Marie-Claude Lortie Thinks Tapas 24 Nails the Snack Bar Formula

The recent snack bar spinoff of Tapas 24 from serial Old Montreal restaurateur Jorge Da Silva, and star Catalan chef Carles Abellan gets an enthusiastic nod from La Presse critic Marie-Claude Lortie today. Lortie enjoys the casual format, for the most part. Sure, there could be some quote unquote healthful menu alternatives, but the lineup of snacks, pintxos, and bocadillos is engineered to please—and succeeds on this score.

Winners range from ceviche, to patatas bravas, to a riff on a Schwartz's sandwich. Pork, grilled, and served with twice-cooked piquillo peppers elicits particular praise. In this case, however, the veg, even more so than the so-called, 'secreto Ibérico' cut, stars: "[O]n prendrait un plat uniquement de poivron tellement c'est goûteux, charnu, végétalement réconfortant." For dessert, try the churros with dulce de leche. Lortie, then, vows to return to Tapas 24's convivial, rustic, and less expensive, sister restaurant. La Presse's endorsement cements Abellan's perfect, and enviable, record with Montreal's food critics thus far.