Review: TASCA on the Upper West Side is Your Destination for Delicious, Original Latin Inspired Cuisine

After just one visit to Tasca, you'll vow to return again and again. This beautiful, modern restaurant on the Upper West Side serves Latin inspired cuisine with the most original and flavorful touches. Their location on Columbus Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets is very convenient to local attractions that include Museum of Natural History, New York Historical Society, Central Park West the area's shopping district and much more.

We stopped by early on a Thursday evening. The attractive bar area in the front of the house welcomes you to enjoy specialty cocktails or a glass of wine from their wonderfully curated Spanish wine list. Tasca's seating is casually elegant and comfortable with tables for all size parties. The knowledgeable servers are helpful and attentive.

The menu has a selection of fresh salads that includes the Remolacha with roasted beets, smoked goat cheese, Caribbean pesto, popped wild rice, seasonal greens, and shallot crisp. Or start your meal with a few of their savory small plates. The Empanadas are some of the best you'll ever have. The flaky turnovers are available with chicken, beef brisket or vegetable and cheese served with a smoked paprika aioli. The perfectly seasoned Coca de Camarones y Chorizo flatbread is topped with shrimp, chorizo and garnished with a dry berry vinaigrette. Other small plates that make great table shares include Mejillones that are steamed mussels, chistora, garlic, albarino or the Croquetas de Maduros, a plantain croquette, sundried tomato slaw, lime zest, topped with grated manchego cheese.

Main courses are so tempting that it's hard to make a choice. The Codicia de Pescado y Mariscos is a mixed seafood dish with succulent shrimp, scallops and delicous salmon wedges with fennel in a perfectly seasoned lobster brandy reduction served with saffron banda rice. Steak lovers will want to order the Churrasco. The tender grilled skirt steak is served with yucca fries, Caribbean mojo and chimichurri. We plan to return soon for a house favorite. The Paella Valencia for two is made with saffron rice, shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels, chorizo, and chicken. You can also add sides to round out your meal like Yuca, their cassava mash and tropical herbs or Col Rizada Catalan with kale, pine nuts, raisins and orange zest.

Be sure to save some room after dinner for dessert and relax over an aperitif or coffee. Scrumptious items like Tasca's Coconut Flan or Tres Leches cake shouldn't be missed.

Ready for Brunch this weekend? Tasca has you covered with specialties you won't find anywhere else such as Huevos Gitanos with baked Gypy eggs, potatoes, spinach, chorizo, Serano ham, pepper, onion and tomato sofrito; Torrija, the Spanish style French toast with flambé sweet plaintains, Seville orange maple syrup and bacon; and their Setas, a wild mushroom omelette. Pair your brunch with coffee, tea, or an eye-opening cocktail.

There's more good news for our readers. Tasca is currently participating in New York Restaurant Week through February 13th. And they also are offering a special menu for Valentine's Day so treat yourself!

Currently, Tasca offers dinner and brunch on the weekends with plans to serve lunch in the future. The restaurant has a charming private dining space in their wine room that can accommodate up to 55 persons, perfect for a dinner party, corporate event or special occasion. Whether you're dining in, taking out, or ordering a local delivery, you can be certain that Tasca will please.

Tasca is located at 505 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 110024. For more information, please visit https://www.tasca-nyc.com/ or call 212.362.2211.

Photo Credit: Liz Clayman.

To post a comment, you must register and login.