ABC Cocina

Because ABC Kitchen was such a hit with R and I over the summer, R, JZ, and I decided to spend thanksgiving dinner at its Spanish counterpart--ABC Cocina.

I adore ABC interiors--always curated by ABC Home which never fails to give off a romantic but mystical vibe. ABC Kitchen was more classic while Cocina's is a little more playful:

They were playing top hits and throwback songs the entire time, which according to our server was unusual--"are we a club now??"--because they typically put Spanish songs on loop. I personally thought dining over songs like 'Titanium' and 'Party in the USA' made dinner even more enjoyable than it already was. When do you ever get to experience that soundtrack at a fine dining restaurant? Thanksgiving, I guess. Loved it. 

Bread basket

Quality bread with some fried chickpeas covered in some sort of a chili powder.

Guacamole with tomato salsa and crunchy tortillas 

The type of guac they serve changes every now and then so I forget what is actually in this...

Raw shaved brussel sprouts salad - shepherd's cheese and marcona almonds

ABC Cocina's raw shaved brussel sprouts salad was well done. I normally like brussel sprouts with fig or grape jam so I was initially skeptical about raw brussel sprouts but it didn't disappoint!

Florida white shrimp in "agua diablo," banana and almonds

Shrimp and bananas? The server had told us to use the spoon to make sure we get a little of everything in one bite and together, everything tasted pretty spicy and then really sour. It was oddly refreshing because it tasted really clean, for lack of a better word.

Charred octopus, crispy potatoes, paprika and herbs

I LOVE octopus, and this was probably my favorite dish of the night. The octopus was very smoky and rich. My only criticism was that I wish they were more generous with their serving!

Crispy fish tacos, aioli and cabbage-chili pickle

Fish tacos never disappoint. These were amazing.

Soft and crunchy almond cake, grape sorbet

Not pictured is the red hibiscus sangria carafe we ordered, which was one of the more memorable sangrias I've ever had. I would have loved to try the passion fruit sangria as well as the other enticing cocktails, but we were cautious since we had a broadway show planned afterwards. I was initially very doubtful of Cocina because of the mixed reviews I've been hearing, but it certainly exceeded my expectations. All in all, a great stop for delicious tapas and drinks.

ABC Cocina
38 E 19th St
New York, NY