More of Boston’s Best at Toro UPDATE – Boston

Toro is that player who never loses his game. Toro touts timelessness, something so special it never gets old. Toro is much like my roommate Kendra. Not sure why today, but it’s finally hit me that my grueling 3^rd year of med school has finally come to a close. One of the people I couldn’t have gotten through it without is my judgment-withholding, impossibly patient, always-up-for-fun, forever sunny, secretly-vacuums-my-room-and-lets-me-believe-that-my-carpet-is-self-cleaning roommie.

It’s a bit ironic that this review starts with Kendra as she is probably allergic to at least half the featured dishes, but then again it couldn’t be more fitting. I can always come home to Toro and let the exquisite delicacies soothe me, and after a hard day, Kendra is always there too. Kendra’s company is much cheaper than Toro so I maintain that the best things in life are free, but once in a while, Toro’s worth paying for too…

Now for the food! I’ve tried several new dishes at Toro, and they seemed update-worthy. Though with my well-established faves, it’s hard to branch out. I do try to dip into a new dish once in a while, but it’s hard to say no to bone marrow…

The Ostras en Escabeche are smoky little marinated oysters, squished like sardines in the cute little aluminum can they came in. I love the canned smoked oysters at the grocery store, but these are obviously much better. Less drowned in oil, less preservatives (hopefully), and plump and tasty on toast. I once said that I don’t like fish in liquid because that’s where they came from, but these little oysters sitting in the can they came from are too cute to be true!

Nothing tastes quite like a fresh, raw, unadulterated sea urchin with the top cut off, but if I can’t have that (which is only available in China), I’ll take the sandwich version. Outrageously orange urchin sumptuously smeared across two slices of toasted bread makes for a warm, gooey, so-rich-you-can-barely-handle-it meal. The tendency to be slimy is a texture tempered by lightly bitter grainy balls of mustard seed. There is truly no equivalent to the Uni Bocadilla, so if you’re an adventurous eater and shelled invertebrates don’t make you squirm, take a taste. Not to overhype, but it’s kinda awesome. Like really awesome…Like you need to try it….Like now…

A high-end version of meat-and-potatoes-married-beef-stew, the fatty-fine Costilla a la Cazadora sits atop a smear of mashed potatoes accompanied by a few sweet carrots. The short rib on the current menu has changed, probably because this one was not as exceptional as some of the other offerings, but the meat is irreproachably prepared so whatever it is now, your should probably give it a chance.

I regret that I don’t remember the name of the Mussels, but that tells you just how memorable it was. That’s probably why it’s not currently on the menu. The sauce was delicious, the flavors were chummy with chorizo, and it really hits the spot for the mussels-starved. Otherwise, there are other dishes that command your more urgent attention.

Red is one of my favorite colors to wear. It’s also one of my favorite colors to eat. It is the color of a healthy, fresh Atun Crudo. I would have wanted a little more sea salt on this otherwise standard-stellar snack, but the cucumbers also made for a noteworthy tasty topper.

I expected a mouthful of muscular-hard heart when I bit into the Corazon, but good food doesn’t make you work for it. This heart is shaved paper-thin on toast so you can masterfully masticate each smoky, crunch bite. The romesco added a nice rich element of its own. Exquisite, like all things at Toro.

When I move out next year, onto a new chapter of hell called intern year, I’m pretty sure it won’t be at BMC. I’ll miss Toro almost as much as I’ll miss Kendra – good food is hard but not impossible to replace, but there are no approximations for good friends. Besides, if Kendra learns to cook, I won’t even need restaurants…though I think I’ll still need Toro.

Nearly one year and over 60 restaurants later, Toro holds its place as my favorite restaurant in all of Boston. The Maiz Asado is firmly anchored in my heart and the duck drummettes aren’t walking away anytime soon. The salty squares of Tortilla Espanola are my rock, and I’m losing the Jamon Serrano to the chopping block, NOT The Gallows. So order what you want, eat what you like, but take my advice with a grain of sea salt on a Pimiento del Padron. Get in line for Toro, I’ll meet you there.

Boston’s Best at Toro - Boston

I’ve been to Toro several times and it never fails to wow me. The menu is exquisite, and each dish is uniquely and meticulously crafted. This is probably the only non-sarcastic review I will ever write. Ken Oringer, I have an altar with your name on it and I never let the incense burn out!

Must-try:

Pato con Membrillo – these smoked duck drummettes are exceptional. The meat falls off the bone and the smoked flavor permeates without overpowering.

Maiz Asado – clearly one of the best dishes on the menu. The sweetness of the corn and the creamy alioli mesh well to create “no-frills good”. The combination of ingredients shows a successful restraint, that is, the ability to make something “simply good”, an underrated talent of chefs.

Escalivada Catalana – marinated wood roasted eggplant with a smoky fireplace flavor.

Asado de Huesos – The oxtail is shredded and wonderfully flavored and the bone marrow, which is basically “meat butter”, adds the savory flavor.

