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Bar Veloce - One of the best bars in the New York to bring a date, order a couple of well-priced glasses of wine and nibble on a delicious Italian morsel. The only problem is that it is generally so crowded that finding a seat requires a great deal of luck and the type of agility required in making pasta from scratch in an East Village kitchen.
My pick for food superhero of the year is Frederick Twomey, owner of Bar Veloce. He has opened up, right next door to the original, a Spanish version of Veloce called Bar Carrera. He also has done what I thought was impossible, improved upon the original. Not only does Carrera offer a wider range of wines (Sherry and Port for under $5 a copita is perfecto) but the food is more serious and better priced. And let’s face it: although Italian flavors are timeless, Spanish is hot right now and for good reason.
I couldn’t imagine a better date spot. The low lighting and candles makes everyone look a little bit sexier and the walls lined with imported Spanish products made my mouth water like one of Pavlov’s dogs. As did the huge, fat-laden, Serrano jam legs, carefully carved by hand, much in the way you’d see in Madrid. Cheese and chocolates are meticulously displayed behind the bar each with a handwritten sign displaying the provenance or type. Pure foreplay. The Moorish mosaics lining the sidewall are beautiful, but grab a seat at the bar where you can watch the mild-mannered bartender/chef/dishwasher/sommelier prepare the food without a kitchen for some culinary voyeurism.
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Whereas Veloce is a sophisticated bar with some food (excellent pressed panini, including a nutella variation that is a crowd pleaser, and a good cheese plate), if you didn’t order food with gusto at the slightly more raucous Carrera, named after a men’s culinary club in San Sebastian, you haven’t really been to Carrera. Here teensy tapas are called by their Basque name, pinxtos and at $3.75 each they necessitate (and maybe foreshadow?) a night filled with variety and experimentation. Join the hip young crowd with the chefs, foodies, other restaurant professionals and their ilk as you sip a nutty almond gazpacho, oddly but pleasantly reminiscent of a falafel ball. Also try the classic full-flavored chorizo gracing the dish with a delicate soft-boiled egg, and creamy, salty garrotxa cheese with a balancing sweet paste of quince called membrillo.
