{"id":58674,"date":"2021-10-09T00:01:06","date_gmt":"2021-10-09T06:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=58674"},"modified":"2025-06-12T10:13:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T16:13:14","slug":"damacios-bar-tapas-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=58674","title":{"rendered":"Damacio’s Bar & Tapas – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Damacio’s Bar & Tapas at the Former Site of Capo’s in Downtown Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“I wanna open a Jamaican\/Irish\/Spanish small plate breakfast restaurant <\/em>
\nand call it Tapas the Morning to Ja.<\/em>”
\n~Harris Wittels (Comedian)<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn’t Wittel’s humorous quip that came to mind as we approached Damacio’s Bar & Tapas but rather something legendary raconteur and television host Anthony Bourdain once said. \u00a0During a 2013 episode of his CNN television show Parts Unknown filmed in Granada, Spain, he declared “We will never have tapas culture in America<\/em>.” \u00a0Calling tapas “that greatest of Spanish traditions<\/em>,” Bourdain added “You may think you know what a tapa is.\u00a0 Like if you’ve had small bites at some fusion hipster bar where they do a whole lot of little plates. Yeah, that ain’t a tapa.<\/em> <\/p>\n

Quite naturally Boudain’s comments got me to thinking: what exactly is a tapas culture and what are we doing wrong here in the Land of Plenty. Accompanied by his longtime Director of Photography Zach Zamboni and his fianc\u00e9, who live part-time in Granada, Bourdain was told by the fianc\u00e9 that “Tapa is for free.\u00a0 That’s the main issue of the tapa<\/em>.”\u00a0 Bourdain liked the concept: “So, you’re just paying for the wine. So if I were like a degenerate wino I could still eat well as long as I could afford my wine<\/em>.” Later he added: “Tapas are free. It shouldn\u2019t work, but somehow it does. Another drink, another tapa. Tomatoes, olive oil, bread<\/em>.” <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
One of Two Manicured Patios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If free food was the sole determinant of a tapas culture, it’s no wonder we don’t have a tapas culture in the States.\u00a0 Maybe when makes his audacious proclamation that we will never have tapas culture in America, the operative word is \u201cculture\u201d as in the social practices associated with tapas. In Spain, tapas isn\u2019t a formulaic approach in which a restaurant (or more likely, a drinking establishment) serves \u201csmall plates.\u201d It\u2019s so much more than that. <\/p>\n

In modern day Spain, tapas are not only a gastronomic custom, they are a deeply rooted social and communal event described by Travel and Leisure<\/strong><\/a> as \u201cwalking, talking, drinking and nibbling<\/em>.\u201d Taverns are indeed clustered in close proximity to one another, making it easy for patrons to hop from bar to bar sampling the specialty of the house at each. It\u2019s been that way since the reign of Castilian King Alfonso the Wise who decreed that no wine was to be served in any inn throughout Castile unless accompanied by something to eat. This precaution was to counteract the adverse effects of alcohol on an empty stomach. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Damacio’s Unique Chandelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Observing that glasses of wine or sherry served to patrons attracted fruit flies, bartenders began covering the top of the glass with a piece of bread to prevent the pesky insects from doing the breaststroke in the wine. In time, each tavern concocted its own signature toppings for the bread. For the most part, the covers or \u201ctapas\u201d were relatively simple\u2013ham or anchovies, for example, but eventually, those simple glass covers evolved into such creative and sophisticated dishes that what is essentially Spanish bar food now rivals any of the world\u2019s most celebrated cuisines. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s an inverse relationship here between \u201cfree\u201d and quality. Free tapas in Spain are the complete antithesis of what free tapas might be like in America. Picture if you will, choking down \u201call-you-can-eat apps\u201d at TGI Fridays then noshing on mozzarella sticks at Applebee\u2019s followed by fried pickles at Chili\u2019s as you travel from one to the other to imbibe your favorite adult beverage. Tapas in Spain are far superior in quality and deliciousness to appetizers for which we pay at the aforementioned chains (and for which you\u2019d be overcharged if they\u00a0were<\/em>\u00a0free). Tapas are meticulously assembled, eye-catching and absolutely mouth-watering delicious epicurean delights. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Stuffed Avocados<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Okay, so America’s tapas restaurants may not serve free tapas and our tapas restaurants and bars may not be situated in close proximity to one another, but does that mean we shouldn’t frequent such Duke City bastions of small bites as Mas Tapas Y Vino<\/strong><\/a> and Gecko’s Bar & Tapas<\/strong><\/a>?\u00a0 Absolutely not!\u00a0 In fact, recent trends seem to indicate tapas continue to be an evolving and growing restaurant concept in Albuquerque.\u00a0 We may not have a tapas culture…yet, but what we have is pretty darn good.\u00a0 Enter into the fray Damacio’s Bar & Tapas. <\/p>\n

