The foodie press will have you believe the small plates revolution has arrived in America with a gusto not seen since the Beatles. But for Vega Tapas Café, small plates have been the specialty for the past 13 years. Vega’s cuisine spans the Mediterranean combining Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, and Moroccan flavors and techniques, and it has remained that way since the namesake owner set sail for the Caribbean a few years ago, leaving former manager and current chef Glen Hogh at the helm.
Vega is strictly a tapas restaurant, with paella the only entrée sized option on the menu. Among the several salads, the roasted beets with candied walnuts and goat cheese salad is usually the best, though the carnivores would also enjoy the Ensalata de Vaca of thinly shaved grilled beef and red onions in peppercorn vinaigrette.
Dips and spreads lend themselves to this passand- share setting, but the creamy carp roe dip with its mousse-like consistency and pungent fish flavor failed as a crowd pleaser. Instead, think red. Both the smoked beef carpaccio with marinated mushrooms and the coriander crusted ahi tuna with tomato-avocado relish are worth a repeat round. The Carpaccio is brilliant with the mushrooms, parmesan and onions delivering the bold flavorings, while the glassy slices of beef are refreshing. The tuna, although stringy on our last visit, melted on the tongue leaving behind a wisp of the sea and a pleasant taste of avocado.
The hot tapas were likewise hit-and-miss. The tempura frog legs were crunchy and paired well with a tomato aioli, but the sautéed sweetbreads arrived as pitiful, tiny morsels. The “Vega Dog” of housemade chorizo wrapped in a savory pancake received varying reviews, but the special duck sausage on one visit was an all-around winner. Perhaps the best choices are the simplest: crispy patatas bravas or grilled roman artichokes with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of feta.
Vega offers an exceptionally well traveled wine list. The vinho verde from Portugal, with its slight effervescence is your best bet to complement the range of dishes offered by Vega. On Monday, all bottles of wine are half off. Shareable portions and great deals on wine? Sounds like Vega has been ahead of the curve for some time now.
2051 Metairie Rd., 836-2007Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Dinner Nightly from 5:30 p.m.
