Newark Spanish Tapas Gem

🌟Cheese and Crab Scallops (P1) The restaurant is called Casa d’Paco. It’s a Spanish tapas spot with a 4.5-star rating and over 1,500 reviews on Google. It’s located in a residential area, and judging from the map, there are many Spanish restaurants nearby—it seems like this whole area is a hub for Spanish cuisine. 🍣The restaurant offers valet parking 🚖 for just $5, which isn’t too expensive. The area is a bit tricky to navigate, and we drove around for a while before finding a spot. We walked back and realized that valet parking was available. If we had known earlier, we wouldn’t have wasted time searching for street parking. 🐟It’s a pretty delightful little place. The average cost per person, including tax, is around $40-$50. The restaurant is small, but we walked in without a reservation. Reservations are also accepted. When we arrived, there weren’t many people, but more guests arrived later. There’s a bar area lined with bottles of wine. The server was super friendly and knowledgeable about the menu—probably the best server we’ve encountered recently. Given the current outrageous tipping culture in the U.S., I genuinely think he deserved the 18%. Some restaurants automatically suggest a 20% tip, which feels a bit excessive... 🐟We ordered a brisket taco from the seasonal menu (P2), highly recommended by the server, and it was truly delicious. The beef was tender, well-seasoned, and came in a set of two for just $8. We enjoyed it so much that we ordered another round before leaving, feeling very satisfied. 🌟The other dishes we tried were also excellent. The cover photo is of the scallop dish, called zumbrina, topped with a cheese sauce containing crab. It has a savory, umami flavor, and comes in a set of four. I’ve never tasted anything like it anywhere else, and it was the most delightful surprise of the evening. #SpanishCuisine #NewarkFoodie #PhillyArea #NewJersey #Newark #Tapas