Community Corner
FIRST PERSON: Guapas Tapas Lives up to its Name
Spanish appetizers have come to San Juan Capistrano.
Guapas Tapas opened last week, an event that didn’t escape our attention as the family headed to the movies the other day: The place was hopping.
So on Sunday night date night with the incredibly handsome husband, we braved the Ortega Highway interchange and made our way back to the Franciscan Plaza.
The spot had sat empty for so long, and now owner John Muniz is making everyone who considered the space and passed it by look like chumps. The spot has the feel of a hip, New York restaurant, with a giant chalkboard wall, a fireplace, comfy couches, lots of brick and the perfect outdoor patio. Without the train horns blasting anymore, the nook on Verdugo Street reeks of charm.
Days after a soft opening and Guapas Tapas was packed again. They ran out of the Pinot Noir hubby ordered; heck, they ran out of shrimp, but all is forgiven in any restaurant’s first week.
What they do have is lots of little appetizer dishes from Spain, called tapas. And just like the name implies, these are some good-looking tapas (guapa meaning handsome). With the vegetarian tapas at only $4-5, I was able to try four of them, and hubby went for three plus a salad.
First up was a tortilla, and even though I knew a Spanish tortilla is more like a potato frittata than a Mexican flatbread, our server said many people do not. But regardless of fore-knowledge, at least they ordered it because it’s delicious. Served at room temperature and chock full of chives, this little potato tortilla was bursting with flavors.
Other favorites were the paella (hubby had the tapas version), which despite its tiny size, had generous portions of seafood and sausage and the right amount of saffron; the empanada, especially the one with spinach and manchego (it comes in a trio) and our shrimpless shrimp salad because yeah, the blood orange vinaigrette is to-die.
Prompted by a few of the first-week missteps, a flan was delivered to the table gratis. Flan has gone mainstream – even El Pollo Loco serves it. But one bite, and you know this is the homemade kind, the way flan is supposed to be. It was rich, creamy and perfect.
With the addition of Guapas, San Juan Capistrano is (finally) becoming a place to find a variety of ethnic foods. We’ve always been a great “date-night” town. But Guapas, The Olives Branch and Ann’s Pho (love pho!) keep things from getting dull. Along with Harlow’s Fine Cuisine, it’s another new standout among some really great restaurants.
P.S., if you ever went to the Spanish restaurant in Ladera Ranch, Picante, now closed, Guapas is MUCH better.
What they do have is lots of little appetizer dishes from Spain, called tapas. And just like the name implies, these are some good-looking tapas (guapa meaning handsome). With the vegetarian tapas at only $4-5, I was able to try four of them, and hubby went for three plus a salad.
First up was a tortilla, and even though I knew a Spanish tortilla is more like a potato frittata than a Mexican flatbread, our server said many people do not. But regardless of fore-knowledge, at least they ordered it because it’s delicious. Served at room temperature and chock full of chives, this little potato tortilla was bursting with flavors.
Other favorites were the paella (hubby had the tapas version), which despite its tiny size, had generous portions of seafood and sausage and the right amount of saffron; the empanada, especially the one with spinach and manchego (it comes in a trio) and our shrimpless shrimp salad because yeah, the blood orange vinaigrette is to-die.
Prompted by a few of the first-week missteps, a flan was delivered to the table gratis. Flan has gone mainstream – even El Pollo Loco serves it. But one bite, and you know this is the homemade kind, the way flan is supposed to be. It was rich, creamy and perfect.
With the addition of Guapas, San Juan Capistrano is (finally) becoming a place to find a variety of ethnic foods. We’ve always been a great “date-night” town. But Guapas, The Olives Branch and Ann’s Pho (love pho!) keep things from getting dull. Along with Harlow’s Fine Cuisine, it’s another new standout among some really great restaurants.
P.S., if you ever went to the Spanish restaurant in Ladera Ranch, Picante, now closed, Guapas is MUCH better.
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