I usually do not go for omelets, but I do love tortilla espanola.
Not to be confused with the Mexican flatbread, tortilla espanola is a thick, dense and delicious potato and onion omelet served in hefty wedges at Spanish tapas bars. Nibble on it with a nice glass of dry Spanish sherry and you can almost hear the castanets beckoning. Because the thinly sliced potatoes are precooked and soaked in egg batter, they become sweet and creamy, while the onions (and sometimes garlic) add a mellow aromatic note.
Making tortilla espanola requires lots of olive oil and plenty of patience as you wait for the thick cake to set in the frying pan and then carefully flip it over using an extra plate. The finished product is firm enough to hold in your hand and great for breakfast. But don’t forget to save some for lunch, picnics or light dinner. In Spain, they even sell it stuffed into crispy bread as a portable edible.
In Chicago-area eateries you can expect to pay $4-$6 for a tortilla wedge. We liked it paired with tangy mixed greens at Emilio’s Tapas Sol Y Nieve (215 E. Ohio St.; 312-467-7177), although its flavor would have been improved if it was brought up to room temperature.
The tasty version at Cafe Iberico (739 N. LaSalle St.; 312-573-1510) comes with a tiny salad and roasted red peppers. And at Chicago’s tapas veteran, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba (2024 N. Halsted St.; 773-935-5000), the tempting tortilla arrives on its own, but it doesn’t need anything more.