neruda deceiver: Drop everything and go to Bocadillo on Tejon St. today : North ...

Friday, November 2, 2012

Drop everything and go to Bocadillo on Tejon St. today : North ...

October 31, 2012 by admin?

by Elisa Cohen |

SUNNYSIDE -? There are places that make me want to change my life. Bocadillo is one of them. Our job as a family is to go out every month and try out new restaurants. It is a sweet gig and the family is very insistent that I keep it. But after eating a meal at Bocadillo, I felt as if I could stop exploring new eateries and just come here. Not only do they have the kinds of foods I love, they have service that resonates with my spirit. And the ambiance is just as I like it. A little hippie, very flavorful, affordable, and when I was too consumed with decisions to make, they were willing to decide for us.

With the name Bocadillo, I expected a little sandwich shop. According to their menu, ?Bocadillos are high quality sandwiches served on crunchy baguettes. Keeping with the traditions of Spain we use the freshest produce, artisanal meats, and the best cheeses available.? What we discovered was a restaurant offering much more than just sandwiches.

My husband and daughter and I visited on Saturday. Children throughout the neighborhood were prancing up and down the merchant streets gathering candy in their Halloween bags. We had done that for many years with our little ones. But time marches on and now we were catching a meal with our daughter before she went to work. We brought our ballots, so that we could discuss the pros and cons of amending our constitution and take in a quick bite. With all of these decisions before us, when I saw the menu board above the counter I got a little overwhelmed.

There are sandwiches (Bocadillos), tapas, salads, soups and Pinxtos, (finger foods). ?They?re big,? the guy at the counter said after explaining that all of the ingredients are locally sourced and organic. ?I?d order a half a sandwich, a few pinxtos, and some tapas,? he suggested.

?Would you do that for us?? I asked. ?Make us a meal that we will like??

?We will do that,? he responded. ?How much would you like to spend??

?$40 with drinks,? I decided after looking at sandwiches that started around $9.

With that ordering complete, we sat down on the wooden benches to await our food. One by one, we were served several delicious dishes that made up a complete meal.

First, we received a shrimp fried wanton? appetizer with a garlic and herb sauce. The little finger foods came skewered with a long stick and sat upon a wooden board. The filling was creamy and delicious with the sauce adding an addition layer of flavors. Two tureens of baba ganoush and Hummus came on another wooden board with fried pita chips. Both the baba ganoush and hummus had rich and hearty flavor.

Next up in our mystery meal came a bowl of wide, flat pasta with cheese and red sauce. Now, I was intrigued. Had we just ordered off of the menu, I?m not sure I would have noticed the pasta dishes. This one was rich, creamy and full of cheesy comfort food qualities.

Our waiter described our next dish as a Philly Cheese Steak in a crispy wrap. Indeed, the sliced oversized egg roll shape with a crispy crust was filled with juicy ground beef with cheese. This chopped steak sandwich was so hearty the three of us shared several bites each and still had enough to take home a big section for left overs.

A fabulously strange and incredibly zesty salad with greens, a bed of quinoa and purple cauliflower wowed me with visual interest and a nice balance between rich with the quinoa and zesty salad greens.

They had squash soup on the menu the day we ate. They promise a living menu, so what I write about here, might not be on the menu when readers come. The squash soup had a lovely creamy consistency with a muted orange coloring. Toasted walnuts gave the soup an additional heartiness.

For drinks, Bocadillo has traditional soda and also carries the Rocky Mountain Sodas. They also make their own juices, although we did not try them.

The ambiance is casual, with strange boats hanging on one wall, Picasso prints on the tables, and wooden benches. The herb garden with the sauces sets the organic and fresh tone as you walk to the counter.

We all agreed that this was one of the most interesting and enjoyable eating outings we had been on in awhile. We ran out of time to come for a second visit, which was a very sad thing. My urge to return is so high, I look forward to many return visits. Put down the Tribune and go over to Bacadillo to try one of the more down to earth yet delicious meals in North Denver.