Casa Mono - PlaceBee :

Address: 52 Irving Place
Zipcode: 10003
Phone Number: 212-253-2773

New York City has its fair share of Spanish restaurants, but few match the bold cuisine of Casa Mono. Thanks to chef Mario Batali – of Babbo fame – and his partner Joe Bastianich, the bustling, convivial Casa Mono doesn’t just offer duplicates of what you mind find at a Madrid tapas joint, but rather its own creative takes on la comida Española. _Best of all, it’s served tapas-style, so you have ample opportunity to sample. Spanish croquettes are flavored with pumpkin and goat cheese – creamy with just a hint of sweetness – while the _patatas bravas are liberally spiced with onions and cayenne pepper. Seafood lovers are also spoiled for choice, with everything from squid and dorada _(_sea bream) to salted cod. One Spanish custom that Batali enthusiastically upholds is the longtime tradition of eating all parts of the animal; the daring eaters among your group can have their pick of innards and offal, including tripe, sweetbreads, and cocks’ combs. The menu may be adventurous, but the ambience and décor is old-school rustic Spain. Wine bottles are stacked behind the bar and wooden tables fill the cozy dining room, set up close together so that you and your neighbors will probably be chatting like old friends by meal’s end.