Thursday, May 28, 2009

T1 Tapas (Huntersville)


When first I saw T1 Tapas being put into an empty space, I was excited. I LOVE tapas. The small servings of Spanish cuisine are always high on my list of things to eat. Then once I learned that T1 Tapas' food wasn't spanish style, I was left with a negative impression. However, now that I've actually gone and experienced it, my feelings about T1 Tapas are more positive than negative.

Last Friday, my wife and I decided to eat at Brixx in Birkdale. However, the line was long and we'd have to wait an hour for a table. So we decided to hit T1 Tapas, because we noticed they had some tables open during our walk to Brixx.

We entered T1 Tapas, and I was immediately struck by the sleek yet cold vibe of the interior. With the framed HD TVs showing photos, dark furniture, and lime green walls, I got two distinct impressions: 1) This decor would be better suited in DC or NYC and 2) They were trying too hard to be trendy. After all, Birkdale has a very relaxed family friendly vibe. T1 Tapas doesn't.

We were seated on the small patio and were immediately attended to by our waiter. After we looked over the menu, we made our selections, and enjoyed the weather while our orders were being made.

First came my caesar salad. This was one heck of a good salad! It was accompanied by a fried asiago cheese crouton. Really, if they just sold these croutons by themselves, I'd buy them by the dozen.

After our first course, the rest of the tapas came out. To be honest, the food was good, but I wasn't overwhelmed by it. The Cuban Pork Empanadas were good and the shrimp ceveche was refreshing. My wife enjoyed the mushroom risotto and the scallops. But nothing really struck us as "really good" or "amazing."

That is, until we had the dessert.

I had the Chocolate Trio, which was good. It had a raspberry chocolate truffle, a pecan praline chocolate mousse and flourless chocolate cake. However, my wife's Strawberry Banana Crepe topped with caramel sauce was truly amazing. Actually, amazing doesn't cover it. It was so good, that we'll be heading back to T1 Tapas for dessert. And it is that dessert which bumped the food score from a 3 to a 4.

Restaurant info:
Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5 Slow at times, but very helpful and friendly.
Total: 11/15
Price: $$$$$ (Salad, 2 tapas, wine, coffee, dessert and tip, put this over $40)
Kid Friendly: Unknown. (Sorry, I forgot to ask if they had high chairs or kids menus)

Conclusion: I thought the tapas were good, but not great. However, I've heard good things about this place before, so I'll be back trying a new batch of tapas.

Restaurant Info:
T1 Tapas
8625-C Lindholm Dr.
Huntersville, NC 28078
p) 704-895-4373
http://www.t1tapas.com/

4 comments:

  1. Did you see the crazy computerized tabled in the dining room? That is the unique twist to this place....High Tech Dining. I agree...the food was so so and the atmosphere chilly.

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  2. They have a computerized table?? That's pretty cool. The only think that I've seen that remotely compares is an old Pac-Man video game in a bar I used to visit. It was a video game, that you could put drinks on!

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  3. The computerized ordering etc is creative and sort of fun as are the pictures projected on to the wall the frequently change. It is rather modern inside and with lots of stainless steal. The food is ok need a few more options. The tandori chicken being the best. Bar area looks like it could be fun but seems to be empty every time I walk by. If looking for a place to bring your own party wouldn't be too hard to take over the place as few other bar patrons. Most important good cosmo

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  4. This place looks really different, but I agree with the other comments, the food is just so so and maybe the decor was not thought out. I have taken the family there a few times and things have gotten worse than better with the food. We usually have no problem getting a seat though because they aren't very busy. They used to have a goat cheese salad that was good.

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