Entertainment - Dining

POSTED: Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

Flats purveys mouthwatering morsels

BELLINGHAM - As I strolled along State Street toward the office on the morning I wrote this column, the smell of garlic sizzling in hot oil lifted my spirits.

It was probably coming from the kitchen at nearby La Fiamma (an excellent eatery that is not the subject of this review) but it stirred mouthwatering memories of Sevilla, in southern Spain. In the early evening, as locals and tourists wander that city's ancient, winding streets in search of the ultimate tapa, that garlic smell saturates the air.

Tapas have been in vogue in this country for many years now, so it may not be necessary to mention that tapas originated as snack-sized portions of foods served with drinks in Spanish bars, where the natives would not dream of drinking on an empty stomach.

In the least-pretentious Spanish watering holes, tapas can be as simple as a chunk of cheese, a slice of Serrano ham, a small plate of olives or garlic shrimp. But they can also be elaborate delicacies.

At Flats in Fairhaven, elaborate tapas are the order of the day, although there is also a $26.95 meal-sized steak dinner as well as large cold plates featuring selections of meats and cheeses.

We started our evening with "La Seo," an unpretentious $18.95 platter of breads, Pamplona chorizo, Serrano ham (a dry Spanish import not unlike prosciutto) two kinds of cheese, sundried tomato tapenade and roasted garlic cloves. The quantity of finger food was ample for two, which enabled us to feel satisfied by adding just two more choices from the hot tapas list.

Both of those hot tapas were exquisite-good enough to provoke moans and sighs of culinary delight.

A tray of pan-seared scallops on cannellini beans, $11.95, was dubbed "Galicia," a region of northwest Spain. The scallops were enlivened but not overpowered by caramelized onion, aioli and hazelnut pesto, and perfectly cooked.

A dish called "Sitges" (small city near Barcelona) featured chicken chunks skewered and grilled with zesty, red-chili flavored Spanish chorizo, on a bed of grilled eggplant with roasted tomato and olives, topped with a mint-garlic yogurt sauce that gave it a Middle East flair. It was also $11.95.

These were just two of the 15 hot tapa selections available, meaning that we may need to return here several times to taste them all.

You can compliment these tasty morsels with a good selection of Spanish and other wines, including many available by the glass.

FLATS

Address: 1307 11th St., Fairhaven

Phone: 738-6001

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to about 9 p.m. daily

Price range: $10-$19 for tapas

The tapas format may be off-putting for people used to going out for big dinners, but a taste of Flats fare should convert all but the most die-hard steak-and-potato folks.