Pimientos del padron - I have no idea why “hot green peppers with sea salt” is so freaking good but they’re perfectly roasted and you get a lot of them so it’s perfect for sharing and perfect for grazing or cleansing the palate during the meal. For those who can’t handle spice, they’re not really hot – just a kick of flavor, not enough to raise a sweat.

Tortilla Espanola – I also have no idea why an egg, potato, and onion concoction is so freaking good, but Ken Oringer knows that less if more. Notice how his simplest dishes made the top of my list?

Not a must-try, but I’d have it again:

Estufado de tripa – The tripe is chewy in the east and soft in the west. The problem with western-soft tripe is the danger of being rubbery, but this tripe is yummily (yes, that is a word!) cooked, and the the curry is sweet and denser than the usually slightly-watery green curry. If you like tripe, then I highly recommend it, but don’t get it if you’re alone and trying to order many different things for yourself – this relatively generous tapas portion will fill you up.

Coliflor a la Plancha – Yummy light dish with just the right amount of flavorful oil and salt. The cauliflower is cut into minute pieces, which lets them soak up more flavor, which is key for this fun-textured but otherwise bland veggie. Good for a contrast to the intense meats and heaven for nibblers and grazers.

Patatas Bravas - This is the only place where I will actually eat the sour cream. Don’t love the glorified ketchup lining the bottom of the bowl. It’s thick, pasty, and sour and drowns out the flavor of the potatoes, which is a crying shame. At least serve it on the side for diners who prefer drinking the sauce over eating the food. But to be fair, the tomato is tangy and fresh, and the herb flavor permeates the potatoes, an underrated culinary feat that deserves applause.

Serrano – Thinly sliced into flavorful, translucent artery-clogging sheets, this ham is actually perfect for wrapping around the Tortilla Espanola and allow carnivores/those who solemnly believe that veggies are what food eats to enjoy the amazing tortilla AND ensure that something died for their meal.

Lengua con Lentejas y Salsa Verde - Beef tongue hash. The tongue is chopped into small pieces to appease the squeamish, and it’s soft texture blends in with the rest of the dish.

I wouldn’t eat it twice (but was happy to have tried it once):

Foie Gras – it’s a tiny portion and a bit dry, which I thought was impossible for something that’s mostly fat. The portion is tiny, and the little toast point it’s served on tends to soak up the juices, obscuring the flavor.

Panza de Cerdo – the pork belly by itself is a stunning piece – it melts in your mouth. Unfortunately, this dish lacks unity. The escargot is flavorless, a stark contrast to the savory pork belly and it just doesn’t go with pork. It adds nothing to the dish, which is disappointing because the unique texture of escargot has the potential to go far. I think they make a slightly different version with clams now. Guess I wasn’t the only non-fan though I’m still a skeptic…

Grilled avocado – The grilling makes it gooey. Yummy when combined with…well…anything, but come on, $5 for half an avocado? I’d eat it again, but I’d rather spend my money on something I haven’t tried yet.

Pork Hash – I wanted the beef tongue once and they didn’t have it so I had the pork instead. It’s like southern barbecue minus the barbecue, but preserving the savory pork flavor. A bit on the salty side but no real complaints and no really stellar remarks.

Hummus – Nice kick from the argon oil but more textured and bitter than I’m used to. You know a chef is good when even his hummus has his own unique touch! I’d happily eat it again, but I’d want to spend my money trying something else.

Anna’s Empanadas – It’s chicken and potato in a pastry shell that forms an admirable combination of flaky and crispy. But the chicken is a bit bland, and it’s alioli that carries it through. Good for unadventurous diners in your group though if you’re at Toro, pleasepleaseplease don’t base what you order on the culinarily meek…they may inherit the earth, but they sure as heck don’t inherit the food.

Churros – Crispy, sweet but not too sweet, with a thick but not too thick chocolate dipping sauce with just the right hint of gooey but not messy. It’s good but not exceptional, and there’s plenty of other things to save room for.

Avoid like the plague (only two dishes made it here!):

Ensalada Atun – Good for a light one-person lunch if you’re allergic to flavor and have a libido for the uninspired. The tuna is fresh but not un-ordinary enough to be called good, and you can throw salad greens into a bowl for free at home.

Mollejas - Ok, I’m breaking the sarcasm rule. I can’t deal with it. How does this place make everything else so perfectly? If I had tasted only the sweetbreads, I would have never come back.

The only downside I can think of is the long wait for a table during prime dinner hours. I tried to get a table at 8 pm on a Tuesday night once and was told that there would be a 2-hour wait. There were tables open when I went at 6 pm, but there were maybe 6 seats left in the entire restaurant. However, while you’re squished up at the bar for an hour (or two!) at a distance that makes even the most immodest man blush, remember this: any chef can cook with great ingredients, but combining foods, especially mundane ones, into something exceptional is a lost art that can be found at Toro. Bottom line: Eat at Toro at least once. It’s worth the wait every time.