Tapas in restaurants, or small plates, can either be a great way to see how different food tastes and textures are accented by pairings from an interesting wine list, or it can be a series of small disappoints clashing with less than inspired wine options.
Eno Vino on Madison’s far west side is decidedly in the first camp.
The wine list at Eno Vino is a well rounded one, with lots of intriguing options, as one would hope from a wine bar. A list of white wines by the glass that has Vouvrays, Viogniers, Gruner Veltliners, and Albarinos, along with the obligatory Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs, is always promising. What is also a plus is having a server who is knowledgeable enough about the wines to make sound recommendations.
The list of plates to share was just as tempting, and after expressing interest in all the interesting seafood options on the menu, our server steered us towards the Ahi Tuna Poke and the Seared Fresh Lump Crab Cakes.
The big question when ordering crab cakes in a restaurant is whether they will lean more towards the crab or the cake. Most places, even those that make a big deal about their crab cakes, tend toward the later. Too many times you are disappointed by something that resembles a dense hockey puck of seasoned bread crumbs, flecked with bits of crab meat, or even worse, imitation crab.
At Eno Vino, the crab cakes are almost all big pieces of delicate and fresh lump crab meat, held together with the most minimal of binders and then seared quickly for the barest of crusts that provide the right amount of textural counterpoint.
The seasoning for the crab cakes was understated, which allowed the subtle, true taste of the crab to come through.
The champagne butter sauce that the cakes were paired with was basically a beurre blanc with champagne, which provide the right amount of buttery richness to accent the pure, seared crab. The fresh garnish of baby rocket micro greens reminded us of the little spring shoots we saw coming up after an afternoon of raking out the flower beds in the garden.
We both ordered different wines with our starters, but both worked well with the crab cakes. The fruity acidity of the Martin Codax Albarino was a great counterpoint to the butteryness of the crab cakes, while the food friendly lightness and subtle mineral notes of the Michel Picard Vouvray acted as more of a compliment to the crab cakes.
The Ahi Tuna Poke was also beautifully done, although it had a couple of jarring hits of wasabi spice. Another great wine recommendation was the Paso Creek Merlot as paired with the tender grilled Hanger Steak with braised spinach and a pancetta-shallot demi-glace.
Eno Vino is located on Madison’s far west side at 601 Junction Rd. For reservations, Open Table worked like a dream, but you can always use the old fashioned telephone method: 608-664-9565.
La Colombiana says
Eno Vino. Great food, great atmosphere. The tapas were delicious and generous for a tapas restaurant. The food combos were unique and scrumptious. Can’t wait to go back!