Picala

As diverse as LA’s dining scene is, Spanish restaurants para picoteo are few and far between. For the uninitiated: picoteo is the art of eating small plates (i.e. tapas). Rising Spanish star Picala in West Adams (from the restaurant group behind Santa Barbara’s beloved Loquita) and chef Luis Sierra (formerly of Lulu at the Hammer Museum) are out to change that with a menu of about 20 tapas plus paellas and a handful of entrées—but before we get to the food, we need to talk about the drinks.

Picala pours some of the best NA cava I’ve yet to find. The house-made sangria is excellent—the rosé is the sleeper hit, minty and herbaceous with subtle tempranillo and vodka. If Brandy and Allspice is your thing, the red sangria has your number. From the cocktail list, La Mancha mixes passionfruit, manchego-washed tequila, and orgeat and comes with a literal wedge of manchego, which I now want with all my cocktails. The saffron-bourbon-bitters number is a simple but elegant twist on an old fashioned. 

As for foodstuff, traditionalists will appreciate the prerequisite citrus-marinated olives and plate of jamón ibérico with baguette. Crispy ham croquettes oozing with decadent, silky béchamel rival the ones I just had at one of Barcelona's best taperías. Tuna crudo gets a piquant mojo verde treatment that demands to be drunk off the plate. I love it when a place woos me with its mixed greens, and Picala's iteration—date vinaigrette, toasted nuts—has me thinking about it days later. Same goes for the vibrant, acid-forward sardine escabeche on pan de cristal, dolloped with aioli to round it out. Gambas al ajillo do the classic justice in all the ways you'd expect—the head-on prawns are tender, garlicky and finger-licking (but also head-sucking) good. When I spotted fideos in the paella section, I could barely contain myself, only to find the noodles aren't cooked in a paella pan. They're well executed, but it's not traditional fideuà, so I wouldn't order it again over the paella (and I wish the menu made the distinction clear). Still, Picala left me wanting to come back for arroz negro, cochinillo, pescado frito, y más. Picoteo accomplished.

Time Out tip: During pinxtos hour (Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5-7pm), every drink you order comes with a complimentary pinxto (bar bite). Start with the NA off-menu Madrid (think a negroni-spritz hybrid) before going all in on the nitro carajillo with Amaro Montenegro, Cynar, Evil coffee, and a dusting of shaved espresso bean.