Vaca

As huge fans of authentic tapas, our first visit to Vaca in 2019 wasn’t thrilling, but we’re very glad we gave it another shot. Nowadays, the restaurant’s renditions of classic Spanish small plates are being properly executed so as to closely approximate Barcelona or San Sebastián equivalents: Double-sauced cubes of Patatas Bravas are as creamy, red peppery and crispy as they should be, red wine-braised oxtail (Rabo de Toro) is rich, Galician octopus and potatoes (Pulpo a la Gallega) are tender and generously portioned, chicken croquettes (Croquetas de Pollo) are solid, and the triangular-cut Bikini (Iberico ham, manchego cheese, truffles) has all the flavor and texture of the original sandwich.

Other items, including Secreto Iberico pork, slices of Jamon Serrano, and 12-month aged Mahon cheese, are predictably dispensed in preciously tiny quantities, each bite meant to be savored. An issue we noted on our first visit, where more expensive Jamon Iberico was substituted (and charged) for less expensive Serrano ham we’d ordered for a kid, did not reoccur on our second visit. Service was otherwise very good on both occasions.