Toro

While in the South End, we were going to stop at Seiyo, to check out their wines and get some sushi. But it was closed. Luckily I noted that Toro was open. I was a bit surprised as I had thought that Toro was only open for dinner. Well, it was open for Sunday brunch too. So we eagerly went there.

Toro is one of Chef Ken Oringer's restaurants and is well known as an excellent place for Spanish food, especially Tapas. I had not yet been to Toro though it certainly was on my To Do list. I guess this was my Chef Oringer weekend, as I had also been to Clio on Friday night. This weekend has certainly given me a greater appreciation for Chef Oringer.

There were several tables outside Toro and most of them were filled. Inside, most of the tables were taken as well. It certainly was a popular spot. We sat at some empty chairs at one end of the bar. The mood in the restaurant seemed jovial and friendly.

I checked out the drink and wine list. There are about 16 Spanish wines available by the glass ($5-10) plus a number of Sherries. There are many more wines available by the bottle, starting at $20 and rising to $625 for a bottle of the Vega Sicilia Unico. There are plenty of affordable and good tasting wines on the list, covering many different Spanish D.O.'s. They also have beers and specialty cocktails.

I had a glass of the 2005 Vi de Nulles Tempranillo Rose from Tarragona ($8). This was a refreshing Rose, with a nice strawberry flavor. The fruit did not overpower and it was perfect for the summer day. I had never had this wine before but would definitely order it again.

As we had already been eating this day, we decided just to order light. We had a Tortilla Espanola, the Spanish omelet. It came with an intriguing salad that had greens, pine nuts and sweet yellow raisins. Everything was excellent and plentiful. We also had the Kobe burgers, two small sliders, that came with potatoes. The burgers were very juicy and tasty. I had also ordered a side of patatas bravas so we had plenty of potatoes. The patatas bravas though came in a spicy mojo sauce. These potatoes were cooked perfectly, nice and crisp on the outside and soft inside. There were all relatively simple dishes but done very well. Prices were reasonable.

Our server, Christina, was personable and attentive. We had no complaints at all about our service. The rest of the staff were very nice as well.

I view this Brunch as bit of a teaser as to the quality of Toro. It certainly whetted my appetite to return for dinner very soon. It certainly is a very good place for a Sunday brunch. I recommend that you check out Toro.

Toro
1704 Washington St.
Boston, MA
Phone: (617) 536-4300