As hard as it may be to believe, finding a cool little restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, good service, and moderately priced, delicious food and drinks in New York is a challenge. At lunch it’s okay - people are still in ‘go’ mode and things are more or less chilled out. But come nighttime, the music is blasting, people are yelling, and restaurants tend to take on a hoity-toity vibe that was nowhere to be found just a few hours ago. I’m not totally sure why this is, or even if I am right; maybe I just don’t get out enough. But whichever way you slice it, Agozar! (Spanish for “to enjoy oneself”) Bistro doesn’t have this problem. Last week, the NYC Food Bloggers and I were invited there to sample a wide array of dinner tapas and everything was just perfect. I can’t wait to take my girlfriends on a date there.

Here are some of the things we had:

Plantain chips instead of the usual tortillas w/ black bean hummus and guacamole.

Empanaditas

Flautas

Milanesa: Fried eggplant w/ goat cheese

Chicharron de Pollo: Fried chicken w/ chimichurri sauce

Alambre: Grilled shrimp w/ spicy mole sauce

My favorites were: black bean hummus, beef empanaditas, Milanesa and mushroom quesadillas (not photographed). Besides drinks and tapas, Agozar! also serves a full dinner menu, as well as lunch and brunch. For more info, check out their website.

To join the NYC Food Bloggers and I for our next event, click here.