Italian staple Villa Di Capo’s had only recently vacated its historic digs on Eighth Street and Route 66 when an extensive make-over was initiated in the coveted downtown space.\u00a0 The space began its transformation from venerable to trendy, from largely unused to bustling and energetic.\u00a0 With an eye toward utilizing all the space–including two patios and a spacious mezzanine–owners Gerald Zamora and Bianca Johnston plan to take full advantage of the expansive site.\u00a0 As of our inaugural visit on October 9th, Damacio’s (named for the owners’ scion) the indoor dining rooms are still a work in progress, but the capacious outdoor spaces are already flourishing.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Bacon Wrapped Dates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The lushly manicured patio at ground level provides sweeping views of the round-about abuzz with motorized conveyances departing downtown. Towering deciduous trees, broad umbrellas and a wide patio provide sun-shielding shade. Tethered from between the teeth of a unique bronze giraffe is an equally unique chandelier. It’s a fun space sure to be a popular draw. Moreover, it promises to become a haven for aspirants to a Spanish-like tapas culture. To that end Damacio’s has a broad menu showcasing American-style tapas (many showcasing New Mexico’s sacrosanct green chile), chophouse quality steaks, salads and flatbreads. <\/p>\n

While the exciting menu might not exactly transport you to Madrid or Barcelona, the lively patio might prove the escape you’re looking for–even with the music turned up almost as loud as the ear-splitting mufflers of cars passing by. That music is loud by design, meant to provide an immersive, youthful experience. Though the music may be a couple of generations beyond our time, the tapas are timeless–an assemblage of not necessarily so small plates meant to be shared.\u00a0 The full menu is available until 10PM.\u00a0 Brunch runs until 1PM. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The tapas section of the menu lists some fourteen tapas as well as a hummus flavor of the week and oysters by the half-dozen.\u00a0 There are five salads on the menu as well as six flatbreads.\u00a0 Dinner is highlighted by the market-priced steak of the week, but you can also have glazed mahi mahi, pasta and a roasted chicken breast.\u00a0 A nine item brunch menu makes getting up in the morning an interesting (and filling) experience especially if you order the “Biggie Brunch” that includes a T-bone steak. <\/p>\n

>As is often the case, we over-ordere, forgetting that tapas aren’t necessarily small plates offering one or two bites per tapa.\u00a0 The stuffed avocados<\/strong><\/em>, a trio of avocados generously filled with sundry deliciousness were almost a meal in themselves.\u00a0 One avocado was stuffed with tuna topped with tomato, pickles and scallions; the second was engorged with green chile chicken topped with mushrooms and scallions; and the third was heaped with crab and cream cheese topped with scallions.\u00a0 All were pretty as a picture and quite delicious, my favorite being the tuna.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mini Crostinis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If there’s one tapa that’s become seemingly ubiquitous in American tapas bars, it’s bacon-wrapped dates<\/strong><\/em> (jalapeno bacon wrapped dates served with blue cheese dressing).\u00a0 Because of their extreme sugar content, dates almost need savory ingredients to counter-balance their almost cloying nature.\u00a0 Jalapeno bacon and blue cheese dressing are just the ticket.\u00a0 We were amazed at how the chef was able to wrap such crispy bacon around relatively small dates, but not surprised at how much we enjoyed the pairing.<\/p>\n

Almost antithetical to the bacon-wrapped dates are the spicy stuffed mushrooms<\/strong><\/em> (spicy cream cheese with prosciutto topped with roasted walnuts and honey) which showcase savor and piquant flavors.\u00a0 In this case, the light drizzle of honey was almost needed as a foil for the salty-piquant flavors.\u00a0 This proved my favorite tapa of the day thanks to the balance of those savory, piquant and slight sweet components.\u00a0 Despite being sliced so very thin, the prosciutto manages to sneak in thanks to its profusion of saltiness. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Classic Pepperoni Flatbread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another trio not to be missed is the mini crostinis<\/strong><\/em>, three exemplars of ingredients that work very well together atop crispy toasted bread slices.\u00a0 One mini crostini (and mini is a misnomer here) is topped with steak, smashed asparagus-blueberry demi glaze topped with onion crisp.\u00a0 The second is topped with fresh mozzarella, tomato-basil and a balsamic reduction.\u00a0 The third (and certainly not least) is topped with a green chile bruschetta.\u00a0 Every one of the trio would have made an excellent full-sized sandwich.\u00a0 Each offered unique palate-pleasing flavors. <\/p>\n

