Tonica

A Taste Of Spain

In an effort to seek out new experiences, I visited both locations of Tonica, a Spanish-themed restaurant known for its cocktails and sangrias. Both locations offer a relaxing atmosphere for people either clocking out from work or as a prelude to a night at the theater or a party on Beale Street.  For me, it's a departure from the norm when I'm at places that are more lively, but sometimes I just want to chill by myself while contemplating future plans. While I won't be a "regular" at either Tonica restaurant, it's more than good enough to be the occasional diversion.

Although Tonica specializes in small plates of food known as tapas (something that I will talk about later), I recommend getting the Classic Paella (pronounced "pai ay uh"). Before I go further, "classic" in this sense is one of the three variations of the Spanish dish that's known as Paella Mixta (one of the other versions is Paella Valenciana, named after the Valencia region of Spain where the dish originated from). Translating from "mixed paella" in English, Tonica's "classic" consists of mussels, clams, Andouille sausage, shrimp, chicken, braised peppers, onions (something that the chefs at Tonica love) and peas in a bed of saffron rice and garnished with parsley. Collectively, this is a very tasty dish that satisfied my appetite to the point that I didn't want dessert. I liked it despite the fact that I had to dig out the meat in the mussels and clams, something that normally isn't a thing for me (needless to say, you will never read a crab legs review on this blog because working to get to my food isn't fun, Tonica's paella being the exception). Although I liked the paella overall, the parsley and rice made it gritty. I didn't realize that until I conversed with one of the bartenders that I've known for a long time. As I was talking to Lisa (formerly with the Majestic Grille, the restaurant that oddly inspired me to get a paella after seeing one there), I found myself struggling to not spit out parsley while talking to her. As I said earlier, Tonica's Classic Paella is a great entrée although I'll make sure to not engage with anyone whenever I get it again. 😀

Prior to getting the paella, I got the house salad and pork belly. For the most part, the salad was decent once I picked out the slices of red onions. I know most restaurants use onions in making "house" salads but it seems that Tonica really goes overboard on the cebollas. And it wasn't just the salad, for the house guacamole is also loaded with onions. The guac dip had enough onion flavor to overwhelm the avocados in it, turning what could've been a nice appetizer into something unpleasant. As bar food, the house guacamole wasn't something that I could eat casually while chilling at the bar. Unfortunately, I couldn't pick out the onions in the dip so I had to bear it. If I get either the house salad or the guac dip again, I will definitely get it with a drink that can counter the onions. A good beverage for that is the Roja sangria that I had with the paella. The fruity and minty flavor of the drink could literally drown out the sour taste of onions or anything else that's foul. I love that the drink includes a twig of rosemary that adds some aromatic flair to the sangria. Definitely a drink to enjoy on its own, but a necessity when eating something that's unsavory. A good wine with fruity flavor like a Riesling or a Merlot could also counter the onion taste but sangrias look more cool, especially in a Spanish-themed restaurant.

SIDE NOTE: When I originally took the sangria pic, I set it up as a vertical "portrait" picture. Because that setup didn't mesh well with the layout of this blog post, I had to reorient the photograph as a "landscape" picture with generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) to fill in the gaps. So if the pic looks a little funny, that's why.

If you are familiar with this blog, you will notice that my reviews are classified in part by food genre. This helps makes it easier for readers to find a particular taste or style of cuisine that they are interested in. One of the food genre categories is tapas and small plates, consisting of appetizers and snacks that are popular in Spanish culture. In the past, I viewed tapas as fancy appetizers or bar food to pass the time, although I wondered what a dinner consisting only of them would be like. One night while drinking at Tonica's downtown restaurant, I decided to get dinner via tapas. I started with the Croquetas de Jamón Serrano (croquettes with Serrano ham) and chicharrón, which is deep fried pork belly. In combining the thick béchamel sauce and ham in the croquetas with the spicy chicharrón, the result was a creamy and greasy snack that was tremendous. By themselves, both tapas were great. The croquetas/croquettes are similar to mozzarella sticks in that the dairy confections are encased in breadcrumbs and deep fried. Unlike the mozzarella sticks that are cheese based, the thick béchamel sauce is buttery in flavor. With dry-aged ham added, the croquetas are very delightful. Eating the chicharrón made me feel like a kid again, for it's basically big bacon bits with a spicy (I'm guessing cayenne seasoning) edge. I like that it's both crunchy and fatty, boosted with flavorful seasoning to make it a great tapa. After having the first two tapas, I was still feeling hungry. But instead of getting a main course entrée, I got another tapa in the form of a pork empanada. While it was decent, it didn't have the spiciness that was mentioned in the menu. Quite the opposite, it was very bland in taste with the pork being a bit pasty. While I won't say it was the worst empanada that I had, it's looking up at others that I ate in the past, including one from a restaurant that made me wait an eternity to get it (and another from a convenience store that had the spiciness that I expected from Tonica). However, Tonica's empanada was meaty enough to satisfy my appetite so I left the restaurant with a nearly full stomach (I later ate a bowl of ice cream at home to complete my dinner). So it's possible to have a satisfying dinner consisting entirely of tapas but it isn't cheap. The tapas I bought for dinner cost slightly more than the paella that I had earlier. However, I have no regrets although I will probably get something other than the empanada if I do this again.

