Dali Restaurant & Tapas Bar   

415 Washington St
Somerville, MA 2143
617-661-3254
www.dalirestaurant.com/

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Though Salvador Dali's only known food painting was his version of the Last Supper, the mustachioed surrealist actually had a practical philosophy where dining was concerned: 'One can choose not to eat, but one cannot accept to eat poorly.' Somerville's Dali has been helping customers avoid eating poorly since 1989; in the process, the restaurant has served as an oasis of Iberian warmth in an often chilly town, ushering visitors into a tableau that seems like an excerpt from Pedro Almodovar's dreams. The evening inevitably begins with sangria, as a table is scarcely available within an hour of one's arrival.Awaiting one's meal in the raucous, copper-ceilinged space, one has ample opportunity to examine the countless gew-gaws and bric-a-brac. Amidst these excesses, one finds nary a melting clock in sight -- evidence that, however compelling it is in theory, surrealism doesn't lend itself easily to interior design schemes. Nor are sleights of hand apparent on the stellar menu, which offers more than 40 varieties of tapas dishes and an admirable assortment of "platos principales." Most Dali cultists stick to the tapas, among them pleasing preparations of tortilla Espanola (a mini-omelette filled with potatoes), gambas con gabardina (saffron-battered shrimp) and mejillones con aguacate (green-lipped mussels with avocado). By the time you've cleaned every last tiny plate, there's no telling what kind of party will have evolved in the bar, but it's likely to include the kind of antics only a surrealist could appreciate. -- Julia Clinger