"You can make a reservation to sit outdoors at Casa Mono, but don’t do that. Instead, walk in, put your name down and go drink some vermouth with a twist at neighboring Bar Jamón while you wait for a table. Half the fun of eating at this spot, open since 2003, is watching the chefs work the plancha in the open kitchen, while getting a lecture on Spanish wine from the servers and bartenders. This is definitely a wine-first spot—their list is so thick, it should be renamed the Encyclopedia Iberica. Ask for pairings with their creative tapas, which tend to be on the heavier and expensive side. Not everything works, but we do like their creamy eggs with uni, aged anchovy oil, and walnuts, as well as the pressed confit goat with pistachios and grilled avocado." - will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim
