The hottest restaurant in NYC right now is the Boston import Toro. A spanish tapas joint serving an extensive menu of Spanish bites from chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette, in the former Nabisco factory. I stopped in last week and nibbled on many delectable dishes.

Premium cured Spanish Ham ($16) was silky and sublime.

Pan con Tomate ($6), toasted bread with tomato, garlic, Spanish olive oil, and sea salt, was tasty.

One of the Best bites I've eaten all year, and in my entire life in fact, is the Erizos con Caviar ($22) at Toro. Caviar, sea urchin, and quail egg, with Iberico ham. Everything I love, all on one spoon? Yes, this was a culinary orgasm waiting to happen, and it did happen. Fucking awesomeness!

Mackerel tartare came with "stuff that we all really like", and was served in a cute anchovy container. Fun and delicious!

Abalone ($24) is cooked on the plancha with brown butter, parsley and migas, and is fabulous.

Grilled corn ($10) is serve with aioli, lime, Espelette pepper, and aged cheese. I though it it was wonderful. Although my dining companion complained the corn was over sauced, and I could see why she would think that. There was a lot on the corn and I would not have been upset with a lighter coating of pure greatness. :)

Seared foie gras ($16) came with piquillo pepper, cider vinegar gastrique, and candied walnuts. It melted in my mouth like butter. Pure fabulosity.

Marinated octopus ($9) came with Manzanilla olives and bay leaf. It was fine, but nothing too cray.

Seems blowfish tails are making a comeback in NYC. Well, not really a comback, not sure they were ever hot in NYC, but they are starting to pop up on menus, like at Uncle Boon's. At Toro, they are cooked on the plancha with Moroccan spices and quite flavorful. God Bless.

Another tapas cooked on the plancha, griddled garlic shrimp ($16) with Cascabel chilies had amazing flavor and was great. Perfection.

One my favorite dishes of the night was the Tripe and Marfaix bean stew with blood sausage ($14). Not sure of anyone doing a dish quite like this in New York City. That blood sausage made in-house is spectacular. The dish is rich, homey, and downright wonderful. Amazingness.

Salt cod fritters ($12) were ginormous and came with tempura lemon rings and aioli. Inside was creamy goodness and deliciousness.

For dessert, there was that Spanish staple churros, which were fine, but nothing to write home about. I would have preferred another fabulous tapas.

Toro is a huge operation. A large space, with an extensive menu. They need to turn out a lot of great tapas for a lot of people on a nightly basis. It's the hottest restaurant in NYC right now, and they are doing a fine job. I'll never forget that spoon with caviar, sea urchin, quail egg, and Iberico ham, til the day I die. Stop in for the scene, party it up, and dine on delectable tapas all night long. The party never stops.

Toro

85 Tenth avenue (entrance on 15th and 11th ave)

New York, NY 10011

212-691-2360