Azucar
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Every dish on the tapas menu at Azucar sounded good, so between the four of us we ordered nearly all 20 or so of them, along with a bottle of wine from the reasonably priced all-Spanish list at this new Logan Square spot. Opting to skip basics like grilled garlic shrimp and goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, we started with an arugula and baby spinach salad with fennel, orange, and cherry tomato and two wedges of manchego served with almonds and fig jelly. Standouts as the evening progressed included beef empanadas on a fire-roasted pepper puree and albondigas–meatballs in a spicy-sweet piquillo pepper sauce with garlic jam–and we ordered seconds of both. A lamb dish, comprising four juicy chops, was redolent of vanilla, and a cheese-stuffed red pepper atop a chickpea puree was especially tasty. Our server spread clean napkins over our messy tablecloth before bringing dessert: a chocolate terrine with salted almonds, which reminded me of a dense Italian torta, and a cinnamon-laden creme Catalan. After we paid the bill, one of the owners, Robert Otero, introduced himself and offered us a complimentary shot. –Kathie Bergquist
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