First look: Tasca Tasca
Chef Manuel Avezedo has opened his much anticipated Portuguese tapas bar in downtown Sonoma: Tasca Tasca.
We visited last night, and it wasn’t too busy. Shared tables dot the center of the room, a large bar on the west side, and two top tables are against the east wall.
Large photographs of Avezedo’s family decorate the wall and food-centric Portuguese antiques decorate the building. A large TV over the bar plays European soccer. The vibe is geared more towards adults.
The menu is a mix of small plates, offered at three price points: 3 items at $15, 5 items at $24 and 7 items at $32.
Guests can select which items they want, which includes a wide swath of traditional and contemporary Portuguese specialties.
We shared a number of dishes, highlights being the São Jorge cheese made on the island of São Jorge, where Avezedo’s family is from – it is a mild pleasant cheese that will satisfy fans of semi-hard cow cheeses; delicately flavored pickled vegetables; lupini beans that one eats by popping out of their shells; and cuddlefish with white beans was mild and had a nice texture.
The big hits at the table were the saffron vinaigrette marinated mussels which were tiny yet luscious along with the smoked duck breast, which melted like butter in one’s mouth.
Two large fingerling potatoes cut in half, lightly fried, and seasoned with famed Piri Piri seasoning made for a decent starch, however the small amount of tasty saffron aioli wasn’t enough to share for the four potato portions. However, that was a small deterrent from an overall tasty experience.
We shared Piri Piri chocolate ice cream, with a rich chocolate flavor and a gelato texture. We were surprised by the heat that the ice packs towards the end of each bite. Reminiscent of Mexican hot chocolate, a fun treat, even if the three servings were too much for us to finish!
We headed back a week later to try the goat stew – it was delicious. Sous vide goat that is delicate and moist with a buttery texture. The bread served on the side makes for an ideal “stew soaking” bread. The Portuguese Mac and Cheese is mild with some light seasoning. We found a sausage piece in it, and weren’t sure if that was supposed to be there…or not.
Bacalau, a Portuguese classic, is a fried ball of salted cod with a light tarragon-based dipping sauce. We loved it with the Piri Piri hot sauce (ask waitstaff for it). Overall, the goat stew was a big highlight of the second visit.
A large wine list features classic Portuguese wines and ports and a selection of beers. Wine flights are available and glasses come in two pour sizes and by the bottle. Glasses are on par with Sonoma standards. During our visit they ran out of Vinho Verde, Portugal’s well-regarded, light and refreshing effervescent still white wine. We’ll be back for more.
Tasca Tasca is open 12 p.m.-12 a.m., reservations not accepted. 122 W. Napa St., Sonoma. 996-8272. tascatasca.com.
