Yes! Columbus has flavors from across the Atlantic and the Iberian Peninsula. The ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? team found them at Spain Restaurant. Open since 1994, located inside the Best Western Hotel, west from I-71 on Dublin-Grandville Road, it is a classic mid-upper-scale restaurant with a Spanish ambience set by the warm reception of the staff, the musical sways of José Luis Perales or the Gipsy Kings, and the mural of Don Quijote, accompanied by a variety of smaller, framed pieces of Spanish life and culture.
Open for lunch and dinner, Spain Restaurant greets patrons with a notably friendly, well-dressed and efficient staff. The restaurant is very challenging to find as it is located within a hotel and does not have a distinct building with a conspicuous sign. Once there, Fernando and I quickly forgot our struggle to find the restaurant after the manager, Jorge-Luis Aguilar, welcomed us and our dining experience began.
As a complement to every dish, vegetables, saffron rice, Spanish potatoes and soup of the day (in our case a pureed and well-seasoned garlic soup), made a nice entry to the main meal. The chef, Andres Casal, uses four main ingredients in his dishes -- olive oil, garlic, paprika and saffron -- that gives the Spanish cuisine its unique signature and took us to Galicia, his homeland.
The salmon stuffed with crabmeat ($16.95) was my personal favorite; it blended flavors that your mind grasps and your taste buds do not want to let go. The 16 oz. Bistec de Lomo, The New York Strip Loin, ($17.95) had a nice Spanish accent and was very tender. Finally, the Camarones de Ajo, Garlic Shrimp, ($18.95) were not as tender, but the flavor is mouth watering.
The portions at Spain Restaurant are capable of satiating the appetite, and can be shared, for a $5 fee. If you do this, then you are sure to leave room for dessert. We tried two desserts. The mango sorbet made with real mango, served in the mango peal was original and tasty. The natural flavor is hard to beat in this pre-processed world. We also tried the Rum Cake, wonderful and moist. It would be well-complimented with a warm cup of coffee.
Though the dinners may be high priced for most students’ budget, it is possible to get the same flavor at a more reasonable price with the lunch specials ranging from $6.95 to $10.95.
After tasting these classic Spanish dishes, I should warn those who do not enjoy garlic: your menu will be reduced to desserts. For the rest, a word of advice: carry after-dinner mints – particularly if you are on a date.
Our overall dining experience was brought together by the culmination of elements Spain Restaurant offers: Spanish tastes, great service, wonderful ingredients and cultural, culinary enhancement. Welcome to Spain, Columbus!
Spanish Cuisine
888 E. Dublin-Granville Rd
Columbus, OH 43229
(614) 840-9100
www.spain-dining.com
Hours:
Lunch Hours: Mon - Fri 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Dinner: Mon - Sat 5p.m. - 11p.m.
4.5
Rating System:
5 chiles = Exceptional; 4 chiles = Very good; 3 chiles = Average; 2 chiles = Poor; 1 chile = Very poor
