Meson Sabika - Naperville

My wife and I just celebrated our 8th anniversary. We had Grandma come over to watch the kids so we could get out for dinner. We went to Meson Sabika in Naperville. This was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. It is a Spanish Tapas restaurant serving only authentic Spanish offerings.

The food was amazing. I had never been to a Tapas restaurant, and had no idea what it was. Essentially the entire menu is appetizer sized portions of traditional Spanish dishes. They are relatively small portions meant for sharing. The prices are mostly in the $5 and $6 dollar range. You can go up from there of course. Everything we ordered was from the "Hot Tapas" menu if you're following along. First we had "Pincho de Solomillo", "Champinones Rellenos", and an "Empanada de Buey". My wife ordered a glass of white Sangria and I (of course) ordered a glass of Spanish red wine from Rioja. The name of the wine I had was Azabache, it was fantastic. Unfortunately I don't know more about the wine than that (I'm going to give them a call later).

Our server was fantastic. We had finished off our first three dishes and were going to order another. We ordered a dish that involved artichoke hearts, spinach, and a Spanish cheese. Unfortunately I don't see that dish on the menu right now. The cheese was fantastic, and the dish overall was very good. Back to the server, he told us that we absolutely had to try the "Datiles Con Tocino". This dish, as the menu reads, is "Baked dates wrapped in bacon served with a red bell pepper sauce". Sounds strange right, dates wrapped in Bacon? It was one of the most amazing dishes I've ever had. I commented to the server that it was excellent and sounded completely strange. He said everyone says that, but when they come back it's the first dish they order. I'm thinking that will be the case for my wife and I as well.

Next it was time for dessert! Again, our server takes over to ensure success. We asked him what the Flan of the day was. I'm going to try and reproduce his response in writing as best I can. He said, "The flan of the day is cinnamon... Do you like chocolate?" My wife and I laughed, at this point we trust him, so we said "absolutely". He recommended the "Crema de Chocolate". The dish is like a Crème brulée made with heavy creme on a bed of chocolate. It was mind blowing. Our server told me that I had to try it with a glass of Port. I had said that my wife put her foot down on that idea already. He said I was really missing out, and went on his way. He came back shortly afterwards with a small taste of Port and said, "This is on me my friend, you have to try it. If you like it maybe you buy a glass next time". This guy kicks ass right? Man, he was right, absolute heaven.

I realize this is my longest blog post ever. Simply put, if you are ever in the Naperville IL area and looking for a fantastic meal stop into Meson Sabika.