AT SUMPTUOUS ALEXANDRIA, SMALL PLATES ARE FIRST RATE.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic MEDITERRANEAN fare varies according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. what country you're in. But at Encino's new Alexandria, which specializes in small plates, there are no boundaries for chef-owner Beni Velazquez. Yes, the name represents the city in Egypt, but his menu of tapas and mezzes tells you in no uncertain terms, ``Our culinary focus stretches from Spain, Italy and France and follows the shores of Morocco, Egypt, Israel and Lebanon.'' Ambitious for sure. Yet it allows Velazquez to climb on the current small-bites bandwagon and offer an expanded range of tastes that runs from such dishes as nifty salt cod fritters ($10) blended with potato, shallots, garlic, herbs and capers CAPERS. Vessels of war owned by private persons, and different from ordinary privateers (q.v.) only in size, being smaller. Bea. Lex. Mer. 230. to fluffy pumpkin ravioli ($6) stuffed with yogurt cheese in a hazelnut liqueur liqueur (lĭkûr`), strong alcoholic beverage made of almost neutral spirits, flavored with herb mixtures, fruits, or other materials, and usually sweetened. The name derives from the Latin word to melt. cream sauce. Sit down in one of Alexandria's sumptuous raised booths complete with pillow, order a glass of chilled Spanish albarino white wine ($8) and begin your meal with complimentary, excellent, crusty and puffed rolls and breads served with a crucible of a tangy, spicy eggplant and sun-dried tomato mixture for dipping or spreading. Then start the tapas-mezzes adventure. You can wander all over the menu with cold and hot little plates. Or you have the option of chef's choices: four for $24, eight for $45 or 10 for $55. The traditional Spanish torta ($7) served cold provides a worthy, well- portioned kickoff order. Incidentally, this potato omelet dish is a staple on just about every tapas menu in Spain. You might want to match white wine with Alexandria's chubby, sweet scallops ($10) cooked in sherry with a shallot-saffron butter, given an extra kick with specks of serrano ham. Octopus ceviche ce·vi·che or se·vi·che n. Raw fish marinated in lime or lemon juice with olive oil and spices and served as an appetizer. [American Spanish, from Spanish cebiche, fish stew, from ($10) here is fine, though not much like its South American counterpart, arriving boosted with piquillo peppers, red onion and olives and a touch of lemon. For red wine matches (the Ramon Bilbao tempranillo is a pleasing choice at $22 per bottle) both the lamb and beef meatballs ($10) with rice and a spicy tomato sauce and the garlic chicken ($8) make sense. Or you can go whole hog, choose an entree-size dish and dig into one of the house paellas. These are wet-style paellas, quite tasty, usually served to two or more ($14 to $25 per person), our choice one evening being the meat and vegetable version for one ($21) with chicken and chorizo cho·ri·zo n. pl. cho·ri·zos A very spicy pork sausage seasoned especially with garlic. [Spanish.] Noun 1. . We've also enjoyed the Greek spinach pie known as spanakopita spa·na·ko·pi·ta n. A Greek spinach pie made with layers of phyllo and a filling of seasoned spinach, onions and scallions, feta, and sometimes eggs. ($9); an unusual pumpkin, chicken and bean soup daubed daub v. daubed, daub·ing, daubs v.tr. 1. To cover or smear with a soft adhesive substance such as plaster, grease, or mud. 2. To apply paint to (a surface) with hasty or crude strokes. with almond cream ($6); and a couple of entree plates. The latter were roasted chicken breasts ($21) dusted with an almond and saffron coating and accompanied by potato pieces in a spicy tomato sauce and garlicky gar·lick·y adj. Containing, tasting of, or smelling of garlic. Adj. 1. garlicky - relating to or tasting or smelling of garlic; "garlicky sauce" , French-cut green beans and sweet and savory duck ($23) with olives, orange, roasted fennel fennel, common name for several perennial herbs, genus Foeniculum vulgare of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), related to dill. The strawlike foliage and the seeds are licorice-scented and are used (especially in Italian cooking) for flavoring. and a delicious lentil lentil, leguminous Old World annual plant (Lens culinaris) with whitish or pale blue flowers. Its pods contain two greenish-brown or dark-colored seeds, also called lentils, which when fully ripe are ground into meal or used in soups and stews. stew. Great way to finish the night here: churros (crunchy and soft at the same time) and a warm Spanish melted chocolate dip. Ole! Ole! Larry Lipson, (818) 713-3668 larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com ALEXANDRIA Food: Three stars - Service: Three stars - Wine: Two and one half stars Where: 16101 Ventura Blvd., Encino. Phone: (818) 501-0401. Meals/hours: Open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, for dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, from 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Special Mother's Day brunch will be served 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 8. Food type: International. Mediterranean specialties. Cost: $$. Credit cards: All major. Patio dining: Yes. Parking: Valet only/two-hour validation. Full bar: No. Beer and wine only. Wine/corkage: Fair selection. Only one bottle under $20. Corkage cork·age n. A charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises. corkage Noun a charge made at a restaurant for serving wine bought elsewhere : $10. Music/entertainment: Friday and Saturday only. Live band. Flamenco and belly dancers. Takeout/delivery:Yes. No delivery. Reservations:Yes. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Chef and owner Beni Velazquez shows off the fare at Encino's Alexandria, which includes tapas, mezzes, soups and more. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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