Joseph Gutierriz may have left Dallas, but his former Spanish restaurant is doing just fine without him. The name describes the vibe: follow the flickering of candles upon entering, and you’ll find high-backed banquettes covered with red velvet and low, dangling chandeliers that add to the boudoir vibe. But don’t let that distract you from what’s happening on the plate.
You can make a meal out of tapas here, and it ought to include artichoke hearts egg-batter-dipped and lightly fried, served with a garlicky romesco sauce. Rich red peppers stuffed with a creamy, dreamy mix of shrimp and crab lay gently in a pool of decadent saffron-infused sauce, a taste that took us straight over the Atlantic. Spicy mussels were fat and hearty if a bit chewy, and two little tomatoes arrived stuffed with blue cheese rather than the advertised goat. But no matter. We had already ordered a filet with Cabrales sauce, a tender if grainy cut of beef enriched by the Spanish blue. The steak was split for two, each half nestled up against a pillow of mashed potatoes. Nice.
Service was a bit chaotic, with multiple servers asking the same questions—and double tapas coming out of the kitchen. But it’s hard to be irritated when everyone’s so darn congenial. Or when you have a subtly spicy Spanish Tempranillo-Cabernet blend in your wine glass.
Update: Neighborhood Services has moved into former Rouge space.