Our sole faux pas when ordering tapas was deciding we needed to try something from the flatbread menu.\u00a0 Considering we had already ordered the mini crostinis, we didn’t need so much bread.\u00a0 The classic pepperoni flatbread<\/strong><\/em> (marinara, mozzarella, pepperoni, shredded Parmesan) was good enough, but who needs or wants pizza when the purpose of our visit was to enjoy tapas.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Velvet Cupcakes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not surprisingly my Kim’s favorite item was one of the two desserts Damacio’s offers–velvet cupcakes<\/strong><\/em> unlike any others we’ve had.\u00a0 The only conventional cupcake portion of this dessert is the base or bottom which was very much red velvet chocolate.\u00a0 Atop that base is a thick, molded scoop of vanilla ice cream which is topped with a raspberry puree with whipped cream on the side.\u00a0 It’s a memorable dessert that will assuage your sweet tooth while keeping you cool on a balmy Duke City day.<\/p>\n

In the May, 2025 edition of Albuquerque The Magazine, “Hot Plate” awards were accorded to “the hottest (and coolest) food and drink options across the metro area, from well-known establishements to up-and-coming eateries.” Damacio’s earned a Hot Plate Award for its brunch menu. The magazine extolled Damacio for having perfedcted the art of brunch.<\/p>\n

We may never have a true tapas culture in the United States, but we do have restaurants such as Damacio’s which provide excellent “American” tapas and you don’t even have to order like a “degenerate wino” to enjoy them. <\/p>\n

Damacio’s Bar & Tapas<\/strong>
\n722 Central Avenue, S.W.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 595-7383
\nFacebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 9 October 2021
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$$ – $$$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Stuffed Avocados, Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms, Mini Crostinis, Classic Pepperoni Flatbread, Velvet Cupcakes
\nREVIEW #1241 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“I wanna open a Jamaican\/Irish\/Spanish small plate breakfast restaurant and call it Tapas the Morning to Ja.” ~Harris Wittels (Comedian) It wasn’t Wittel’s humorous quip that came to mind as we approached Damacio’s Bar & Tapas but rather something legendary raconteur and television host Anthony Bourdain once said. \u00a0During a 2013 episode of his CNN television show Parts Unknown filmed in Granada, Spain, he declared “We will never have tapas culture in America.” \u00a0Calling tapas “that greatest of Spanish traditions,” Bourdain added “You may think you know what a tapa is.\u00a0 Like if you’ve had small bites at some fusion hipster bar where they do a whole lot of little plates. Yeah, that ain’t a tapa. Quite naturally Boudain’s comments…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":58679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,165,703,141,593],"tags":[3235,960,1138,1259,950,1261,1262,1004,1260,1263],"class_list":["post-58674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-brunch","category-dog-friendly","category-new-mexico","category-tapas-spanish","tag-albuquerque-the-magazine","tag-central-avenue","tag-downtown","tag-giraffe-chandelier","tag-hot-plate-award","tag-mezzanine-seating","tag-roundabout","tag-tapas","tag-two-patios","tag-velvet-cupcakes"],"yoast_head":"\nDamacio's Bar & Tapas - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=58674\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Damacio's Bar & Tapas - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"“I wanna open a Jamaican\/Irish\/Spanish small plate breakfast restaurant and call it Tapas the Morning to Ja.” ~Harris Wittels (Comedian) It wasn’t Wittel’s humorous quip that came to mind as we approached Damacio’s Bar & Tapas but rather something legendary raconteur and television host Anthony Bourdain once said. \u00a0During a 2013 episode of his CNN television show Parts Unknown filmed in Granada, Spain, he declared “We will never have tapas culture in America.” \u00a0Calling tapas “that greatest of Spanish traditions,” Bourdain added “You may think you know what a tapa is.\u00a0 Like if you’ve had small bites at some fusion hipster bar where they do a whole lot of little plates. 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