Casa Mono

Sabrina and I are slowly but surely ticking off our tapas list. Our last tapas venture was at Alta in August, and we were waiting for the right moment to come to Casa Mono. It’s another Mario Batali restaurant and Chef Nusser doesn’t fail to deliver. If you’re into Catalan food and Spanish wines, you must check out this place.

In a sense, I wish we sat at the bar to get a first hand view of the grill and a whiff of the wonderful aroma, but getting a table next to the window was great for picture taking (I don’t have to tell you about how much we food bloggers love LOVE light). We got there around 6pm and there was only one party, but within half an hour, the place quickly filled up. Get a reservation if you come- it’s cozy but tiny!

So the dishes of the night were…

Pan con Tomate $5

Hudson Valley Pork Croquetas with Green Tomatoes $15

Duck Breast with Plums $19

Skirt Steak with Onion Mermelada $16

Okay, okay- it’s a bit expensive. And I’ll admit- the Pan con Tomate was overpriced and the duck wasn’t too out of the ordinary, but let me just say… that skirt steak was worth the whole dinner. The thinly sliced and piled steak is topped with an onion “marmalade” which may sound strange, but is sweet and almost candy-like. There’s this mild spicy sauce on the bottom of the plate, which tasted like a combination of chickpeas and chili, but it went so well with the sweetness from the onion.

The croquetas were also great, but not a must. Unfortunately, I’m not really into shell fish, but I heard from a friend that the Fideos with Chorizo and Clams is to die for. So perhaps this calls for a repeat?

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52 Irving Pl., New York, NY 10003
nr. 17th St.  See Map | Subway Directions
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