Raval brings tapas, gin and tonics and Spanish flair to Jersey City

 Raval brings tapas, gin and tonics and Spanish flair to Jersey City

By Summer Dawn Hortillosa | The Jersey Journal 
 
Downtown Jersey City's dining scene has got a new kid on el bloque: Raval.
The Spanish tapas restaurant opened last Wednesday as the third jewel in the Restaurant Development Group's (RDG) JC crown, joining Mediterranean eatery Satis Bistro and dive bar Lucky 7 Tavern.
After spending almost two years living in Barcelona, co-owner Michael Garcia decided to bring tapas and communal eating to Jersey City, which has parallels with the eatery's namesake El Raval neighborhood. Both have risen above rough pasts to become artsy towns with nightlife and dining scenes.
I stopped by with Journal photographer Jesse Brothers to taste the tapas and sip on some of the best gin and tonics in town.
ROUND 1: DRINKS
La Paloma: Vodka, grapefruit juice, lime, rioja wine, peppercorn

--Jesse: "This is a little tart but it's really good."
--Summer: "This is so good! I would drink this all day. And the pepper adds a really interesting undertone."

Raspberry gin and tonic: Brooklyn gin, raspberry, Jack Rudy cocktail tonic

--Jesse: "It doesn't taste like a gin drink. It's real fruity and sweet, but not too sweet. It feels like a vodka drink.
--Summer: "I think it's ginny, but that's because I drink a lot of vodka."
--Jesse: "Oh, I do too. My ancestors are from Russia."

Modernista: Earl-grey infused pisco, pear liqueur, vanilla and lemon

--Jesse: "I've never had anything like that before. It's lemony, but a good lemony. Is this more tart than the other one? No, it's not as tart. It's pretty interesting."
--Summer: "It's way more savory that I thought it would be. It's a savory tart. I think this would go really well with food. Like, something with bread and cheese and maybe something like prosciutto...."

We started out with a few drinks, served up by Joe Donohue, the mixologist behind their cocktail menu, and Ryan McEnerney, beverage director and assistant manager. I recognized both men -- McEnerney's been behind the bar at Lucky 7's for years, and I knew I had seen Donohue around town before.
While Donohue's favorite is the Modernista, which gives a tart twist to earl grey flavors, he thinks the best seller is going to be La Paloma. The crimson cocktail features one of their syrups, which are all made in house, that's made by heating Spanish rioja wine with peppercorns.
"I have a feeling this one is going to sell. It has a beautiful color, it's nice and refreshing for a hot day, and there's vodka in it. Vodka people really like vodka," said Donohue.
The restaurant is hugely inspired by El Raval, Barcelona and Spain as a whole. (They're even got Spanish-themed murals and mosaic benches in front inspired by Park Guell in Barcelona, both by local artist Audrey Ryan.) It's no surprise then that they've picked up the country's obsession with gin and tonic. Raval's got six different gins and several tonics, including two made in-house.
"It's the most popular mixed drink in Spain, you'll find full gin and tonic programs everywhere from corner neighborhood bars to high-end cocktail joints," said McEnerney. His favorites are a concoction featuring Greenhook Ginsmiths Old Tom Gin and Hefeweizen syrup which gives it a white ale flavor and a raspberry gin drink he dares to say is the most refreshing drink in Jersey City.
ROUND TWO: TAPAS
Almendras: Warm, spiced marcona almonds and chipped manchego

--Summer: "Real simple, but effective."
--Jesse: "This is really good! It's amazing how it's so flavorful. And they picked a really good cheese."

Tortilla española: Omelet of onion, garlic and chorizo with pan con tomate

--Summer: "It's good, but I wish the crunchy texture was more integrated into the whole omelet."
--Jesse: "This is great! It's kind cheesy...but I don't think that's cheese. The chorizo is really good and the sauce on top adds a lot of flavor. I would come back and get this."

Albóndigas: Lamb meatballs, toasted pine nuts with saffron tomato sauce

--Summer: "So good! These are so light and has a really nice texture. There's a lot of tomato flavor, but I think that's a good thing. I definitely wouldn't want to eat this without bread."
--Jesse: "These are really rich, really good, really flavorful and well-seasoned."

Then executive chef Michael Fioranti, who also heads the kitchen at Satis, brought out the stars of the show, the tapas.
"We try to give our take on traditional dishes, but also honor them," said Fioranti, who spent two weeks touring and tasting in El Raval. He gave us pan con tomate, bread with tomato and butter on top, as well as three other small plate items. In total, he recommends that diners order about five to seven tapas per person.
The tapas menu is diverse, with simple items like almonds and cheese or patatas bravas, potatoes with bravas sauce and garlic aioli; to rich items like anchovy boquerones or albóndigas lamb meatballs. It even includes the world's most expensive meat, the acorn-fattened Iberico ham, which is hand-carved in front of guests.
ROUND THREE: MEDIA RACIONES
Rabo de toro: Madeira-braised ox tail and parsnip

--Summer: "This is so tender, and so rich. Oh, my God. I feel like every protein dream I have just came true."
--Jesse: "This is very tender. A bit too fatty for my taste, but it's good."

Salpicón: Seafood salad of octopus, prawns, mussels and citrus olive vinaigrette

--Summer: "Very refreshing and light. A good snack."
--Jesse: "That's really good! Not a whole lot of dressing but the flavor of the different items make up for it. The octopus is really unique and the prawn is great, it's the best part."

Costillas ala miel: Sherry- and honey-glazed Berkshire pork belly, pickled chiles and marcona almonds

--Summer: "Wait, no. This is my protein dream come true. It's the right balance of tender and tough, and the glaze is perfect."
--Jesse: "That's great! It melts in your mouth. I can't really describe the flavor, but it's very good, and very rich."

And then the bigger guys came out.
"Everywhere in Spain, they serve a ton of ox tail. Here it's braised on the bone, shredded and cooked in Madeira wine with hollow parsnips. Then it's poached in the braising liquid, and then we sear that," explained Fioranti.
The rich ox tail dish was rivaled only by the pork belly, which Fioranti says is one of their most traditional dishes.
"We cook it in duck fat as well as its own fat and then it's caramelized in sherry, honey, marcona butter and pickled chiles," he said. "It's a nice little snack."
As a bonus, he also brought us his favorite dish on the dessert menu, the crema catalana.
"It's our take on a traditional creme brulee, with an orange and cinnamon backnote topped with burnt honey and and orange compote," said Fioranti. "It's not very sweet, but there's crunchy sugar and whipped cream on top."
As we wrapped up our meal, I realized where I knew Donohue from. "Wait. This is really dumb, but I have face blindness and can't remember people that well," I said, remembering one evening when I offered Donohue, then a stranger, a sample of my homemade chocolate bark. "Did we meet at Lucky's before?"
He laughed and said yes, we did. And yes, I did offer him chocolate. Yes, it was good.
Everything RDG is just ingrained in the community, McEnerney noted. "People know us from the restaurants and we've been part of the community for a long time," he said, noting that they'll also be at the first Groove on Grove outdoor concert at Grove Street PATH Plaza every month, serving up drinks.
Donohue added that Raval is a good fit for the locals, including creative types and commuters, because of their late-night kitchen open Thursday through Sunday from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Also, the bar is open until 2 or 3 a.m. every night.
"With tapas, you can sit and share," he said. "It's nice to have a place where you can enjoy a long meal and just talk about what's going on."
Raval is located at 136 Newark Ave., Jersey City. For more information, call 201-209-1099 or visit RavalJc.com.

Origin information:  NJ.com