Bolo - Ole or Okay?

RRR is back in town so that means lots of restaurant visits and yesterday's journey was a trip to Bobby Flay's Bolo. This was a repeat visit for Ms Foodie; however, I have not been to Bolo since they changed their menu to more upscale contemporary-Spanish fare. Would the Flay hype machine prove to be a let down?

I started my meal with a delightful pomegranate martini made with orange and lime juice. The freshness of the juices (no concentrate or syrups here) made the martini smooth clean and smooth on the palate. DRINKS: OLE

We chose the tapas as an appetizer and there is a choice of four for $16. We went with a Seared Sea Scallop (yes that would be one scallop!) with Hot Cherry Peppers, Spanish Tortilla with Green Romesco, Lamb Tenderloin with Arugula & Oven Dried Cherry Tomatoes and Pork, Potato & Goat Cheese Skewer with Smoked Paprika. Amuse bouche would have been more accurate than tapas since to say the portions were small would be a gross understatement - the photo on the (left/right) is pretty much to scale. The pork seasoned with paprika was a standout item; it is unusual for me to combine the two and one of the better tapas. The green romesco sauce (aka pesto) added to the flavor of the eggy delight that was the tortilla. Sixteen bucks for four small tastes? TAPAS: OKAY

For the following course we chose the Bolo Salad: Bolo Salad with Chorizo, Cabrales Blue Cheese, Tomatoes & 25-Year-Old Sherry Vinaigrette. The blue cheese was super pungent, the chorizo had a wonderful char on the edges and the sherry vinaigrette was light yet not overpowered by the cheese or sausage. SALAD: OLE

Finally, in lieu of entrees (alas, the Black Olive Crusted Cod with Roasted Tomato Broth, Clams, Broccoli Rabe & Saffron Allioli sounded intriguing) we chose two additional appetizers: Salmon Tartare on a Crisp Chickpea Polenta Cake with Red Pepper Pesto & Lemon-Chive Oil for RRR & Charcoal Grilled Octopus with Grilled Lemons, Fresh Oregano & Garlic Oil for Ms. Foodie.

RRR particularly enjoyed the tiny capers that accompanied the tartare along with the chilled temperature of the salmon. A spicy red pepper sauce added a bit of Spanish flair to an overall pleasing albeit small dish.

I enjoyed the octopus as well and the sauce in this dish was more caramelized citrus syrup than grilled lemons, but a nice addition to the traditional presentation of octopus. I've had better but I've certainly had worse. APPETIZERS: OKAY

Unfortunately, I cannot properly comment on the entrees, but I did enjoy the swift service and the pleasant staff despite it being the kickoff of Winter Restaurant Week. The portions, however, were small and the prices were steep. I do expect a bit more from a "celebrity" chef and I don't really feel like the presentation of the dishes was anything exceptional.

I'd give it an OKAY instead of an OLE!