Tapas at Cafe Felix

Mom and I had dinner plans today, and went to Cafe Felix on Main St.

Cafe Felix is one of my favorite lunch spots. I often stop in there after a visit to Afterwords, the discount bookstore on Main, to read and eat. The ambiance is cheerful (the bright yellow walls do a lot) and there are enough clientele like myself who enjoy a quiet lunch and a book that they don't ask if you're waiting for someone when you're dining solo.

I was expecting the same menu as they serve at lunch, and was craving their "Zelda" sandwich - tomatoes, Brie, and red onion brushed with olive oil on their fresh baguette - warmed under the broiler. mmmm. . .heaven. Simple? Yes. Cheap to make at home? Yes. Better on their bread? Most definitely.

I'd never been there past three o'clock though, and when I showed up and the menu was different, I was disappointed. I'd been waiting for that sandwich all day. (I shouldn't have been surprised though. Who serves crepes and sandwiches for dinner?) My disappointment vanished quickly, however, when I glanced over their choice of tapas.

Now, it was some hard choosing, but Mom and I finally settled on three cold dishes. I tried my best to order like a professional AP Spanish student, but it had been too long. I butchered every last ll and ñ. The waitress smiled patiently. Next time I'll have to bring a guide - or just point.

We had a Gambas con Aguacate - a shrimp and avocado dish, with lemon and olive oil and a cool tomato-garlic sauce. The sauce was delicious, as was the avocado - but the shrimp was lacking. It was a little tough and chewy. I only had one.

The next dish was Carne Relleña- a pork tenderloin stuffed with a mix of chorizo, roast red bell pepper, hard boiled eggs, and thyme, on top of a bed of caramelized onions in red wine sauce. It was cool and spicy with a nice array of textures. The onions were a special treat - the red wine flavor was subtle and perfectly complemented the sweet tang of the onions.

My favorite of dish all was the Patatas y Huevos Fríos - Potatoes and Hard-Boiled Eggs. They were cooked and sliced thickly, covered in a garlic-caper sauce, then sprinkled with chopped black olives. The sauce was thin - almost a salad dressing consistency, and had just a hint of lemon. The dish was amazing, to say the least, and the one I ate tonight that I'm most likely to try to duplicate at home. The waitress brought us a basket of bread straight from the oven, and after finishing the potatoes, we soaked up the rest of the sauce with the fresh bread. Deeeeee-lish.

Looking back over the menu, there are a million other things I should have tried. The shrimp and avocados were a regretful order, though overall, it was a lovely meal. I left sated, but not stuffed. I expect I'll be back there next Friday night - for more potatoes, and perhaps some mussels and squid. Yum!