Nestled between the 3rd Street Promenade and the ocean, at the very end of the famous Santa Monica Boulevard, is Bar Pintxo.  Specializing in Spanish tapas (appetizer-size dishes) and accompanying fine wine, Bar Pintxo is a wealth of flavor, variety and casual class with a primo Southern California location.  There are only two tables outside, so grab ‘em quick – maybe for happy hour from 4:00 – 6:30pm everyday with discount food and beverages, and the beach right in your line of vision.

Thank the Foodie Fates
Being a lover of tapas already, I knew Bar Pintxo was one of those places where you just could not go wrong in ordering anything from their menu.  We learned that foodie fate had a hand in bringing us to Bar Pintxo, as the menu had just been changed to incorporate local fare from the Farmers Market in an effort to promote locavore habits.  It’s a great spot for couples, or a friends’ night out, and good to bring the older kids to (teens and up) for a leisure meal before or after a stroll on the boardwalk.

Praising a Master Chef
My company and I started off with brochta de ternera, salsa piemento rojo (filet mignon skewer, farmers market vegetables, with a roasted red-pepper sherry sauce so light and tasty you’ll be dipping just about anything into it), championones en escabeches (slow poached mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil with fresh herbs and aged sherry vinegar), and gambas al ajill (maya shrimp, garlic and lemon parsley).  The mushrooms were excellent on their own or placed on a slice of bread dipped in the rojo or garlic lemon parsley sauce.  The beef was a favorite along with alcachofas en romesco con jamón (house marinated artichoke hearts with romesco and jamón Serrano).  It was so melt-in-your-mouth delicate, and the Serrano was just the right pinch of saltiness to top it off with.  It was around this time that newly appointed executive chef David H. Plonowski came out to treat us with one of his signature dishes, margret de pato con lentejas (or crispy Sonoma duck breast with lentils, applewood smoked bacon, and bilbao chorizo).  I say with no exaggeration that this was the best duck I have ever tasted in my life, and not unlike a pack of jackals, my company and I ate this delectable dish up lickety-split.  It is plain and simple, a pure triumph from a master chef – a daring individual with keen taste buds and a profound knowledge of the kitchen as well as the human palate.

The Bliss of a Food Coma
Being a foodie daredevil, I went for the crispy pork belly with peach and red onion compote for my main dish.  It was tasty, but could not follow the delight of the duck, though I look forward to coming back to see (or rather, taste) what sort of culinary magic Chef Plonowski will use to transform it and make it his own.  Ready to nestle into our food coma, my company and I decided to indulge in true hedonism and ordered all four desserts: rice pudding with farmers market fruit, churros con chocolate, Spanish bread cake with Jimenez sherry glaze, and pots de crem.  All but the churros were paired with sampler size tasters of dessert wines, our waitress giving us a crash course in the science of mixing and matching flavors.  My time at Bar Pintxo was a slice of foodie heaven; there was absolutely nothing on this menu I did not enjoy and Bar Pintxo is one of those eateries that makes me bow my head in reverence and thank my lucky stars I am a professional food writer.

Bar Pintxo is located at 109 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. For more information, call 310-458-2012 or visit barpintxo.com.

More to Nom in the Neighborhood
Boa Steakhouse
Steakhouse
101 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica
boasteak.com/balboa

Bruno’s
Italian
1652 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica
brunossantamonica.com

Sushi Roku
Japanese/Sushi Bar
1401 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica
sushiroku.com

Ye Olde King’s Head British Pub
British Pub
116 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica
yeoldekingshead.com

Hungry for more adventures with Rachael?  She blogs as Glass of Win at Community.VisitThePlace.com.