Bolero

[metro]

Well, I know there is discussion about Bolero in different threads, but with it opening soon, I thought it deserved it's own thread. I was out biking yesterday (story in Oklahoma Today magazine prob in December), but took some pics of Bolero. Enjoy!

[LIL_WAYNE_4_PREZIDENT08]

Someone went to Sonic

[metro]

Nah, not much of a Sonic fan. But I do welcome a much needed concept to OKC!


Don't you prefer BK over Sonic?

[LIL_WAYNE_4_PREZIDENT08]

No id rather have BK

[John]

Don't you prefer BK over Sonic?

No id rather have BK

You tried, metro!

[sooner05]

I was down there last night and they said that they were trying to get the tapas bar going tonight in time for the Thunder's first game.

[jdweaver]

Had dinner at In the Raw last night and walked by and saw that Bolero had a bar area open. Open air. Very cool. Looks like the restaurant portion was getting very close to being completed.

btw, I think these two spots will do really well next to each other.

[metro]

I agree jweaver, they have a really nice vibe and open air restaurant atmosphere. I wish more places downtown had the open air concept like Bolero's bar does.

[jbrown84]

So In the Raw is already open?

[jdweaver]

Yes, I think they had a few soft openings last week, but I called and went in last night. They said it was there first official night being open.

[Urbanized]

I stopped in on Friday and had a couple of drinks and some appetizers. The bar was open with the Tapas menu, but the restaurant had yet to open. They were still setting up chairs, and I believe the expected to open this week. Nice vibe. I love the doors opening to the outside. Too bad it's at the tail end of the season, but it will make for some beautiful evenings come spring.

[ddavidson8]

What exactly is this?

[BDP]

Spanish Tapas.

[lpecan]

I am so conflicted about this place. I went there last night. The ambiance is awesome. They totally open the entire front window section giving you a trendy bar open to the air, which is really cool. They've got a very good winelist, though they had very little last night. That's forgivable, though, at a new place. And the tapas are excellent. (Full disclosure: I love tapas!)

Pricing, not price, is the problem. It seems they've got the prices all wrong. Its not that everything is expensive, its just that the prices are weird. Its 8.50 for a glass of Sangria, or $15 for a pitcher of about eight glasses. The tapas are really small, like they should be, but some push $16. At that point, you're better off buying entrees at $25. The point of tapas is that they are small and cheap, so you buy a lot of them and share them. Their entrees are also strangely priced. Paella for two is only $38. I think that's downright cheap. But Ropa Vieja, my favorite Cuban dish (which I've complained about the lack of elsewhere on this board) is $24. Ropa Vieja is great, but its not a $25 dish.

Anyway, its a mix of a tapas bar with Spanish/Cuban entrees. I'll be going back for sure. The tapas that we had were really good. I want to try the loma (sic) de puerco.

Also, I scanned the menu and am pasting it. If someone finds this annoying, or I'm committing some sort of awful copyright infringement (Midtowner?), I'll take it down.


