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Flats - Tapas Bar

Address

1307 11th Street
Bellingham , WA 98225
360.738.6001

Hours

Every day 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM

Review

A long time ago, I lived in a land far from here called "Spain" with a Spanish girl. At first, I had some difficulty reconciling my Americanized palate to the traditional foods of the region, anecdotal proof that exotic doesn’t always equal better. In retrospect, I think my student budget restriction of 1000 pesetas ($6.66) per meal might have kept me away from the better restaurants.

That is to say it kept me away from restaurants like Flats, which serves some fine Spanish food. Flats is billed as a tapas bar, with tapas being the rough equivalent of appetizers. The Spanish don’t eat their evening meal at 6pm, but have their main meal at 2pm and a light supper at 9-10pm. Most restaurants are closed at 6pm, but the bars are open and they all serve tapas as light appetizers to get you through the rest of the day.

In my mind, the question of authenticity arises whenever a restaurant bills itself as representing a foreign culture or nation (with some notable exceptions like "Panda Express" or "Kentucky Fried Chicken"). The first thing I looked for is the ubiquitous Jamón Serrano, which can be found in the La Seo sampler. The Spanish equivalent of prosciutto, this tangy cross between bacon and pork jerky is something of an acquired taste but is a taste worth acquiring. Another of the cold tapas included Manchego, a mild goat cheese from Central Spain.

The Yams Bravas are a variation/combination of Patatas A’lioli (potatoes with a garlic cream sauce) and Patatas Bravas (Potatoes with a tangy tomato sauce). The 1000 peseta Spanish version is more like potatoes with ketchup or potatoes with mayonnaise, nothing like the deliciousYams Bravas -- a good option for the first time explorer of Spanish cuisine.

The Castilla is another option that will delight the uninitiated, mini meatballs in a saffron tomato sauce. I will admit to you that I can’t describe the flavor of saffron but it is expensive, used in many Spanish dishes and makes everything yellow. Cantabria might be more familiar to those who dine at cosmopolitan delis with its grilled panini, tuna and olive tapenade.

I’d personally recommend the Galicia, scallops with canellini beans and caramelized onions, a dish that transcends novelty and treads lightly across Cloud Nine. Although I’m not fond of eggs, the Spanish Tortilla is several steps above edible. Not to be confused with a Mexican Tortilla, the Spanish version is more like an omelet with potato, onion and ham.

The restaurant is not large and has quickly become popular even as it joins an already strong suite of dining options in the heart of booming Fairhaven. Weekend evenings may make it difficult to secure a table but listening to Spanish guitar while you wait will ease the pain. Portions are not large but that is the Spanish way and in the tradition of tapas. Besides, with so many excellent options, you want to leave room for the variety.
Written By: Glen Berry
On: 5/13/2001

Directions

Head down Harris through the heart of Fairhaven, turn left on 11th and look on the left.

Features

Beer and Wine | Dinner | Smoke-free

Map

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