Like a Northern Spanish Neighborhood

From the moment you step onto the warm brown tile floor, you are transported to the Galacian plains of northern Spain. Meigas,  tucked into the ground floor of the former trolley barn, styles itself as an authentic Spanish restaurant covering the wide range of cuisine from the ever-popular tapas to the seafood dishes that speak to Spain's peninsula geography as it borders the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas. 

Carlos Hernadez, who bought Meigas in 2008, has brought in world-class chefs and worked to create the simpatico atmosphere of the friendly Spanish restaurants he knew in Spain. He described Logroño, in the heart of La Rioja where good food and good wine are world-famous. In Logroño, he said, you can find the center of town by a street lined on both sides with restaurants, sidewalks filled with tables of people enjoying tapas and wine. In this ambiance, diners at Meigas can explore the tastes of Spain.

The harsh snow-filled winter has been tough on restaurants this year, but Hernandez has put together some special promotions to lure Norwalk's wintering hermits to the sunny space he's created for lunch. A special prix-fixe luncheon includes 3 well portioned tapas for $12, ranging from Gambas a Ajillo, a grilled black tiger shrimp sautéed in a garlic and Rioja wine demi glace, or the Albondigas de Solomillo, filet mignon meatballs in a Mirepoix Concasse. Salads, chorizo and seafood dished round out the offerings. 

A great deal for lunch is not the only budget friendly promotion Hernandez has put together to help Norwalkers beat the winter blues. From 5-7 weekdays, Meigas is offering a happy hour that offers half-price drinks, which include the delicious sangria, and free tapas. A crowded 75 people filled Meigas on a normally sedate Tuesday night, evoking a typical Logroño scene. Hernadez himself was behind the bar, shaking, not stirring, the special jalapeno martinis.

With a smile and enthusiasm for sharing the flavors of Spain, Hernandez said, "the tapas is a neighborhood food, people come and share dishes and have a good time." Hernandez has succeeded in bringing that warm effusive ambiance to Norwalk.