/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38849560/1210468119634_c019206bda_b.0.jpg)
Pete Wells is impressed by the variety of dishes coming out of Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette's kitchen at Toro in Chelsea. It's a huge space, and the long menu has a few weak spots. But overall, Wells digs Oringer and Bissonnette's version of tapas:
I was happy to sink into the profoundly Spanish flavors of a vegetable stew called escalivada, with smoked eggplant in olive oil that carried the sweetness of simmered red peppers and onions. I immediately wanted more of the hot blowfish tails seared in a crust of North African spices. And I wondered how the simple combination of potatoes, octopus, harissa and charred onions could result in a contender for the best octopus dish in a city that's gone cephalopod-mad.Wells also notes: "Toro's food isn't stagy or gimmicky; it's honest and thoughtful, and it can feel a bit lost in this space." The critic gives the restaurant two stars.
· Spanish Explorers Land in Chelsea [NYT]
· All Coverage of Toro [~ENY~]