Taste of Hartford 2009 @Costa del Sol

Costa del Sol Restaurant is one place you always see and perhaps never visit. That is my story. We used to go there frequently years past but a disagreement kept me away for a long time. But I returned for Taste of Hartford.

Here is this year's menu:

Appetizer or Soup: Choose One
Pan Catalan – Catalan style bread with tomato, garlic herbed olive oil and topped w/ Serrano ham
Tortilla de patatas – Spanish potato and onion omelet
Empanada de pollo – Spanish savory pie filled with chicken, saffron onions and peppers
Gazpacho – Cold soup of pureed tomato and vegetables with a touch of aged sherry vinegar
Ensalada mixta – Mixed green salad with tomatoes, cucunbers, red onions, white asparagus, fire-roasted Piquillo pepper, and dressed with a special house vinaigrette

Entrée: Choose One
Salmon a la plancha – Grilled salmon with Spanish orange brandy glaze
Falda a la plancha con chimichurri – Grilled flank steak with mixed herb chimichurri
Pollo con Fusilli – Grilled chicken breast, chorizo, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and garlic tossed with Fusilli pasta
Paella de la casa – House paella with mussels, clams, shrimp, chorizo and chicken cooked in
saffron rice (minimum for 2)
Paella de pollo y chorizo – Chicken and chorizo cooked in saffron rice (minimum for 2)

Dessert: Choose One
Flan – Spanish caramel custard
Arroz con leche – Creamy rice pudding
Mousse de chocolate – Chocolate mousse

For appetizers we had the Tortilla de Patatas which was excellent [warm not cold as I am used to] and the Gazpacho [one of the best I have ever had either here or in Spain].
For the entrée we shared the Paella de la Casa which was very good and brimming in seafood.
For dessert the Chocolate Mousse was the winner with its orange undertaste; the Arroz con Leche was also very good and creamy.

This was a definite winner for Taste of Hartford.

bloginfo: 901 Wethersfield Ave
Hartford, CT 06114-3127 (860) 296-1714
blognote: Parking here usually sucks but someone pulled out and we had the closest space to the door. The restaurant was packed with most diners partaking of the Taste of Hartford menu.