Restaurant Review: Bodega
BODEGA TAPAS BAR 10220 103rd Street | bodegayeg.ca Instagram: @bodega_yeg Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew & Ms. Thibault
Bodega has been on my "must-try" list for ages and I'm so glad that I was finally able to make my way there. Most people in the city are familiar with Sabor, Edmonton's legendary Spanish and Portuguese restaurant. But have you ever wished that there was a more casual, more low-key version of Sabor? Maybe with multiple conveniently located spots around town? Well you're in luck because that's exactly what Bodega is! You'll find Bodega's flagship restaurant in the lower street level part of Sabor itself, however there are now five other locations. It's almost a guarantee that there is a Bodega near you, no matter where you are. People have loved this place for years. Voted as #1 Best Tapas 2018, #1 Best Spanish 2018, and #1 Best Wine Bar 2018 in VUE Weekly. CBC Edmonton's Best Restaurants 2019 listed them as Best of Downtown. And you'll find them as a Favourite Communal (Sharing) spot on the Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2022 list. It turns out that the people of Edmonton love a laid-back tapas moment and getting some sangria into the mix doesn't hurt either. I was excited to visit Bodega's original location in the heart of Downtown on a Saturday evening and to finally experience their flavours. The first thing to note about the OG Bodega restaurant is that they don't take reservations, however all of the other ones do. As previously mentioned, you will find the flagship location right inside of Sabor. Parking can sometimes be tricky in this area and that's the only downside. If you've been to Sabor before you already know how impressive the space is. The huge building is one of those places that doesn't need to pretend to be old because it actually is. Instead of heading up the stairs into Sabor's dining space, Bodega is found to the left of the entrance in the lower street-facing area. It's actually a wonderful use of space which otherwise might not have served much of a purpose. Less dressed up and grand than Sabor (but still bearing a similar decor), Bodega harnesses the Spanish modern-day watering hole vibe by featuring a simple but beautiful bar area and bistro-style al fresco dining in the warmer months. The dining space is small and because there are no reservations taken it might be necessary to prepare for a wait. When my group arrived it took about 15 minutes to be seated which seemed entirely reasonable. We were pleased to be situated at a beautiful little table outdoors, in the warm summer breeze. Unfortunately, there were a lot of bugs flying around that kept landing on our table and we had to ask to be moved to one of the more interior tables. Thankfully the staff was able to accommodate this! We really didn't want the bugs to land in our food. The servers who visited our table were all extraordinarily friendly and gracious. Of course there were going to be drinks! The wine list is plentiful and extensive. However, I was more drawn to the interesting Iberico gin & tonics, caipirinhas, sangria, and the signature cocktails. These are the types of drinks that I picture myself holding on a patio in the summer. From the cocktail list, the De Puta Madre ($16) sounded like the most special one to me.
Out of curiosity, I put the name of this drink into a Spanish to English translator and had a pretty good laugh when I learned that it means Fucking Awesome. Well. Sounds like I made the correct beverage choice! And I really did enjoy sipping on this perfectly crafted cocktail. I was slightly worried that the mezcal would be very strong and boozy, but the balance of the ingredients was lovely. I felt that I was able to taste and appreciate the flavour of the mezcal without it being too overpowering. The fruity and sweet flavours from the pineapple, lemon, and almond syrup made the drink fun, but again it wasn't too sweet either. I loved this cocktail and it paired perfectly with the rest of the meal. The food menu is packed full of options and every single thing sounds enticing. The good news is that the plates are small and part of the experience is to order a lot of them. There's a whole long list of tapas, but also breads, spreads, charcutaria, and cheese if you are in the mood to create an exciting board (I always am!). There are also some larger plates if you are truly looking for one big meal of food. On this visit I was aiming to remain in the tapas realm since that is what this restaurant is actually all about. As such, we proceeded to barrage our server with a long list of items, eager to sample as many dishes as reasonably possible. We were asked if we would prefer to have every dish all at once, but opted for a slow and staggered method. No need to hurry though! It wasn't long before our parade of plates began to arrive. First was the Brushchetta ($14.00). I wouldn't have chosen this dish on my own accord but I saw it pass by on its way to a different table and it caught my eye. The tomatoes looked simply glorious.
