I couldn't help but think about that relaxed way of life last night when I had dinner at Santiago's Bodega in Key West. Like the small, cozy streets of Europe that were carved well before cars, the road leading to Santiago's is quiet and calm. Located four blocks south of Duval on Petronia Street, it feels like you're headed to nowhere of importance when Santiago's pops up on a lonely neighborhood street. Few cars litter the street; most people walk or ride bicycles and scooters to the restaurant. Located on the first floor of what looks like an old Conch home, Santiago's tapas restaurant and wine bar makes you glad you came down the old street as people laughing, glasses clinking and the smell of seafood, roasted vegetables and fresh basil and thyme draws you in.
The restaurant is tiny. Inside, dinner seating for about two dozen fills the area left of the entry, while the right side is a wine bar with a few tall tables big enough for a handful of people. The two sides of the restaurant are divided by a big round table at the entrance with a large spray of tropical flowers and a collection of the night's featured wines, sherries and ports. Outside, another four tables fit snugly onto a small porch. My husband and I sat at a small table right next to the door; it felt almost as if we were in the middle of the walkway to the door (next time, I'll ask for an interior table or the corner table outside). Luckily, my husband made reservations, and they're needed. Even on a standard Thursday night, customers without a reservation had to wait for seating because there's just not enough to go around.
The space may be small, but the flavor of the food is not. The chefs infuse each bite of the tapas dishes with big, robust flavors (tapas is a Spanish word, which means eating many small appetizer-size dishes). I picked a white wine by the glass--Bex riesling; my husband ordered a Blue Moon brew. We skipped the salads and cold tapas and went straight for the hot options. We had the quesadillas, with cheddar and jack cheese, mango salso and cilantro. Each bite had as much flavor as a stacked piece of pizza. Also high on our taste list was the bacon-wrapped mushrooms, which filled my mouth with savory juices and a kick of pepper. The special, a puffed pastry filled with shrimp, crab and scallops (below), was easily my favorite dish of the night. We also tried the grouper, crusted with fennel seed, coriander and lemon pepper. I don't think I'll be ordering it again. Next time I'll be sure to start with a salad; I saw a few pass by on their way to other tables, and they looked tasty and surprisingly large in size.
I wish I could say the service was as impeccable as the food. In addition to our table feeling slightly out of the place, our server was also off his game. He stumbled over the specials, and failed to light the small candle on our table for a little extra light at dusk, so we ended up asking another server (who acted annoyed we'd bothered her). I will say, though, our server wasn't pushy when it came to ordering tapas. Some servers will encourage you to order up to seven or eight plates, but he was happy bringing us only the five we wanted. The service wasn't great, but it's not enough to keep us from going back. I've already picked out a few more dishes I want to try: the spanakopita, with spinach, feta and onion baked in a phyllo pastry with hollandaise sauce; the smoked salmon carpaccio with crostini, crème fraiche, capers and minced onions; and the avocado and pear salad, to start.
With prices ranging from $8 to $15 per dish, it's easy to rack up a bill of more than $50, simply for the food. But one thing that doesn't cost a penny is the pure enjoyment you get out of sitting back, relaxing with good food and good company, getting the most out of the moment. That's a lesson I brought home with me from Europe, and a lesson I was glad to be reminded of at Santiago's Bodega.
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