Dolfy’s, a new Spanish restaurant on Freret Street, is serving everything from pintxos-style small plates to full-sized appetizers and entrees.
Chef Adolfo Garcia Jr. and his wife and business partner Sophia Petrou Garcia set out to highlight the Basque country, a region in Northern Spain, in their cooking. This means a different cuisine than the tapas and paella you may use to be seeing at your local Spanish restaurants. The duo also owns Chi Chi’s — another Freret Street restaurant.
Housed in the shell of Ancora, a New Orleans pizza staple previously owned by Chef Garcia’s father, Dolfy’s is repurposing the wood-fired oven to fire up Spanish cuisine.
The interior of Dolfy’s is moody, with blackout curtains and dim lighting setting the atmosphere. The wood-fired oven sits in the corner but is clearly the centerpiece, as it can be seen from nearly every seat. There are a few bar seats and many tables, including some room reserved for walk-ins.
For drinks, Dolfy’s has a variety of wine and a concise cocktail menu, featuring Spanish flavors and classics like the Spanish gin and tonic. I got a riff on this classic drink called the G & Tea, which had gin, earl grey, elderflower, lemon and tonic for $15. While the floral notes in this were a little more subtle than I had hoped for, it was a solid drink overall.
Next was the Getaria Sands, a mezcal drink with honey, turmeric and lime for $15. This tasted great, and the mezcal wasn’t overly smoky — perfect if you prefer a more understated flavor.
For food, we started with pintxos, which are small, bite-sized snacks typically served on bread and often held together with a skewer.
The two options I got for these bites were wood-fired piquillo peppers, which came with 3 pieces for $4, and button mushrooms with garlic, chorizo and lemon — 3 for $6. Both were well-seasoned and well-cooked, especially the peppers — which can end up being too soggy or raw if not executed well. This was not the case at all, and the wood-fired char added excellent smoky flavors. Neither was served on skewers or bread, but they were still delicious.
Next up were the appetizers, which were the stars of the show. Every good dinner must start with bread, so I got the sourdough with Espelette pepper butter for $5. Don’t let the Espelette scare you here, as the chili only has a mild heat, and the fruity flavor shone through in the sweetness of the butter.
Next was the shrimp al ajillo for $16. I thought this dish was okay, but I wish there was lemon we could squeeze on instead of slices. The best part was that is dish came with more bread to sop up the yummy juices from the shrimp.
To round out the appetizers, we had some dishes that almost doubled as sides. The first was fried calamari with green peppercorn aioli and salsa vizkaina for $9. The aioli and salsa with this dish were creamy and flavorful, complementing the crispy calamari and soft peppers, coming together for the perfect bite.
The last appetizer was grilled carrots, sunflower granola, white beans and goat cheese for $15. This was delicious, with perfectly cooked carrots, bean puree and sunflower seeds making the perfect bite.
The first entrée was arroz meloso with crawfish, gulf shrimp, saffron and garlic aioli for $30. This is a creamy rice dish, similar to risotto but without the sticky texture. The seafood in the dish was cooked perfectly, and the flavors were strong but well-balanced with the aioli.
Next was the dry aged yellowfin tuna with saffron beurre blanc, mojo verde and shoestring fries for $37. The tuna steak was cooked quickly to leave the center raw despite a cooked outer layer, but they may have left it on a bit too long, resulting in an odd half-cooked experience. This dish had great flavors but some conflicting textures that might be hard for people sensitive to it.
To finish the meal, we had a toasted yet jiggly Basque cheesecake for $12. It wasn’t too sweet, and the caramelization on top added dimension to the otherwise simple flavor — a true classic.
The food lineup was quite affordable, especially for smaller plates like the pintxos and appetizers. These were certainly the best bang for your buck, with the fried calamari and the grilled carrots being my two favorite dishes of the night.
Dolfy’s is a versatile spot for a quick drink and a snack, or a filling dinner.