Named after the Raval neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain, the stateside tapas dining spot in the Grove Street/restaurant row area of Jersey City, is now open and already a favorite with the locals.
Raval opened while my husband, Nick, and I were on our honeymoon, but we made plans to visit as soon as we got back. Jet-lagged or not, we couldn’t wait to check out this new place from the Restaurant Development Group (RDG), also responsible for the incredible Satis Bistro and Lucky 7 Tavern. The idea of tapas-style dining has become more and more popular on American menus and this place brings the diner back to the roots of true tapas.
Reflecting the new upscale food scene that Jersey City is quickly being recognized for, Raval truly delivers. The décor is inspired by the tapas bars of Spain – darker lighting and rustic communal tables. The addition of a hand-tiled Gaudi Park Güell-style winding bench* had me wondering if I’d mistaken the ride on the PATH train for a short flight across the Atlantic. But before I could get lost in my imagination, recalling the sounds of street musicians lining Las Ramblas, we were whisked to the back of the restaurant, which was already 65% full on a Tuesday night. A very good sign. Our waitress ran through the menu highlighting the different sized dishes – essentially small, medium and large. Nick and I began testing our marital compromising skills, choosing a few dishes from each part of the menu. We were told the dishes would come out as they were ready, rather than in courses. And within minutes, our dishes were arriving in front of us.
By far our favorites were the albóndigas – lamb meatballs in a saffron tomato sauce and the incredible cheese plate, which we enjoyed at the end of the meal. We also had the espárrago grilled asparagus with a preserved lemon and piquillo pepper sauce. While the dish had loads of flavor, the preserved lemon reminded me a little of astringent cleaner. On the positive side, I did enjoy that the dish included, in addition to the green variety, white asparagus, a vegetable I wish were on more American menus. The gambas con chorizo – one of the larger dishes – were spicy and bold, just as they should be. And finally the canelones de conejo, folded with braised rabbit leg, ricotta and mushrooms inside a thin crêpe and topped with porcini rabbit demi-glace, seemed like it might be our favorite dish of the night. With the speed of the dishes, we had asked they keep this one in the kitchen a bit longer so it didn’t get cold, but we may have waited a bit too long to request the highly anticipated dish from the kitchen. It was a bit dry for my taste, reminding me more of Thanksgiving turkey. That said, if you’re a turkey fan who hasn’t tried rabbit before, please give this one a try.
Raval
136 Newark Avenue
Jersey City
201-209-1099
*Gaudi Park Güell-style winding bench created by artist Audrey Ryan and local artisans G+G Interior Improvement.
