Dinner Review: Jaleo Tapas Bar in Richardson

So I think that we all know that it is a challenging time to be diving into new business ventures, and opening a restaurant is about as high risk as it gets other then say moving dynamite or investing in a Brittany Spears driven summer day camp.  

I arrived at Jaleo around 5 pm on a Tuesday to take advantage of the 4-7 pm happy hour drink specials and went with a signature Mojito ($4.00).  It was well mixed and not too sweet with ample mint.  We ordered a Charcuturie for the table ($14.00) and Calamari ($7.00).  The calamari came out piping hot with an aioli type dipping sauce, it was not in anyway disappointing other then the fact that it went too quickly.  The Charcuturie featured 5 paper thin slices of 5 kinds of traditional cured meats accompanied by stone ground mustard, 3 cornichons, and 3 almonds.  Bread was brought out as something of an after thought.  Good all around, but I was hoping for something slightly more substantial, which is admittedly a bit foreign in the land of tapas.

Sadly the one item I would have really liked to see on the menu, a full tapas sampler either for the table or the individual seems to be available only at lunch.   Lunch also offers a Prix Fix option ($16.00) which includes Tapas, Entree, and Dessert.  

Chef's specials included a 6 oz filet of sliced duck breast on spiced lentils ($16.95), and a 4oz halibut filet in a tomato, chili pepper, almond and hazelnut sauce topped with 2 manilla clams ($9.95).  Featured entrees on the menu also include a very sweet meated half quail and lamb chops. Everything we tried was delicious.  It arrived well seasoned and at the proper temperatures and only the paella ($15.00) had any thing at all left behind.  

Dessert featured a fairly standard Cream Brulee($5.00), and Rice Pudding ($5.00), but the standout dish was the Churros and Chocholate ($7.00) with featured 6-7 very freshly made gourmet Churros with a dark chocolate dipping sauce that was not too sweet but very cleanly finished the meal. 

Verdict: I will attend again, but will likely gravitate towards the lunch and brunch specials which seem to offer a more substantial, but no less artful, dining experience for a more reasonable price.  The dinner and tapas menu, while delicious, may be better served by having fewer selections and more chef's combined samplers.  Now if they begin offering a fixed menu with wine accompaniment...that is a sure-fire winner!