Over this weekend, a friend of mine and I made the treacherous trek out in the Arctic frozen city for brunch at Lamano. What I like about Lamano that it is tapas and you can eat small plates and since we both traveled to Barcelona a few years back, it brought moments of nostalgia. While the tapas served for brunch are classics, they were done very well.
We started off with brunch focused cocktails of a Sherry Mary and a peach Bellini. Lamano’s unique take on the Bloody Mary was interesting. It replaced the tomato juice with beet juice (I really liked that swap as it tasted slightly sweeter and not as acidic) and sherry wine for vodka (added complexity beyond what’s possible for that clear spirit). The Bellini was bright, fruit forward and not too sweet. These drinks went with the Serrano jamon very well. I adore the sharp salty flavors with the gentle aged funk of the pork in the background.
Another favorite was the pan con tomate topped with bocquerones. This simple but sublime toast was popular well before it’s a thing here in NYC. The option to add the deliciously salty fish made it so much better and made me really miss Spain. (I like anchovies but bocquerones are much superior and cleaner tasting.)
For the cooked options on the brunch menu, we had the tortilla española, croquetas, and piquillos de rabo. The croquetas were super crisp crust and once it’s bitten down, the seductive creamy potato puree just melts on the tongue and it’s perfectly seasoned. The tortilla was delicious. Screaming hot (how it should be served) with a delicately crisp crust and creamy egg and soft potato interior. The truffle aioli made it much more decadent. The piquillos were the perfect comfort food for that frigid afternoon. The pan arrives steaming hot and the peppers were sweet and meltingly tender and the tendrils of pulled oxtail meat were delicious with the creamy potato puree.
Overall, we had an enjoyable time dining there. The food was soul satisfying and gave me a brief trip to Spain. The staff was friendly and attentive.
For more photos, please CLICK HERE for the complete sets or see below:
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Information:
Lamano
Website
265 W 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
Phone: (212) 741-2398