SIDE NOTE: A good alternative to the restaurant's pork empanada is the pork belly. I don't mean the chicharrón that I talked about earlier but Tonica's other pork belly tapa that's far more refined. Unlike its crunchy counterpart, the other pork belly seems like it was roasted and infused with smoke flavor that tasted more like ham than bacon. Combined with some mildly tasting jalapeño slaw, the pork belly was very flavorful. When I ate it with the salad that I mentioned earlier (after removing the onions in it), it was a great appetizer for the paella that followed. If I decide to have a tapas-only dinner again, I will likely include both pork belly tapas.

With a Dash of Italy

For those who like pasta with Spanish flair, Tonica is a place for that. I recommend the Chorizo Arrabbiata, an entrée consisting of penne pasta in a spicy tomato sauce with chorizo sausage and onions. I know I'm sounding like a broken record when it comes to that vegetable but the onions were sautéed, yielding a milder taste that combined with the tomato sauce in producing a savory plate of pasta. The chorizo sausage was both tasty and plentiful throughout the pasta dish, making for a great dinner that I look forward to having again.

"Hash" It Out

On Sundays, both Tonica locations serve brunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The menu consists of a mix of American and Spanish entrées along with cocktails. I got the Spanish Hash that consisted of two eggs and diced potatoes in a chorizo and tomato sauce. The roasted tomatoes and sautéed red onions in the sauce combined for a zesty flavor that set the tone for the brunch. The sauce tasted similar to the chorizo pasta that I had but not as meaty. As for the eggs, they are cooked "sunny side up" although other options are available. After getting it as intended by the restaurant and scrambled, I like the "sunny side" version better because that delicious yolk and sour cream is an easy mix with the hash that only needs a fork to consume. In all, the Spanish Hash is great and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique brunch that strays from the ordinary but is delicious nonetheless.

SIDE NOTE: While eating the Spanish Hash, I got both bacon and sausage as sides. Not expecting much, I was fortunate to taste one of the best "breakfast" sausages in Memphis. Apparently it has a nice mix of seasoning and spices that gives it a unique flavor. Initially, I assumed that chorizo sausage was a part of it, but Lisa assured me that it wasn't. Whatever is in the sausage, it gets two thumbs up from me for being outstanding. By the way, to be honest and transparent, the sausage that you're seeing here had to be "reconstructed" via generative AI to make up for the bite that I initially took, taking the lesson that you should never make assumptions about food.

To start brunch, I got a cup of Spanish coffee because of curiosity. I wanted to see how it compared to Irish coffee that's far better known in Irish pubs and other drinking establishments. They are similar in that its coffee mixed with alcohol and topped with whipped cream. The difference is the alcohol, for while Irish coffee's main components are Irish whiskey and brown sugar, Spanish coffee has coffee liqueur and rum. Tonica strays from that in its version of the beverage for it has brandy and Licor 43 that has a more fruity flavor (bolstered by shavings of orange skin/peel). The coffee was both hot and cool, the former coming from the coffee itself balanced by the cool whipped cream on top. The combination of coffee, liqueur and brandy had a sweet, caramel-like taste that was very refreshing. As good as it was, it wasn't a good match with the Spanish Hash that I had (a mimosa goes better with that). I believe the coffee pairs better with French toast or the restaurant's banana crepe. Even without food, the Spanish coffee is a good drink to have at anytime.

SIDE NOTE: Because I didn't take a picture of the sausage when I first had it, I made another visit to the Midtown Tonica to get it again. In addition to the sausage and the restaurant's version of an "American Breakfast", I got a glass of Estrella Galicia, a Spanish Lager. As far as Lagers go, the Estrella was a bit more hoppy than other European brews like Stella Artois, but it is a nice beer to drink and pairs well with most foods.

From visiting all of Tonica's restaurants, I left with memorable experiences from both locations. The Midtown restaurant near Overton Park is smaller, more intimate and with clientele that skews middle age. Meanwhile, the Downtown restaurant is a bigger space that can accommodate large parties and draws in a broader demographic. Although I personally prefer the smaller restaurant for dining, the downtown restaurant seems better for casual drinking in its spacious bar. I'm sure you can't go wrong with either location, for Tonica consistently serves great food (guac dip and empanada notwithstanding) along with outstanding service. It's definitely worth trying if you love Spanish cuisine.

BONUS!

I don't usually do this, but I'm amending this review with bonus content. The reason for this may seem petty, but after getting rejected by Instagram from promoting my review beyond my followers due to the inclusion of images depicting alcohol, I decided to repost the non-alcoholic pictures plus a few more. It seems that Instagram/Meta doesn't want kids corrupted with pictures of beer and cocktails so shielding them from those influences should keep them safe and sound. Meta doesn't want kids to get addicted to alcohol, but rather get them hooked on good, wholesome stuff on Instagram and other social media. No harm can come of that. Wait a minute, what's this?

