Tres Gatos | Jamaica Plain

Tres Gatos is a tapas bar, book and music store founded on the belief that sharing good food, music and books is essential to a happy life. A M E N! Located at 470 Center Street in Jamaica Plain it is a 15 minute walk from the orange line (Stonybrook) through a residential neighborhood. I was greeted by a multi toned gray blue duplex with an under construction stone patio. I have a feeling that upon completion the patio will be a lovely outdoor dining space. Tonight Tres Gatos or Three Cats is hosting a number of us for a private event.Entering thought the back door I paid the book and music store a visit first, checking out the vast selection of old vinyl records and new paperback books amongst crisp wood shelves and brightly painted blue walls. The restaurant is the first floor in a two-family home. Here charming table nooks from corner banquettes backed by a landscaped mural to high tables perched in the bay window front the original fireplace. A black lacquered wood bar sits in the middle of the room, completely transforming the space from a duplex living room to a cozy Spanish tapas bar!

A distinctive collage of Spanish liquor bottle labels caught my eye next to the fireplace. The opposite room boasts an eight person chefs table across from a tiny open kitchen. Painted in bright complimentary colors, the orange wall meets blue table was striking, the beauty only enhanced by prominent light fixtures and terra cotta sculpted wall art. Small standing counters located in each room tie the space together evoking the style of a traditional tapas bar.Speaking of tiny open kitchen, the first course is plated and looks just about ready to serve. In the meantime I mingled among other diners in the bar sipping a light bodied mineral forward rosé whose name escapes me.After a warm welcome from our hosts, Jacki and Meesh, and an introduction by chef Marco Sanchez, we took our seats at one of the various locations and browsed the four course menu, which came at a fixed price of $42 including tax and gratuity. Drinks were extra and they also offered a full wine pairing for $24. I opted out of the wine pairing since I continued to sip my rosé and also enjoyed a glass of red over the course of the meal.The first plate was a trio of inventively paired Tapas. These small bites which were more reminiscent of a Pinxtos ended up being my favorite plate of the evening. The simplicity of the mildly sharp breakfast radish with Moses Sleeper cheese and cervil awoke the palate with grace. Moses Sleeper is super creamy Camembert-style cows milk cheese from Vermont.An olive stuffed with pork and draped in anchovy was a fantastic bite. The melding of the flavors here were unusual and captivating. The thinly sliced crostini retained a light crunch touting a firm buttery manchego cheese topped with paper thin piparras.The second course of Gambas a la Plancha boasted two perfectly grilled prawns plated over a deep vibrant green cilantro coulis. The juicy prawns retained a welcome amount of slightly sweet and citrusy flavors, however, there wasn't nearly enough to do with the coulis! I wanted to drink the plate or have more components (perhaps some bread) to run through it in all its bright cilantro flavored glory.The next plate was a traditional Spanish noodle dish called Fideos with with piquillo peppers, mussels, chorizo and chicken in a thin yet flavorful red sauce.

This dish fell short. The chorizo was incredibly dense, almost to the point of being rock hard. Of the three mussels on the plate, two did not fully open. Other diners plates saw similar issues with the mussels not cooked properly. Lastly, my plate only saw one, maybe two small bites of chicken.

For dessert we were served a plate of Queso. The selection of cheeses were impressive as was the thoughtful pairing of a sweet element. The portion was minuscule however and it truly left me wanting more. Perhaps if the later courses had filled me up this plate would have been the perfect digestif!

We have Torta de la Serna - a sheeps milk from Spain; served with quince. To the right is Cheverin - a goats milk from Belguim displaying a funky richness and a thick rind served with fig. Lastly the Manchego Curado is another sheeps milk from Spain; coagulated with thissel giving it a grassy earthy taste served with honeycomb.

Perhaps it was the omission of a bread course or the fact that I ate four tapas plates over the course of two hours that left my appetite at bay. This was certainly a non-traditional experience at Tres Gatos - where the kitchen executing 40 something dishes at once was a burden. Overall, they nailed bold flavor profiles even though certain elements were lacking in execution. I was constantly tasting something innovative. I'm still captivated by the thought of a pork stuffed olive and those prawns in cilantro coulis were truly something special. 

Tres Gatos

470 Center Street

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Mystery Meet has seen much success since its inception ten months ago and they continue to fulfill a goal of scoping out new and exciting restaurants in different areas of the city. A commendable job to the ladies of Just Add Cheese for gathering us all to experience the neighborhood comforts of Boston's newest tapas bar. Correction - Boston's only Tapas bar that is also a book and music store!