Jump to: Reviews | Sharing vs. Scaring
Passing things can be one of mankind's most enjoyable experiences, be it blame, college entrance exams, or—for a brief period in 1983—dutchies. Today's deal gives you the joy of passing plates: for $25, you get $50 worth of contemporary Spanish tapas and drinks at Poco Restaurant in East Village. Tables of four or more can combine two Groupons, so mislead at least three Craigslist missed connections to get the most out of today's deal.
Poco's lead chef, Abe Lopez, who was awarded the top prize on The Food Network's Chopped, has devised the restaurant's entire menu of tapas treats. Tapas are small plates designed for snacking and sharing over drinks and good company. Though most tapa dishes involve rich, buttery, and spicy flavors, the small plates and variety allow gourmands to indulge without feeling bloated or overfull. Order up a few different meat, sea, and vegetarian tapas to kick off the night's hand-offs. The grilled dates stuffed with blue cheese and almonds and wrapped in Serrano ham ($10.50) are a sweet start to any meal. Fan favorite lobster mac 'n' cheese ($12.95) pairs perfectly with the crispy calamari in honey chipotle aioli ($9) or the vegetarian-friendly truffled wild mushroom tosta ($9). If you're feeling adventurous, indulge in something that by all logic should not work but somehow does—skirt steak and manchego cheese lollipops dipped in sweet onion jam and cilantro pesto ($11.95).
When intense feasting hinders one's wordflow, add zip to a lulling conversation with a few specialty cocktails ($11) such as the ginger mojito, mango cinnamon margarita, or watermelon basil martini. Tapa traditionalists, on the other hand, can toast their table with a pitcher of delicious sangria ($35). Today's Groupon to Poco lets you nibble, savor, and talk until you're full of conversation-starting food, flavor-amplifying drinks, and intoxicating discourse.
Not good toward prixe fixe specials.
Reviews
The Food Network program, Chopped, awarded Poco chef Abe Lopez its grand prize, and an editorial review on NYC.com had this to say:
- …a bright new spot in Manhattan’s East Village with the best Tapas ever plus other small dishes. The menu offers a taste of everything and accommodates every food preference, meat eaters and vegans alike. – NYC.com
OpenTable users and Yelpers both give Poco four stars. MenuPages and Citysearch users give it 3.5, and 76% of Urbanspooners like it:
- Staff was terrific and so was the food. – OpenTable user who dined on 12/27/2009
- The food was excellent, really flavorful and delicious. The waitress was especially helpful in helping me pick the best dish as I have some dietary limitations. – hsachs, Citysearch
Groupon Says
Sharing vs. Scaring
Like popcorn at the movies and jumbo crayons in kindergarten, tapas are designed for sharing, facilitating conversation and encouraging a variety of experiences, rather than a slow, plodding evening of staring at one’s own plate. Clearly, sharing is usually the way to go, but there are exceptions. Here’s a handy list of sharing do’s and don’t’s for you to print out and keep in your wallet:
Do share your Halloween candy with your parents, because they’re just going to take it while you’re sleeping anyway.
Don’t share the remarkable surprise ending of Harry Potter and The Parliament of Shadows, now available for pre-order, arriving in bookstores in 2011.
Do share your favorite chewed up, drool-soaked squeaking plush duck with your dog, so that you can blame its ragged condition on him when fancy dinner guests arrive.
Don’t share your awesome idea for a new Die Hard movie with local law enforcement officials by referring to it as your “plan.”
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