1492 Food

Do you ever walk by a restaurant, make a mental note to dine there someday, and then promptly forget the name? That's what I did, and after a Google search for "that tapas place on Clinton," I met a friend at Tapeo 29.

But I'd meant to go to 1492 Food. (Nothing against Tapeo 29, although it was rather noisy.) So, after a slightly uncomfortable exchange with the host, we exited, and walked down the block towards the restaurant that existed in both my memory and, fortunately, reality.

We loved the place from the first sip of sangria (red for us, but the restaurant also serves white). The waiter brought us a basket of fresh-baked Spanish bread. We were surprised to find that the accompanying condiment was not butter, but garlicky aioli. It was gone in about two seconds.

Although the chorizo lollipops and bacon-wrapped dates called to us, we were trying to eat light, as it was rather late. We began with soup. The special was a sort of zarzuela; it was packed with tender calamari, mussels and shrimp. The other soup was lentil, a nourishing rendition made with diced carrots. "The lentils are perfect; when they're overcooked, they get starchy," remarked my friend.

After the soup, we polished off the escalivada, a plate of dainty grilled veggies (artichokes, red peppers, tomatoes, eggplant) finished off with truffle oil. (Healthy, yes, but delicious!) Our last course was a plate of hearty porcini croquettes. Crunchy on the outside and creamy within, they were served with small dollops of mushroom mayonnaise. The bread came in very handy here.

Once the dessert menu arrived, I realized that our attempt at light eating was about to fall by the wayside. After being tempted by the chocolate molten lava cake, we ended up with the rich, dense chestnut cake (tarta de marrones). It was totally irresistible with its caramel topping and a side of fresh whipped cream.

After a couple of excellent cortados, we agreed to return for the 2-for-1 drink special, which is offered every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. (Now that the name of the restaurant is established firmly in my memory, it should be easier to come back!)

1492 Food: 60 Clinton St., (646) 654-1114.