Inside Annapolis | Reviews

 

El Mundo de las Tapas en Jalapeños

By Patricia Barry

Jalapeños
25 Forest Dr.
Annapolis, Maryland
410-266-7580
www.JalapenosOnline.com
Moderate
Appetizers (tapas plus soups and salads): $3.50 to $9.00 Entrees: $9.50 to $24.00
Hours: Lunch: Mon. - Fri. 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Dinner: Mon. - Sat. 5:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Sun.: 4:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Ample parking.
All major credit cards accepted.
Reservations recommended.

If you have been to Jalapeños before, but missed a beat in the past two years, you’re likely to be welcomed by affable owner Gonzalo Fernandez, but you might have a deja vu feeling about the surroundings. It’s somewhat familiar, but, still...

After five years at this address, Fernandez and partner Alberto Serrano bought the pizza place next door and completed a makeover on both sections. Now, almost two years later, you enter the old section facing a snug bar just ahead and to your left is a waterfall that doubles as a room divider. The panel of glass with cascading water on one side that slides into a stone filled recirculation base is a minor modern wonder.

The room could be in Madrid or Mexico City—as seen in the hand-troweled walls, murals of a lush countryside and simple low-lit chandeliers. Substantial dining chairs in dark polished wood and Spanish-style upholstery rest on amber tiles highlighted by tables wearing white linen. Trompe l’oeil windows and a back wall of diamond-shaped braces harboring red wine bottles add to the ambiance.

Here is your opportunity catch up on the latest in margueritas such as the Classic, the top shelf K.A.M., the Cielo Azil (with blue curacao) and more. While waiting for our companions, we ordered the thinnest of tortilla chips with house-made tomato salsa causing gentle explosions in our mouths, soon complimented by a next bite of refreshingly smooth guacamole.

Tapas have become a way of life for many diners in the last three decades. Defined as a small plate that packs a big taste, tapas may be appetizers, or several selections of meat, fish and vegetables with outstanding sauces, combinations, or an entire meal.

When all seven of us were settled, we knew it would be a tasting op with much sharing. Two in our party had only tapas including Surtedo de Setas, mainly wild mushrooms in a base of garlic, white wine, parsley and roasted pimentos and Croquettas de Res (a Spanish classic and deservedly so), shavings of lean beef in a béchamel sauce rolled in bread crumbs and egg and then gently fried. One companion murmured, “Ooh, this could be my entire meal.” We also sampled the chorizo sausage, a blending of flavors with a mild zing, sautéed in olive oil, garlic, herbs and Spanish paprika (sweeter than Hungarian paprika) served with the delectable papas con rajas (cubed potatoes with shaved pepper.)

These tapas were joined by Gambas al Ajillo, touted as “Gonzalo’s favorite,” tender shrimp sautéed in olive oil, garlic, herbs, tomato with a hint of cheese, pulled together with dry sherry, resulting in a lingering taste of sheer pleasure. The gazpacho was a cut above the usual—cool, but not cold, and pink rather than red, due to prudent use of tomatoes and the addition of some cream. The toppings included chopped onion, cucumber, tomatoes and mini croutons. With an unquenching taste for tapas, we added a sample of the jalapeñas and chose the Pequillos Rellenos de Congrejo, peppers stuffed with spinach, cream and crabmeat. It was soft, surprising and scrumptious. Also recommended is the Sangria, made with red wine, and several splashes of orange liquors and Spanish brandy. The sangria complimented all our food choices.

Those who ventured into the entrées selected Pescada Veracruz, fresh mahi-mahi sautéed to exquisite tenderness and topped with tomatoes, capers, onion, olives, peppers and white wine served over Spanish rice (where every grain is separate)—not a morsel remained. We also sampled Cordero Asado, a generous rack of lamb rubbed with rosemary and served with black mole (an intense sauce that includes dark chocolate) that deserved its many cheers. The Trupa Campesina, trout sautéed with mushrooms, artichoke hearts and capers finished with white wine and lemon; the liveliness of the lemon and capers highlighted the freshness of the fish.

From a large selection, we chose a red (Rioja) wine with a Lorinon label—it suited all the food choices. And for dessert, we shared the Bomba for the chocoholics and the Bunuelo con Helado (sweet flour tortilla with ice cream) for, as one diner described them, “the unenlightened.”

Gonzalo Fernandez was born in Anduras, in northern Spain and commenced his career in the restaurant business as a young man in the US. Local restaurants, where for 22 years he has left his mark, include the Maryland Inn’s Treaty of Paris, Northwoods, Michaelangelos and Fergi’s. Partner Alberto Serrano is from Mexico. Watch for the next restaurant from the Fernandez-Serrano team: Serrano’s. Executive Chef Obed Serrano has a way of blending the freshest meat, fish, vegetables and spices into complex and sensuous dishes.