If you love visiting new restaurants, meeting new people and sampling everything on the menu – Tapas In The City is the perfect event for you!  Tapas In The City is a monthly pop-up dinner that allow guests to sample five to seven courses at some of Baltimore’s Best Restaurants.  The courses can be purchased with drink options or without.  Created by two food bloggers, Like The Tea Eats and JZ Eats, the event is quickly becoming the place to be for the Baltimore foodie-verse.  I’m not sure how I managed to miss their first four events, but looking at their Instagram page I was having major FOMO, so I decided to attend the most recent event at Points South Latin Kitchen.

Points South Latin Kitchen is a recent addition to Fells Point, Baltimore. I previously visited the last two tenants in that space and I was excited to see what new improvements and upgrades were made with the new restaurant.  The restaurant definitely has a South American flair with colorful walls, colorful accents and unique artwork hanging on the walls.  During the dinner, the owner gave us a brief summary of the cuisine that includes dishes from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and El Salvador. The best part is all menu items are gluten free!!

I was the last person to arrive, but I got there just in time for the first of five courses. I sat down at the table and was immediately handed a refreshing red sangria. It was light and fruity – exactly how a sangria should be.  They wait staff allowed guests time to enjoy conversations over the first cocktail before bringing out the first course Octopus Ceviche Tostada. A warm tostada served on a bed of shredded mixed greens topped with fresh chewy octopus ceviche.  I’ve had ceviche with shrimp before but this was my first time having octopus, I was a little apprehensive at first but I likened it to eating calamari…which I love. I know calamari is a squid but I figured the taste would be similar and I was right. I really enjoyed the two sauces that were drizzled on the ceviche, it gave it a tangy taste.

Another first was the Head-on Prawn. Like a shrimp but a little larger and shaped slightly different.  It was served with clams, polenta and peas in a bed of broth.  One of my tablemates told me we were supposed to suck the head from the shell and I laughed.  She didn’t do it, so I didn’t either. LOL

The Duck Pazole was full of meat and I like lots of meat in my soup. It was almost like a stew with vegetables and a savory broth. I do wish it was served hot, it wasn’t warm or hot, it was served at room temperature.  But I’m sure it’s hard to prepare a large batch of soup for 45 people.  The tamarind glaze on the Wing Confit was sweet and sticky, it taste like a sweet and sour glaze or sauce.

My favorite course was the Barbeque Glazed Lamb Ribs. The meat was tender and the glaze was flavorful. I actually thought about ordering another serving.  It was served with pickled papaya salad and a garlic sauce and small garlic chips.  I’m a garlic lover and the sauce was perfect and bursting with garlic flavor. I repeatedly dipped my lamb ribs in the sauce but I’m still uncertain that it was paired for that reason.

The final course was a fried plantain empanada served with ice cream, chopped strawberries, apple compote, caramel sauce and topped with toasted coconut. Delicious as it was, the final course cocktail stole the show in my opinion. The Lavender Royale was made with Champagne and Lavender Liqueur. It was very fragrant and my tablemates joked that it tasted like flowers in your face, but in a good way.

For more information on future events, visit their website at Tapasinthecity.com. #TapasInTheCity

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