A Different Take on Tapas

We've always had a thing for Tapas I personally don't like being disappointed by one dish, therefore, choosing from many ensures I'll get at least one dish I like. This week we decided to try a bit of a different take on Tapas at Cotta an Italian Tapas/Wine Bar in the upper west side of New York City.

As we walked in I noticed the decor as a designer that's the first thing I notice. The place has dark lighting and wooden walls. For the most part, the downstairs is made up of high communal tables and a bar. You can feel the breeze from the outside if you sit by one of the windows as they open wide.

We were greeted by two ushers, one of whom took us to a table in the downstairs section of the restaurant. I noticed that most tables seemed to be communal but we had our own four-seater. As soon as we sat down, our server came, a young lady who we later learned was a trainee. I politely said that we needed more time to order.

Cotta had an array of tasty Tapas that we were eager to try, but we're not conniseurs of some Italian dishes so it took us a while to decide. We 're accustomed to choosing our own entrees so it took us even extra time to come to a mutual decision on Tapas, but I did order me their version of Mojito which was just right. After much discussion we chose the Marinated Roasted Peppers, Arancini of Risotto, Roasted Garlic Bruschette, Pesto with Ricotta Bruschette and Eggplant Caponata and for dessert a Tiramisu. Okay, so it wasn't like a trial where people have to come to a unanimous decision. My husband doesn't care for Eggplant so it wasn't on his list. All of the food was great. We actually had to return one of the dishes because my husband didn't realize that Smoked Salmon wasn't like other meats, it isn't cooked hot. As I said, you can't go wrong when you choose bites of lots of different foods.

I was a little thrown off by the fact that our server was a trainee. The senior server was actually standing in back of her at first, which was a little odd. The senior server also told us the specials of the day. And she was there when we received our Tiramisu in a cup, which we had never tried before. We wondered if it tasted the same...and thank god, it did. Another odd thing was that when we were almost finished with the meal the server told us to take stuff off the other chair because there were people eyeing the table. A couple actually sat down in our four-seater five minutes before we left.

All in all we had a good time at Cotta and would recommend it anyone looking for a quick meal. We didn't try the wines but they had quite a listing which I think I would try on my next time back. I forgot to mention that it wasn't the biggest place, but that it had an open look. I'm giving Cotta 3 stars for okay service, great food and ambiance.

-Wife