At 7 p.m. on a Wednesday night we walked into Santiago’s Bodega for a bite to eat after a very long day. A friendly hostess reluctantly informed us that every table was reserved for the remainder of the evening. This tapas restaurant was void of a single seat except for two at the bar. We settled for a meal barside because clearly for a place to be full mid-week they must be doing something right.
I rarely have a difficult time deciding what to eat, but this night I wanted to order everything. After landing on the Sangria, Greek Salad, Chicken Skewers and Hummus Trio we happily settled into conversation in anticipation of our food arriving. Originally founded in Key West, this true neighborhood restaurant serves up a variety of flavors and relatively large “small plates.” I’d venture to say most items are “medium” sized plates, large enough for multiple people to actually share and enjoy, but small enough that you’ll want to order multiple plates for your table.
My red wine sangria was tasty, not too sweet or bitter and the perfect start to our meal. The Greek Salad was delivered first and I wasn’t expecting anything exceptional, but this was easily one of the best Greek Salads I’ve ever tasted. The presentation was notable and the portion was larger than expected with fresh iceberg lettuce, kalamata olives, feta, red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pepperoncinis in a lemon caper vinaigrette. Sometimes greek dressing leaves behind a funky aftertaste and flavor on your tongue, but this vinaigrette was smooth and dressed the salad well to bring out the full flavor without overpowering the toppings.
The hummus trio was served with traditional hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, black olive tapenade and served with salted pita bread. Hummus trios are popping up on menus everywhere, but what makes this one noteable is the flavor. This plate was simply three hummus varieties done right served with real salted pita bread. I’d venture to say Santiago’s Bodega has Orlando’s best hummus platter with Marlow’s Tavern hummus coming in for a close second.
Lastly, our chicken skewers arrived marinated in olive oil, lemon zest, rosemary and served with a lemon-tarragon sauce. The skewers were a little tough and packed with strong flavors, I’m not sure if I would order again, but if lemon and tarragon are your go-to flavors, you’ll probably enjoy these skewers. Overall, I’d rank our experience five out of five in Yelp stars and we are greatly anticipating our next meal! Here’s what’s on our list to order next time:
- Beef Carpaccio – shaved tenderloin, capers, parmesan crumble, smoked sea salt, truffle oil, and cilantro.
- Green Beans – French style, with gruyere cheese and prosciutto tossed in lemon caper vinaigrette.
- Shrimp – Half-dozen peel & eat Key West pinks.
- Bacon and Basil Wrapped Mushrooms – With basil aioli.
- Beef Tenderloin – Seared and topped with bleu cheese butter.
- Maine Lobster – Butter poached, pear & orange segments.
- Beef Short Ribs – cherry-hoisin glazed, orange-miso slaw.
Santiago’s Bodega is located at 802 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL 32803 and www.santiagosbodega.com.
Photo Credits: Santiago’s Bodega Yelp
