Sometimes the food hits the table and I am eager to sample it, more in the role of a hungry diner rather than a blogger. That’s why there is no photo of the first two tapas—Chicken Tinga Empanadas and Setas Montaditos. They simply disappeared before I thought to grab my camera. I had better luck and a little more patience by the time the second round arrived—Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos and Lamb Meatballs (photo, above).
My companion and I were at Casa Brava Tapas, adjacent to the lobby at the Six South Street Hotel in Hanover NH. Two veterans of the Upper Valley dining scene, James Van Kirk from the former Candela and Martin Murphy from Ariana’s, joined forces to create this new restaurant serving tapas; it opened in December, 2024. You can order and hoard your favorites for yourself or share plates with dining companions.
The empanadas: filled with well-seasoned chicken surrounded by incredibly fresh and tender pastry. The setas montaditos—three medallions of sweet potato covered with mushrooms, caramelized onion, goat cheese, and a drizzle of balsamic—were a nice savory addition. Lamb meatballs were presented in a spoonable mixture of manchego and polenta. Every dish was delicious and we would order them again.
The star of the table, we agreed, was the bang bang shrimp tacos: crispy panko shrimp, mango slaw and a sriracha-citrus aioli with the right amount of heat. Four tapas between the two of us were more than satisfying and alas, left us turning down any offers of dessert.
The setting is casual, some tables close enough together that cross-table chat is almost inevitable. Our conversations with friendly UV folks spanned topics such as travel to visit parents, highlights of Barcelona complete with á book recommendation, and of course, this summer’s heat.
Reservations? We had made them and were glad we did. At 6:45 pm on a Wednesday, the place was lively and crowded, though thinned out over time.
Clearly a return visit is needed to tackle the rest of the menu. (You may want to get right on that yourself.) More information and the tapas menu is available here.
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Hungry for a garden tour? The 13th Annual Cohase Chamber of Commerce Garden Tour (self-guided) takes place this Sunday, July 20th in Fairlee, Bradford and Newbury. Details are below (such a beautiful poster!) and online here.
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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.