International Tapas…conjures visions of squid in a sublime French bisque…okra in a tangy marinara sauce, toast points with gravy? Oh wait, that’s Shit on a Shingle. That does exist, unfortunately. La Merenda in the Historic Walker’s Point Neighborhood, has not only created this genre of cuisine consumption, but excelled.Thrown off our regular path of lunching in scenic spots, my companion and I duck into the once-a-dirty-foundry spot on National. Inside, lively orange and yellow hues brighten up a space that, with few windows, needs all the help it can get. As we sit, order tea and peruse a lengthy menu, things brighten up.
La Merenda lunchtime options offer Cold, Sandwiches and Hot. Within these styles your tastes can range from Italy, Israel, Thailand and Peru, all without the dysentery. The sunny flavors of the White Bean and Tuna Salad provide a light starter, firm beans and flaky tuna. Moving on to the tangy mint Tel Aviv Citrus Salad, we do not get our passports stamped and end up adoring a Croque Monsieur and a La Merenda BLT in France. Oh I almost hugged my little bite of Croque as the béchamel sauce was something that I have dreams about when my husband is working late.
When we’ve recovered from our lustful experience of France, we head over to Indonesia for the hot course. Creamy, coconut milk surrounds the shrimp in this dish known as Sambal Goreng Udang. The amazing combination of mashed potatoes, coconut curry sauce and shrimp is something only a crazy chef makes up in his head and then makes us eat. At least that’s what I’m telling myself to relive the guilt of my overindulgence. The last dish is Pancit from the Philippines. I’ve had this dish several times and it is always satisfying and tasty. Asian noodles tossed with chicken, Chinese sausage, carrots, and shitake mushrooms, how can you go wrong?
We skipped the dessert, it just seems too decadent to do during mid day. Unless you’re enjoying your third martini lunching in the ever popular networking spot, the strip club, which I have never done. So we get the check, gratefully pay a meager pittance for such a wonderful meal and head back to a lazy afternoon at the office.
International Tapas La Merenda style, is not one to shake a maraca at, unless you’d just rather have a burger for lunch. In that case, I’ll see you at Culvers.
Parent Note: While La Merenda does have high chairs and is now, as of October 1st, non-smoking, it’s not a comfortable place for kids to hang out. The din gets a little high in the evening and the food is just a bit off-course for the young ones who don’t do spicy. As I say that, I did drag The Toddler there a couple of times and she loved the curry mash, but that was about it. Dinner was rushed and you should really find the time to savor the lovely food presented at La Merenda. Get a sitter.
LA MERENDA
125 EAST NATIONAL AVE 414.389.0125
KID RATING: 1
PARENT RATING: 5
BETTY BON VIVANT RATING SYSTEM: 1-5
1 = ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH THE EFFORT, SAVE YOUR $ FOR GIN
5 = WOW, I WOULD STRIP NAKED AND ROLL IN THIS CHOW IF I WAS A DOG