Anyway, this gives me a good excuse to try a few other things at Tonica that many may like. I'll start off with something that in general is usually a brunch favorite. Anytime that I see shrimp and grits on a menu, my love for the dish makes it irresistible. Tonica has an interesting approach to the entrée by frying the grits and serving it as a patty. The grits in the charred patty are loaded with butter and both it and the shrimp are topped with bacon and roasted tomatoes, all on a plate of Cajun butter sauce (according to the menu, it should have scallions in it but I lucked out in not getting them). The fruity flavor of the tomatoes meshed with the bacon, shrimp and grits along with all that butter sauce. In all, the shrimp 'n' grits was a very tasty plate, but I caution those who have an intolerance to greasy and oily foods that everything in the entrée is immersed in butter/oil. For everyone else, I believe most will love Tonica's Shrimp 'n' Grits.

I Got Beef

Tonica serves sliders (small sandwiches/burgers) that can could count as a "tapa" depending how its consumed. I got the Flat Iron Steak sliders with a "side" tapa of patatas bravas. The three sliders consisted of thick cuts of "medium rare" steak with smoked provolone cheese and arugula that made for a decent meal with beer and the tapa. The patatas bravas were the "fries" in the dinner that were basically diced potatoes with a tomato sauce and garlic aioli that makes for a nice appetizer on its own as well as serving as a side item for sliders. The sliders aren't aren't exactly what you would make a reservation for, but if you're looking to engage in casual dining while enjoying drinks at the bar, sliders and tapas are a good way to go.

SIDE NOTE: If you're thinking about getting the steak & eggs, be aware that the steak is small. Judging from what I got, I don't believe it was half a pound. The steak was cooked to "medium rare" (although it was more rare than I expected) and decent, but I wish that I had gotten more. As a rule of thumb, a ribeye steak shouldn't be small enough to fit on a slice of bread. However, if you want the taste of steak without having to unbuckle your pants later, then Tonica has you covered.

Dashed Italia Again

I want to close by talking about things that reminded me of my Air Force days when I was stationed in Italy decades ago. When I was there, I immersed myself in Italian cuisine that included a lot of pasta dishes. Some of my favorites were seafood dishes that were fabulous in both taste and style. Whether I dined at a fancy restaurant or had dinner at a trattoria in a small village, the quality of the seafood pastas were exquisite. Fast forward to today, when I saw "frutti di mare" listed on Tonica's menu, I knew that I was destined to try it.

First, keeping an Italian theme in a Spanish restaurant, I got the Burrata Bruschetta as an appetizer. When I saw that it had cherry tomatoes on it, I was apprehensive about getting it. It reminded me of the last time that had bruschetta when I got it at Cocozza. Its version of it was a pile of cherry tomatoes on top of bread, something that I wasn't accustomed to. My server at Tonica assured me that its bruschetta wouldn't be like that, so I took her at her word and ordered it. The bruschetta was more to my liking, for it had a few slices of cherry tomatoes on cream cheese with basil and a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil. This was better than most American-Italian restaurants that go way overboard in adding too much to a simple appetizer. In terms of taste, the bruschetta was as good as I expected, with the olive oil and cream cheese being dominant. What I liked the most about it was the "normalcy" when compared to bruschetta at a typical Italian-American restaurant. Who knew that you had to go to a Spanish-themed restaurant to get authentic Italian bruschetta?

As for the Frutti di Mare, I will say that this was about as good as you can get at a Spanish restaurant. Compared to other seafood pastas that I had in the past, it was decent yet underachieving. The seafood in the spaghetti included shrimp, squid, mussels and clams that was garnished with parsley in a thick white wine butter sauce with a mildly spicy kick to it. The "sauce" seemed more like oil and while it was tasty, I believe it could have been better. I believe if the pasta had used marinara, pesto, alfredo or other appropriate sauces (or maybe less "butter") with the right combination of spices, the frutti di mare could have been better. The entrée, while a step above bland (after all, it was spicy), didn't measure up to seafood pastas that I've had in the past. I hope I'm not coming off as snobbish, but I won't lie and say that Tonica's seafood pasta is awesome when it is just "good." That said, I believe most will like Tonica's frutti di mare but I hope the seafood spaghetti gets better, for there is room for improvement.

Well, I hope this "bonus" content was informative. I guess I can thank Meta for pushing me to conform to its standards for getting the word out about what a great restaurant Tonica is. It may not be perfect, but it is a restaurant that most will discover is a great place to dine.

UPDATE: After I updated this review, I attempted to repost it on Instagram without any mention of alcohol. Despite the post consisting only of food pics, it wouldn't let me promote it. I eventually settled for posting one pic of the paella with no mention of Tonica. I was able to promote that, but it's a consolation to what I wanted to post. It seems that I have to take what I can get.

Website: TonicaMemphis.com