provides Peru,” the chef shared. One of the main reasons Peruvian food is so amazing is because of the importance of using very fresh and high quality ingredients. The Spanish octopus and Japanese Hamachi were both delicious and tender, well prepared and presented in this Peruvian dish.

Chupe de Camarones was the second course, a contemporary presentation of the chef’s favorite childhood dish, this was a chowder of gulf shrimp, potatoes, queso fresco, aji panca, and fried egg. As the chef explained, the dish originated in the Peruvian city of Arequipa which is known for having exceptional langoustines, little prawns. We also learned that there are many kinds of Chupe, or chowders, served in Peru but this is the most popular version of the dish we learned. “My mom used to make this when I was kid. [In fact,] I’d even ask her to make this for me on my birthday,” Chef Julio shared.

Next the team served up a dish called Aji de Gallina, a plate layered with pulled chicken, aji amarillo, potatoes, pecans, and an alfonso olive. The dish literally means, “chicken braised in aji peppers,” in Spanish. Chef Julio explained that it was was during his studies of Spanish cuisine that he also discovered an interesting fact about sauces like those used in this dish.

He shared with us that, “[while] going over the use of bead and nuts as a thickener of sauces, I realized the direct connection that Aji de Gallina, an emblematic Peruvian dish, had with Spanish tradition. I imagined Spanish immigrants in Peru cooking using their own techniques but with Peruvian ingredients, [essentially] coming up with different concoctions that [would lead] to the creation of Peru’s most popular dishes…”

He also explained that we could see the natural progression of the depth of Spanish influences on Peruvian cuisine when we looked at other modern-day Peruvian recipes like Romesco, Salmorejo, and Ajo Blanco, which are essentially all Spanish dishes thickened with bread and nuts.

While bread and nuts are commonly used as thickening agents in the Peruvian sauces, we learned about other similar techniques when making sauces like Huancaina, thickened with bread or crackers, or Ocopa, which uses animal crackers and peanuts rather than bread, as well as a sauce called Uchucuta, which includes a variation that is sometimes thickened using peanuts.

Lastly, our Peruvian explorers enjoyed a decadent dessert called Suspiro de Limeña made with manjar blanco, or vanilla custard, and a port meringue. While the introduction of ingredients like milk, nuts and honey date back to the times of the Spanish Empire, as the story goes the name for this dessert was given by poet Jose Galvez when it was invented by his wife a couple hundred years ago. In Spanish, the name literally translates to “A lady’s sigh” because, like the sound the dessert is sweet and light Galvez is credited to have said. Today, it is known as one of the most loved Peruvian desserts.

Within just a couple hours over dinner, Chef Julio took us on a culinary journey through coastal Peru. The end of dinner left us with more than full bellies—we received our first impressions of how a capital city like Lima and country not only won its independence, but also embraced the influences left behind to shape the distinct flavors and culinary style that make up the charming seaside nation it is today.

Try These 8 Shareable European Plates for a Meal with Friends

The ultimate lunch or night out with friends isn’t complete unless there’s food to be passed around—after all, sharing is caring. When friends go out for food or drinks in Europe, you’ll find that many times multiple dishes with individual portions are ordered and dining is communal.

Going out for dinner and drinks isn’t just about the food, but about bringing friends together, and international cuisines are known to be most shareable. In fact, European restaurants are known for a great social atmosphere and offer lots of options to make a mix-and-match out of dinner or incorporating small, unique shareable dishes as part of the experience.

Explore a new cuisine in your city, and add interest to your next night out with friends by considering a restaurant offering one of these eight plates ideal for sharing.

Dish out Spanish Paella

An ideal dish for sharing in Spain, this pan holds plenty of rice topped with abundant seafood.

Bite into British Fish and Chips

The English love this fried battered dish, sometimes in beer and usually cod, with lots of fries.

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Happy #foodfriday – you like Fish N' Chips? In Whatcom County, we've got the good stuff. 🍴#visitbellingham #bellinghamexperience #bhamexp #foodstagram #foodie #yum #semiahmoo #seafood #fishandchips #summer #delicious #deliciousness

A post shared by Bellingham Experience (@bellinghamexperience) on Aug 5, 2016 at 10:32am PDT

Give a Go at French Escargots

These cooked snails are typically served in a delicious garlic butter sauce and parsley garnish.

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#escargot with #pesto and #garlic served #aunatural who needs a ramekin? #snails #nice #France #cotedazur #venividieati #foodie // taken with @samsungusa #s7edge #nofilter #travel #french #gastronomy

A post shared by Yuriy Zubarev (@venividieati) on Aug 4, 2016 at 11:34am PDT

Delight in Italian Calamari

A whole plate of sliced squid turned crispy rings of tender goodness with a wedge of lemon.

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Perfect patio treat #wishrestaurant #wishintoronto#fried#calamari#prosciutto#aioli#chili#spiked#honey#drizzle#dinner#appetizers

A post shared by Wish Restaurant (@wishrestaurant) on Aug 5, 2016 at 2:57pm PDT

Relish in Belgian Moules Frites

Steaming hot mussels with a side of crunchy fries and mayo keeps hearts warm in Belgium.

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#moulesfrites #stmartinderé #summersancerre

A post shared by laura lamont (@lady.lamont) on Aug 5, 2016 at 8:19am PDT

Snack on Dutch Fries

These are a late night street food often served with mayo fritesaus, a fun staple in The Netherlands.

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Belgian fries #bruges #belgium #frites #fries #mayonnaise

A post shared by Wayne Cuervo (@meet_the_friendly_universe) on Aug 5, 2016 at 1:30pm PDT

Grab a Greek Spanakopitakia

You’ll love these popular bite-size spinach and feta cheese pies wrapped in crunchy filo dough.

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#GreekTown #spanakopitakia #delish #crispy #yumyum #iloveit #myfav #@Athena Restaurant #food forethought #lovegoodfood🍽 #foodandwine

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Pop in a couple Belarus Latkes

Try just one of these crispy potato pancakes and you’ll know why it’s the country’s national dish.

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“ladies night. facepalm.” (CC BY 2.0) by aaronisnotcool

Prelog’s European Kitchen & Bar Creates Authentic Moments in Austin

Chef Florian Prelog and his wife Romana believe the best version of ourselves come out in places where we can relax—at their restaurant, it’s in the freedom of things like charting the pace of your meals, lingering over coffee and truly savoring the experience that European cultures value. When the couple came from Austria to open their upscale restaurant in downtown Austin last Spring, they paired the best in European food and drink with its relaxed way of life—for dining that reaches beyond our bellies and into our spirit. From the murals of European landmarks inside, to open-air patio dining reminiscent of Europe’s busiest squares, guests can truly sink into the artful cuisine and experience at Prelog’s, beautifully perched alongside a serine view of Austin’s Shoal creek.

It’s a place that reminds us of why we travel to explore Europe’s best experiences—offering a place to eat, rejuvenate and unwind, and all the while in our own backyard. In fact, everything about this European getaway in downtown Austin is about savoring the moment without needing a reason to. “There is a European style to hospitality that we strive to translate across the food, décor, kitchen, location and especially our team, that’s a reflection of our culture,” said Romana. “It was important to create a presence that truly carried an authentic European vibe, along with the passion and promise we want guests to come away with in our restaurant,” she explained.