BOLERO
Tapas Bar and Spanish Grill
Golden Fried Goat Cheese with Honey 7
Sizzling Scallops in Garlic Sauce 9
Skewered Chorizo in Red Wine 7
Steamed Mejilones (Mussels) 9
Three Olive Tapenade with Torta Frita 6
Artichoke Frito w/ Garlic aloli 6
SoftShell Crabs in White Wine and Garlic 15
Steamed Clams Basques 13
Calamares Frito w/ Salsa verde 11
Andalusian Meatballs 10
Grilled Chorizo with Queso Blanco 11
Tapas
Serrano wrapped Prawns in Cilantro Oil 14
Chicharron de Almejas (Fried Clams) 13
Skewered Pork Loin in Lemon and Oregano 10
Raw Oysters with Shallot Oil and Capers 17
Seasonal Seafood Ceviche 16
Piquello Peppers with Goat Cheese 10
Chicken Drums in Warm Tomato and Basil 12
Empanadas with Spicy Beef and Potato 13
Bacalao Croquettes en Sofrito 13
Sweet Dates wrapped in Tocino (Bacon) 12
Rock Shrimp (Manchego Gratin) 15
Sopa and Ensalada
Soupe de Cebolla
Steaming hot bowl of Onion Soup topped with Melted Manchago Cheese 6
Soncocho
Hearty Chicken, Vegetable and Avocado Soup
6
Andalusian Gazpacho
Chunky Tomato and Bread Soup
6
Marinated Roasted
Yellow and Red Pepper Salad
7
White Bean and Queso Azul
fresh Romaine and Grape Tomatoes with
Shallot Frita
7
Ensalada Verde
en dilantro vinaigrette with Tomato and Red
Onion
5
Entradas
Served with a choice of Papa Frita, Patatas Brava, Yucca Frita or Saffron Rice and Black Beans
with Seasonal Vegetable
Skewered Salmon and Scallops
wrapped in Serrano Ham
Brushed with Red Chile and Rosemary Oil
$28
Paella Bolero
Slow simmered stew of Fish, Shrimp Mussels, and Calamari or Beef and
Chicken Drums on Saffron Rice
For2 538
Polio de Mojo
Garlic and Oregano Marinated Half Chicken, Slow roasted and Garnished with Fried
Cilantro
$25
Loma de Puerco
Marinated Pork loin in Lemon and Cilantro then Oven
Roasted
Chuleta de Ternera
Pan Roasted Veal Chop, stuffed with Chorizo Fresh Cilantro and Adobo Seasoned Red Salsa
$32
Ropa Vieja
Shredded Flank Steak with Roasted Peppers and Onion served with Fried Plantains and Avocado
Atun (Ahi Tuna) Basque
Pan Seared to desired temperature with a spicy red pepper, white wine and caper sauce
$28
Pargo de Atalantic
Lightly Floured Atlantic Red Snapper, pan seared with a fresh Cilantro and Avocado Salsa
$27
Corvina Chilena y Camarones en Tamale Plantain
Fresh Chilean Sea Bass and Shrimp wrapped in Crushed Plantains and Steamed in a banana Leaf, served with Roasted Pineapple
Salsa
.528
Filete
Grilled to desired temperature and serve with sherry onions
$39
Punta de Solomilo
Grilled Top Sirloin with Garlic and White Wine Sauce
$32
Tira de Nueva York
Brushed with Chimichurri, a flavorful mix of Cilantro, Garilc, Cumin, and Parsley, and cooked to your desired
I emperature.
$35
$24
BOLERO
Tapas Bar and Spanish Grill
Golden Fried Goat Cheese with Honey
Sizzling Scallops in Garlic Sauce
Skewered Chorizo in Red Wine
Skewered Mejillones (Mussels)
Three Olive Tapenade with Torta Frita
Artichoke Frito w/ Garlic aioli
SoftShell Crabs in White Wine and Garlic
Steamed Clams Basques
Calamares Frito w/ Salsa verde
Andalusian Meatballs
Grilled Chorizo with Queso Blanco
Tapas
Serrano wrapped Prawns in Cilantro Oil
Chicharron de Almejas (Fried Clams)
Skewered Pork Loin in Lemon and Oregano
Raw Oysters with Shallot Oil and Capers
Seasonal Seafood Ceviche
Pimienta stuffed with Goat Cheese
Chicken Drums in Warm Tomato and Basil
Empanadas with Spicy Chorizo and Potato
Bacalao Cr0 quettes en Sofrito
Sweet Dates wrapped in Tocino (Bacon)
Rock Shrimp en Manchego Gratin
Sopa and Ensalada
Soupe de Cebolla
Steaming hot bowl of Onion Soup topped with
Melted Manchago Cheese
6
Soncocho
Hearty Chicken, Vegetable and Avocado Soup
6
Andalusian Gazpacho
Chunky Tomato and Bread Soup
6
Lunch Entrees
All served with Papa Fritas, Yucca Fritas, Rice and Black Beans, or Ensalada Verde
Cuban Sandwich
Authentic Pork Shoulder and Ham with Queso,
Mustard/Mayo, and Pickle
12
Grilled Mojo Chicken Sandwich
Roasted Oregano, Garlic, Lime Chicken with
avocado and Cilantro on Torta Frita
10
Picadillo
Adobo Seasoned Ground Beef with Manzanilla
Olives, Onion and Red Peppers
11
Bistec con Chile Rojo
Tender 6oz top sirloin rubbed with red chile
14
Steamed Pork Tamale
Shredded pork and masa with avocado salsa
12
Grilled Salmon
Dusted with Adobo spice and Chimichurri
14

[Doug Loudenback]

Great review, lpecan. I still don't know what a tapa is, but I'm ready to find out. That's a very intriguing menu.

[foodiefan]

From Wikapedia. . .
According to legend, the tapa tradition began when Castile's King Alfonso the Wise recovered from an illness by drinking wine and nibbling small dishes between meals. After regaining his health, the king ordered taverns to serve their guests food along with wine and the tapas became a kind of loophole in the law to allow drinkers to imbibe alcohol.

According to The Joy of Cooking, the original tapas were the slices of bread or meat which sherry drinkers in Andalusian taverns used to cover their glasses between sips. This was a practical measure meant to prevent fruit flies from hovering over the sweet sherry. The meat used to cover the sherry was normally ham or chorizo, which are both very salty and activate thirst. Because of this, bartenders and restaurant owners began creating a variety of snacks to serve with sherry, thus increasing their alcohol sales.[1] Soon the lowly tapa (from tapa derived the verb tapar, "to cover") became as important as the sherry.

[jbrown84]

So the restaurant side is open now too? Do they have a website?

[Doug Loudenback]

I couldn't fine one using google right now.

[ddavidson8]

Spanish chorizo and jamon serrano rock my world. Of course in Spain you get either of those for free with the price of a drink (about $4). You are saving on airfare though.

[metro]

So the restaurant side is open now too? Do they have a website?

jbrown, the way I read it he said he ordered tapas from the bar side and the restaurant side is opening soon.

[jbrown84]

He was talking about the entree prices, but maybe he was just reading a menu.

[mecarr]

I've been to tapas restaurants and I think they are amaznig...Basically to me, a tapa is miniature dish, similar to an appetizer but it's not your standard calamari or cheese fries. That's why the prices bother me some. Tapas are suppose to be cheap and small. Nevertheless, I'm excited about this restaurant and plan to visit.

[OKC4me]

I just realized where this place is tonight. I haven't been down there in awhile, and saw it tonight. Are those apartments above it?

How is the bowling alley underneath it?

[metro]

I just realized where this place is tonight. I haven't been down there in awhile, and saw it tonight. Are those apartments above it?

How is the bowling alley underneath it?

No, condos, and most start at $300,000 plus. They are 100% sold.

[jbrown84]

RedPin Bowling Lounge is extremely popular. I've yet to go.