Tomatoes are currently in season, after all! If there was ever a time to order this plate full of shining, fire engine-red little beauties, it's now. Fresh fresh fresh! The tomatoes were at their peak and were full of beautiful and juicy flavour. The fromage blanc on the bread was subtle but made the bread more interesting. As much as I enjoyed this dish, I couldn't help but wonder: Why bruschetta, which is Italian? Why not Pan con Tomate, which is essentially the Spanish equivalent? The Bacon-Wrapped Dates ($14.00) were high on my list because I'd heard good things about them.
WOW!!! This very well might have been my favourite dish of the whole meal! These are straight-up candy. The bacon was cooked to an absolutely perfect crispiness - this is key. I often find that when things are "bacon wrapped" the outside of the bacon looks cooked but the inside barely is. I really don't like that and was happy that this was not the case at Bodega. The dates themselves were cakey and sweet and I loved the addition of manchego. I could eat a whole plate of these to myself and I'll never dine here without ordering them! Next we ventured into some of the hot vegetarian dishes. I can't imagine a Spanish feast without Patatas Bravas ($9.00).
This dish is fairly simple but Bodega did an excellent version of it by ensuring that the potatoes were satisfyingly crispy. The creamy aioli added the necessary punch of heat. These were a delight to eat. If there was one dish that I'd heard about the most (IE: literally everyone recommends it) it has to be the Grilled Piri-Piri Prawns ($18.00). Obviously I had to try them for myself.
You only get three but they are quite massive in size. The thing that stood out to me is that you can really taste that these were grilled over fire and each bite is filled with that unmistakable char flavour. This is the type of dish that confidently allows the star ingredient stand on its own. Meaty and delicious, the pimento aioli added an unctuous heat. I had to try the Salt Cod Fritters ($14.00) because I'm a big fan of salt cod.
Unfortunately, these were my least favourite of the meal. I liked the crispy outer shell but the inside seemed too soft and mushy. I couldn't even really tell what the inside was made of. Potato? I also didn't really get much of the salt cod flavour either. I probably would have enjoyed these more if they had been a bit more toothsome. Back to the hot vegetarian dishes, I'd heard that the Grilled Baby Artichokes ($12.00) were good.
I have to admit that I was skeptical. I mean, how interesting can you make an artichoke? Quite interesting, as it turns out! This plate was by far the biggest surprise. So much was accomplished with so little! Each tender artichoke had the same big flame-grilled flavour as the prawns did. But this time it played with the acidity of the artichoke and the hint of oil and garlic. Delicious. The last dish of this tapas feast was the Braised Boar Cheeks ($14.00), another that I'd heard a lot about.
If these were meant to have crispy onions on top, they did not. Regardless, I loved this dish so much and it was one of my very favourites! The meat was ultra tender and melted in my mouth. The red wine braising liquid was quite robust and cut through the richness of the meat beautifully. I can see why these are popular because the texture and flavour is unmatched! We saved room for a taste of dessert because we had to! The only dessert that really caught my eye was the Coffee Crunch ($10.00 for full size). I really appreciate that most of Bodega's desserts are available in two sizes; taster or full. This is so clever for several reasons! First of all, if you've just eaten a huge meal, maybe you only want a tiny dessert. Or maybe you'd prefer to try a selection of small desserts. However, maybe you're sharing dessert with others and need a big one! (This was the case for me.)
I loved this sweet treat very much! It was easy to share and the decadent layers of chocolate and coffee created an irresistible mocha flavour. The addition of Coffee Crisp bits took the whole thing over the top, adding a wonderful amount of crunch and texture. The bites were sweet and salty - Heavenly!
I can't imagine the amounts of different aiolis, spreads, butters, and sauces that Bodega has on hand - it seems that every dish uses a different one! My experience at Bodega was wonderful and I appreciate so much that this type of restaurant is thriving in our city. To the point of opening six restaurant locations! The reason for their success is very clearly the high quality of their food and authentically delicious flavours. Bodega is approachable and easy-going enough for everyone to feel welcome. I love that we have these special little restaurants that bring us a slice of the Mediterranean right here at home.
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