Out to eat: Relish

The Paella Valenciana features chicken, chorizo, shrimp and mussels. (Credit: Tony Jones | Metromix)

Tapas-style dining in Spain offers a wide variety of small plates, bigger than appetizers, and a tradition of enjoying small portions of food and sharing with others. It’s more focused on the people as opposed to the eating and creates an informal ritual, which is exactly what Relish does.

The atmosphere: Relish has a sleek and modern appeal with dark painted walls, dim lights and a variety of booths and tables to make the tapas experience more inviting. It’s tucked inside the Deerfield Commons Center and when the weather turns warm the patio is full of patrons enjoying each other’s company as well as the offerings in world cuisine. In the middle is a fully stocked bar with a TV that fits right in with silver track lighting, high and low top tables, cozy booths and pictures of colorful martinis .

On a recent Saturday night, I had made reservations not knowing what to expect and not long after we had arrived, the restaurant started to fill up quickly.

The drinks: Relish is the proud home of classic martinis ($10). I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a large glass of Red Sangria, which one of my guests also chose to have as well. The guys opted for Coronas ($4.50) and Stella Artois ($6) from a selection that runs from Bud Light to Avery White Rascal , Magic Hat #9 and Troegs Hop Back Amber Ale.

The food: At Relish the whole idea is to try more than one thing and enjoy each others’ company. We started out with a few selections off of the Pintxos Platter, which is derived from the Basque region of Spain. Our choices for $2 each included Chorizo and Olives, Stuffed Piquillo Peppers and Chicken cooked on skewers. All of these tasty samplings got our taste buds ready for more.

As for main dishes to try, we shared six different dishes between the four of us, which was plenty for everyone. We started with chicken paella, a Spanish rice dish with chicken, vegetables and chorizo sausage ($13.95), and an empanada platter, which included a Hawaiian version, ($9.95). The paella was cooked to perfection and there was definitely plenty to go around. The empanadas were filled to the brim with meat, vegetables and cheese, a Spanish take on the calzone. We also added the potato spheres to our selection, ($5), mashed potatoes battered and deep fried.

Our guests choose the Mahi Mahi and Scallops, ($13.95), Spicy Shrimp ($11.95) and a Morroccan Flatbread pizza ($12.95). The Mahi Mahi was so tender and seasoned to perfection and the shrimp had a good kick. The flatbread didn’t last long – it seemed to be one of the favorites.

Since we still had a little room left we decided to try dessert. My date and I chose churros, spiral shaped Mexican doughnuts, rolled in cinnamon, deep fried and topped with ice cream, ($5) while our guests chose the chocolate mousse ($5).

The verdict: Once the tapas-style dining is understood by patrons, you will not leave Relish dissatisfied. The servers are more than happy to share their recommendations and you will definitely leave filled to the brim.