By Gloria Glyer
Photography by Dave Brooks

Perform the tapas tango at this midtown Spanish restaurant.

Aioli Bodega Española may be the name of the stylish eatery at 1800 L St., but if you need a translation, try “delicious,” “fun,” “worth a visit.”

Your most difficult decision will be what to order and how much. After you decide, add a couple more dishes. You see, Aioli is a traditional Spanish-style restaurant with a predominance of tapas (Spanish appetizers or snacks) on the menu—to savor, to share, to enjoy.

The menu has so much to offer that it is almost overwhelming. To the novice, it’s difficult to interpret. Ask for help. Proprietor Reda Bellarbi has trained his staff to offer suggestions and choose complementary tapas to provide a sampling of Aioli’s personality.

Order a glass of wine—Spanish, if possible—and take your time perusing the menu while practicing your Spanish with boquerones en vinagre or marmitako de attun. Not to worry—the English translation follows, so you will have no surprises. It did not take long for savories to begin to arrive, with Maurice O’Rey performing serving duties, after giving the order to the kitchen, presided over by Pablo Hernandez.

For the wines, Diva Bernice Hagen consulted with Bellarbi, who picked the Remelluri 2000 Rioja from Labastida, Spain. The white was Marimar Torres 2000 Chardonnay. About the red, Hagen said: “It is mild and smooth, with no tannins; this wine was great with all of our dishes. I love the Chardonnay for its even balance; it is not too heavy with oak.” Bellarbi treated us to Laxas Albarino, made with grapes from the province of Galicia. “It’s a smooth, very light wine,” noted Hagen.

The day’s soup was gazpacho, very thick and nicely chilled. Beet salads appear on almost every menu these days. Aioli’s version featured cubed beets with bits of orange, onion, olives and a sprinkling of feta—the orange added an unexpected flavor and color to the combo.

We ordered so many little plates, it will be difficult to tell about all of them. Let’s go with some of the stars, in my opinion: Salpicon de pulpo (octopus with potatoes, onion, roasted bell pepper and pimientos) came in second to calamares “el gitano” (squid in a spicy tomato sauce with fresh mint, cilantro and garlic). The mint was a surprise, adding a refreshing touch to a beautifully presented dish. Charcuterie y queso manchego featured an assortment of cured Spanish sausage, cured ham and cheese from La Mancha—a plate filled with a variety of tastes and textures.

Although I have never made tortilla tres colores (a traditional Spanish torte made with egg, onion, potato and bell pepper and served with the garlic mayonnaise known as aioli), I never pass up a chance to taste it. Aioli’s version is redolent with the flavor of high-quality olive oil. It’s a basic, rustic dish that offers mild, refreshing flavors in what might be called a crustless quiche.

Anchovies are an acquired taste, that’s for sure, but boquerones en vinagre (cured anchovies in olive oil and vinegar) offer a look at the humble anchovy in a new light. Aioli’s are not too salty, not overbearing, with the perfect balance provided by the splash of oil and vinegar.

Personally, I would have difficulty sharing the bourek de casa: pastry triangles with cheese filling. Perfectly puffed and shamefully sinful, the bourek melts in your mouth. Meat, cheese, fish and vegetable fillings are available, but I cannot imagine anything better than the cheese.

Judias blancas con atun fresco (white beans, rare tuna, onions, mint and olives in a sherry vinaigrette) featured tuna that was fresh and mild. Although some of the beans were too al dente, I like beans that crunch rather than turn to mush. Marmitako de attun also featured fresh tuna on sautéed spinach and tomato confit with sherry and garlic.

Merquez a la flamenca, which translates to grilled lamb sausage, makes the taste buds dance. The sausages are zesty and fiery, although the spiciness is a quickie.

Portobello al jerez—a dish of portobello mushrooms sautéed with sherry and garlic—was heavy on the garlic, which provided the flavor boost to the portobellos. Vegetarians would have a field day at Aioli—many dishes would be appropriate.

Each of the desserts would be a worthy choice, but mine would be pastel de almendras (almond cake with honey and orange-flower water), and I would not share it with anyone. Also worth sampling are the basic flan, creme catalan con naranja (orange-flavored cooked cream with caramelized orange), sopa de chocolate (chocolate truffles in white-chocolate soup—a contrast in colors and textures), el borracho (spongecake layered with fresh fruit and pastry cream tinged with Malaga wine) and chocolate con accento frances (chocolate mousse and berries).

Diva by Diva

Joan Leineke: “Very tasty . . . everything has punch . . . décor is very trendy and Spanish . . . the tortilla tres colores is one of the best I have ever had, including in Spain . . . soaked in olive oil . . . bourek de casa is fabulous . . . Reda Bellarbi is great entertainment.”

Bernice Hagen: “A comfortable, fun restaurant . . . even the staff is having fun . . . I am picky about gazpacho, but this has great flavor and tastes like Spain . . . I would order the boquerones en vinagre (anchovies) again . . . the flavors were perfectly blended for the marmitako de attun . . . the pastel de almendras almond cake had a different texture.”

Gayla Mace, who arrived on the fly to lunch briefly before taking off for a real estate class, said, “The food is really good,” mentioning the gazpacho, the beet salad and the tortilla.

Paulette Bruce-Miller: “Very comfortable for lunch and an experience at dinner . . . wonderful service, friendly . . . favo-rites: gazpacho, the tortilla tres colores . . . oh, forget it . . . everything is wonderful and I would order everything again and again and again . . . this is a different dining experience, one where you should share the plate, relax and kick back . . . no stuffy stuff here.”

Peg Tomlinson-Poswall: “I think this is one of Sacramento’s best-kept secrets . . . I love the patio with the guitar music . . . it’s like you’ve been dropped into the middle of Spain . . . loved the charcuterie y queso manchego—I order it every time I come . . . the marmitako de attun might be my new favorite dish . . . boquerones en vinagre gets a big yum and usually I am not a fan of anchovies . . . the tortilla tres colores is an example of how it is supposed to be made.”

From the Guests

Bev Barkhurst had never been to Aioli. Her favorite was the calamares “el gitano,” noting its great flavor. The one dish that could have been better was the tuna with white beans. “The beans were a little undercooked and the dish was not as flavorful as everything else we tasted. Desserts? Incredible!” said Barkhurst.

Carrie D’Andrea called Aioli a “great secret.” “Everything we tried was wonderful and flavorful. It’s difficult to pick just one item, but I have to go with the marmitako de attun. But if you can’t decide on a main dish, go for the desserts, especially el borracho.”

Chatter

Guests Barkhurst and D’Andrea share an interest in cooking. (“My recreation is cooking,” said Barkhurst.) The pair, who are friends, tackled ravioli and tamales after taking a class in how to make each. “We had ravioli in every room of the house,” said Barkhurst, who wished she had her grandmother’s recipe for sardine soup. “My Spanish grandmother roasted peppers until they were black and used them with a red sauce for the soup,” said Barkhurst, who could not remember if the sardines came from a can.

Aioli has the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to stay long past a leisurely lunch. The hospitality is catching, and if lunch segues into dinnertime, especially on a weekend, then sit back, order more food, listen to the guitar and pretend you are in Spain.

Aioli Bodega Española, 1800 L St., Sacramento; (916) 447-9440; Lunch 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Monday–Friday; dinner 5–10 p.m. Sunday–Wednesday, 5–11 p.m. Thursday–Saturday.

For the rest of this story pick up a copy of Sacramento Magazine's October issue.