Review: Toro.

The third night in Boston we also dined with my aunt and uncle where we tried Toro, a hip restaurant serving Spanish tapas from chefs and co-owners Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette (he competed on Iron Chef America).

Since Toro doesn’t take reservations, we arrived right before they opened and immediately the restaurant filled up. Since we ordered too much food the night before, we ordered just a few dishes to start and then decided what else we wanted to share.

Marinated Olives and Marcona Almonds (8/10).

We started with simple but satisfying snacks: marinated olives and marcona almonds.

Jamón Ibérico (9/10).

Next, we had the jamón ibérico aka the BEST cured ham you could ever eat. I first tried this delicacy in Spain and was completely blown away by the intense flavor and buttery texture that’s incomparable to any other cured ham.

Pan con Tomate: Toasted Bread with Tomato, Garlic, and Olive Oil (8/10).

The pan con tomate, toasted bread with tomato and garlic, was simple but delicious especially with a drizzle of fruity Spanish olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Patatas Bravas with Aioli with Spicy Tomato Sauce (7/10).

The patatas bravas, a stable Spanish dish, was good but not the best I’ve ever had.

Gambas al Ajillo: Griddled‎ Garlic Shrimp with Cascabel Chili, Parsley, and Lemon (7/10).

The griddled gambas al ajillo, garlic shrimp, were slightly spicy from the cascabel chili but tasty nonetheless.

Queso de Cabra: Soft Ripened Spanish Goat Cheese with Sunchokes, Chestnut Honey, and Sunflower Seeds (8/10).

The Queso de Cabra paired wonderfully with earthy chestnut honey, sunchoke purée, and sunflower seeds.

Pato con Membrillo: Smoked Duck Drumettes with Quince Glaze (9/10).

The smoked duck drumettes were probably my favorite dish of the night. The duck meat was tender and was brushed with a sweet yet tart quince glaze. Soooo good.

Maíz Asado con Aioli y Queso Cotija: Grilled Corn with Aioli, Lime, Espelette Pepper, and Aged Cheese (8.5/10).

Another winner was the maíz asado, grilled corn on the cob slathered in aioli, sprinkled with Queso Cotija, and espelette pepper.

Mejillones: Mussels with Chorizo, Basque Cider, and Smoked Hazelnut Herb Butter (8/10).

The last dish was the mussels swimming in a crazy Basque cider broth with hazelnut herb butter and chunks of spicy chorizo sausage.

Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce (8/10).

The only dessert they offered were the churros but they were so good especially with the warm chocolate sauce.

Since Toro is a tapas restaurant, it’s a great place to go with a group of people to share various items. Overall, the food was quite tasty so my rating is a 7.5-8/10.

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