Nopa

We tried Nopa one night we had tickets to head to a concert at the Independent - even though we weren't really sure what "urban rustic food" really was. Because we had an early reservation (6 PM - when they start dinner service), our table was on the upper loft level, overlooking the entire restaurant. We had a great view of the communal table, the long bar, the open kitchen, and could see out the windows, which are too high for diners to see out of on the lower level. We instantly liked the atmosphere - the painted mural on the wall, the high ceilings, the shiny dark wood, the dishcloths that serve as napkins, the waiters that weren't in white buttondown shirts and aprons.



Our server came up quickly to ask for our drink order. I ordered a pretty mainstream liquor, and was surprised to hear that they didn't carry it (Bombay). He suggested a local subsitute (Gin 209) that I loved so much that it now has a permanent place in our liquor cabinet at home (even though it can be challenging to find). The cocktails were fantastic throughout our meal, and our server continued to be just as knowledgable.

The chef did send out an amuse, although I don't remember it nearly as clearly as the appetizer that we shared. Our salad was more than enough for two people to share as a starter and was crisp, fresh and covered with heavenly thick cut, house-cured bacon. Our entrees came out piping hot - baked pasta and the infamous pork chop. In all honesty, upon arriving and scanning over the menu, nothing had jumped out at my tastebuds. But the pasta was very good - creamy and savory, cooked until the cheese was crispy on top. It was definitely satisyfing - but it didn't win the best pasta dish award. However, the pork chop was another story. It was enormous and somehow Dan found the room to finish it all. It was incredibly juicy, perfectly done and came out on a plate of greens and plump white beans.



Somehow, after all that protein and all those carbs, we had room for two different desserts. The churros with Mexican chocolate sauce were terrific - the churros were light, crisp and cinnamony. I thought the sauce was a little heavy for them, but Dan ate them up. On the other hand, he thought my mexican coffee ice cream sandwich was a little rich, but I loved it. I will admit, it was too frozen to eat for at least about 5 minutes, but after I could get my teeth through it, it was a great end to the meal.



I do very much appreciate their reasonable prices (you'll find several entree choices under $20) and fact that their entire menu is available until 1 AM. While there are plenty of places I'd like to go before I make a point to return, I have a feeling that we'll be back (if for no other reason than to try their hamburger that looked fantastic going by).