Dining at Pintxo, drinking at Branchwater

A good friend was wrapping up a road trip along the Pacific Coast and stopped by in WA state for a couple days before heading back up to Canada. Hearing about Pintxo in Belltown, reservations were made to check it out. Being the fellow foodie that I am, I gladly accompanied.

It was a weeknight, and a few tables were occupied. Our server said that it wasn't usually this slow and guessed that the Memorial Day weekend had much to do with it. I didn't mind because this just meant more attentive service.

Pintxo, pronounced "peen-cho," is a Spanish restaurant that serves tapas, drinks, nice desserts, and a dinner menu. I came not only for the good company but for the paella, and I really enjoyed everything I tried. The sangria is made in-house, using red wine unlike at other places that call a wine cooler with punch a sangria, and is not too sweet. It was served with an orange wedge and a cinnamon stick.

Custom stained-glass installation art at the bar

Olives with sangria

Appetizer trio: bacon-wrapped dates, olives, calamares

Nicely done interior

Mixta paella, the main event. Delicious, with plenty for leftovers the next day.

Salt-topped gluten-free chocolate torte with currant compote

Custom-made drink at Branchwater down the hall

Since the paella took some time to prepare, we had a few appetizers while waiting. I took in the look and feel of the place. It's definitely styled midcentury modern, with exposed concrete walls and warm wood flooring. I've read some reviews of people complaining of poor acoustics, but it wasn't crowded so that didn't matter to me. The building itself is old; it's got a historic feel like many of the places downtown, and I wondered if there are any ghosts around. :)

I haven't had paella in a long time. I think the last time I had paella was in Japan. The hotel that had free Internet access for people (this was before smart phones evolved with sizable screens and affordable data plans) had a Spanish restaurant on the ground floor, and I'd go there occasionally with friends. Pintxo's mixta paella comprises, according to the website, "bomba rice, linguiça, chicken, shrimp, in a tomato-garlic-onion-saffron base." It also had clams. After de-shelling clams and squeezing lemon juice from the wedges, I mixed it all around in the little paella pan. Then I apportioned and had a bite. The rice is flavorful and savory from the saffron, and smoky, each meat and seafood piece distinct in taste from the other, with the rice and sauce uniting all components. The linguiça sausage reminds me of smoked barbecue. Shrimps were quite large in size. The whole thing was delicious.

After an enjoyable meal, our server gave us a hall pass with discounts for the bar down the hall, so we checked it out. It's called the Branchwater, and visiting it felt like being in someone's really cool and private lounge-den. The comprehensive bar holds an assortment of whiskeys and imported liquors. I could see that the bartender was an artist, so I had him make us some drinks. I had something very similar to the Bee's Knees with honey, ginger, gin, and lemon juice. Then I got a tiki-inspired beverage next, with Cynar, apricot, and some other things that left me feeling pleasant and relaxed.

I would definitely go to both Pintxo and Branchwater again. I would like to try the other paellas.