New Phoenix restaurant offers inventive tapas with a Mexican twist. What to order at Dahlia
Audrey Corley, the owner of Boycott Bar, opened Dahlia Tapas, Tequila and Wine in the former Bri restaurant space in the Coronado neighborhood in September 2023.
Originally Corley wanted to open a taqueria, but since Phoenix has an abundance of taquerias, she opted to go another direction with a menu focused on Spanish tapas dishes with a Mexican influence. She partnered with Andrew Renteria of Chubasco Tacos and Ay Chabela, which he ran with his brother, Nick, who also, "lends a hand in the kitchen from time to time," she said.
Corley loves her work. "I'll work till I die," she said, adding that running a restaurant felt like a better retirement plan that a bar.
"Dahlia is built on a lot of love," Corley said. "People who work here put their heart and soul into it, but the community has been incredibly supportive. I see the happiness that this place and Boycott bring to people and that's pure magic."
What's the vibe at Dahlia Tapas?
There's romance built into the name of the restaurant, an ode to Corley's girlfriend's favorite flower. And the intimacy of both the restaurant and its patio space make it a perfect date spot.
Inside, conversations waft under a warm glow of light as patrons sip cocktails and wine at the bar and bistro tables.
Outside, guests sit on benches and at bistro tables under string lights and tree canopies. Though the restaurant is located on busy Seventh street, there's surprisingly little road noise.
What's on the menu at Dahlia Tapas?
The menu is divided into small tapas ($9-18), large tapas ($17-140), charcuterie boards ($36), as well as specials, like a rotating crudo and desserts. Small tapas include dishes like asparagus salad with tamarind-lime dressing and pistachios and boquerones prepared with garlic, black lime and piparra peppers. Large plates include lollipop lamb chops served with mint yogurt and salsa roja,
From the bar, cocktails range $14-70, beer is $6-8 and a fantastic array of wines $10-18 per glass.
On the cocktails menu find the likes of Black Dahlia ($14), prepared with Valencia orange tequila, amaro Montenegro and black cherry puree as well as Guavalajara ($15), made with mescal, aperitivo, guava puree, lime and agave.
The reserve wine list features sparkling, red and white wines from Mexico and Spain, like a Juve Y Camps Gran Reserva Cava from Penedes, Spain for $16 per glass or $149 per bottle.
Many of the wines and spirits are from women-owned producers.
The hamachi crudo was the star of the small tapas menu
During my visit, Corley attended to patio guests, stopping by to speak to every table, make recommendations and take orders.
Sipping a well-balanced La Duena, made with Celaya Anejo tequila, agave, lemon juice and Bittermens Burlesque bitters, I watched Corley deliver colorful and elegantly plated dishes to the tables around me.
The first to land on my table was a bright and floral hamachi crudo, finished tableside with a pour of green aguachile and orange dots of oil around the delicate pieces of fish topped with pink pickled onions, serrano and microgreens. A citrus tang combined with hints of herb and spice to make each bite complex and refreshing.
Three golden potato croquettes came topped with dollops of crema and microgreens sitting atop salsa bravas, a spicy red sauce that originated in Madrid where it's typically served with fried potatoes. Reminiscent of a spicier version of Persian kuku seeb zamini, a potato frittata I grew up with, this dish felt like visually elevated comfort food.
A colorful trio of tostadas included chicken tinga, roasted carrot and avocado, all presented on a circular banana leaf. I fell in love with the roasted carrot, which had a cumin earthiness that paired well with the carrot's caramelized sugar.
The octopus carpaccio, thin slices of octopus arranged like a flower on the plate, is served over a smoky salsa negra and topped with pickled red onion, Fresno and Manzano peppers. The octopus is boiled and sliced thinly to give it a little bite and the tostadas it's served with offer textural contrast. My dinner companion liked the octopus the best, but leaned toward the crudo and carrot tostada.
The tapas options were just the right portion size to leave me satisfied rather than stuffed. And combining Mexican techniques and ingredients, like aguachile and salsa negra, with typical Spanish small bites, made the entire experience feel familiar and new at the same time.
A sweet sip to finish
For desert, I put aside my bias against creme brulee and took Corley's recommendation. Her brulee might have just converted me. The crema Catalana Spanish creme brulee was enlivened with orange zest, which added a gorgeous floral note and tamed the sweetness of the silky custard. In the absence of Sauterne, pair it with Vins Claramunt white Grenache, a dry wine with notes of peach and apple.
The best desert of the night, however, came in cocktail form.
If you are a whiskey person, or even if you are not, order the Ole Smoky cookie dough. The whiskey is presented in a glass painted with whipped cream and chocolate shavings and the end result tastes just like cookie dough.
This is not a restaurant I'd go back to for a single dish, but for the experience. A meal at Dahlia Tapas will make you feel like you're at Corley's house, with just the right doses of hospitality, ambience and flavor.
Visit Dahlia Tapas, Tequila and Wine
Parking is available at the Cartel Roasting Co. at 2201 N. Seventh Street. The restaurant recommends reservations, though walk-ins are welcome.
Hours: Closed Monday-Tuesday; 5-10 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday; 5-11 a.m., Friday and Saturday; 4-9 p.m., Sunday.
Details: 2221 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. 602-529-6616, dahliatapas.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix restaurant Dahlia Tapas goes beyond Spanish small bites
