¿CóMO? TAPERIA
¿CóMO? TAPERIA
A PLAYFUL, MODERN TAKE ON SPAIN’S CLASSIC, ROWDY TAPAS BARS
There's a quip between my group of friends who often travel to Barcelona: by the end of each trip, the roof of your mouth is torn up from all the baguettes you've eaten. None of them would normally consume a hard-crusted sandwich at every meal, but in Spain, the bread is just too ubiquitous—and too good—to pass up. At Vancouver's ¿Cómo? Taperia, the familiar meat and cheese bocadillo is just as delicious as those found across the Atlantic—though possibly even more so, as the attentively-sourced tapas bar serves their sandwiches fresh each day. (North America seems more preoccupied with having the freshest of baked goods than much of Europe does.)
The Spain-inspired eatery, perched inside a corner room on Main street, successfully brings the spirit of Barcelona to North America. The team wanted to celebrate the boisterous Catalan culture they'd come to know and love without resorting to the stereotypes that typically exemplify North American interpretations of European cuisine.
Rather than painting a bull and matador on every menu, or butcher a clichéd chorizo dish, they chose to emulate the football-enthused standing-room tapas bars of Barcelona’s Poble Sec or Madrid’s La Latina quarters, while also offering high-end Spanish plates fashioned with locally-sourced produce—though there are critical exemptions. Jamón ibérico is world-renowned for a reason; These pure-bred Black Iberian hogs roam freely in oak forests of the dehesa, gorging seasonally on acorns in the fall and dense grasses in the spring. This hands-off agricultural approach gives the cured meat a nutty, melt-in-your-mouth flavour; a deep mahogany colour, highly marbled from its high-fat content. You can't find this ham raised like this locally.
Even the octopus is imported from Spain: "The best in the world," proprietor Shaun Layton tells me one Sunday afternoon after explaining how Chef Justin Witcher achieves such soft texture. Octopus can often be too rubbery to enjoy; theirs had a soft, almost chicken breast chew to it—a mouthfeel that is hard to achieve with the sea urchin.
Football (i.e. soccer in Canada) appears regularly on the two, highly placed screens at Cómo. During big games, fans roar over gin and tapas. In Spain, both culture and cuisine are more playful than what translates as Spanish cuisine over here, co-founder Frankie Harrington tells me. He and his team wanted to show Vancouverites what it’s really like to enjoy food together in one of their favourite places to travel. They kept centuries-old traditions while also putting a cheeky, modern twist on both dishes and design.
On any given night, the line-up snakes down the street from the establishment's entrance; early arrivals have the option to await their tables at the tapas counter. Here is where the magic of Spain unfolds. Guests stand shoulder to shoulder, bartenders pour glasses of cava or their daily twist on the gin and tonic; sherry and Spanish vermut are offered on tap, select appetizers are placed on the glass tapas case to snack on (the custom vessel was imported from Barcelona), and jovial conversation flows. This recreation of the crowded, rowdy tapas bar translates superbly. It was a risk—but it turned out to be the right risk to take. The result garnered Cómo Taperia accolade from culinary media and noted chefs alike. The consensus? Dining here feels exactly like eating in the Catalonian capital.
¿CóMO? Taperia houses dedicated football fans; Barcelona FC often plays on the big screen.
Dames Brut 2017 poured tapas bar style.
The Spanish conservas sold at ¿CóMO? Mercado.
When COVID-19 hit Vancouver, leading to government-mandated shutdowns of most dining establishments, proprietors Layton, Harrington, and Chef Witcher had to pivot. Cómo Taperia was quickly transformed into Cómo Mercado, a grocer of sorts, selling the hard-to-find conservas (jarred, canned, and packaged goods) they have become known for: olive oils, sardines, Marcona almonds, manzanilla and cacereña olives, vermouth by the bottle and more.
Shaun Layton and Frankie Harrington.
¿CóMO? Taperia currently open as Cómo Chico and Mercado.
Although they also bring in natural and low-intervention wines from across B.C., Layton (a bartender who has done stints at L’Abattoir and Juniper, among others) has a keen interest in small batch, natural and organic Spanish wineries. One of his favourite wines, affectionately referred to as the “Bunny Wine,” has somewhat of a cult following, he tells me. It’s grown in the Catalonia wine region of DO. Conca de Barberà which has used biodynamic agriculture methods since 2003. This, along with tens of other natural wines, can still be purchased at Cómo Mercado.
Custom tapas cases imported from Barcelona filled with ready-to-eat small bites.
Take-home bottles patrons can fill with Spanish vermut.
As the gravity of the coronavirus eased in B.C., the Taperia reopened as Cómo Chico. Dining room tables were reduced in number, then separated by grocery racks. This new seating plan offers a cozy reprieve where wine tasting, bocadillos, and limited tapas could finally be enjoyed in a restaurant again. A sigh of relief for many.
A friend who recently had her trip to Spain cancelled due to the coronavirus was feeling down about the missed vacation; I had just the place for her. For over an hour I was able to transport her from Vancouver to Spain. Here was a slice of Barcelona without the flight—and plenty cava. I can’t wait to take my fiancé (who has been visiting Barcelona for much of his adult life) to Cómo for my favourite dish once the full menu returns: steak with padrón peppers.
Take home items from ¿CóMO? Mercado: Nas del Gegant “Bunny Wine,” octopus in olive oil, baby broad beans, sardines.
The story of Cómo Taperia wouldn't be complete without mention of the celebrated team's fight to offer their guests an outdoor patio. Two years of application forms and following city-imposed guidelines—only to be denied and sometimes ignored—nearly set the beloved restaurant to ruin. Operating under the promise of a temporary patio permit in May, red Estrella umbrellas and bright yellow chairs were set up. The community jubilantly came to dine on the sun-drenched hillside of the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood—but the City of Vancouver issued a patio closure under the TEPP program. This could have been a death knell for a restaurant already suffering under COVID-19 restrictions. Fortunately, the media circus that was mobilized by the Taperia's popular Instagram page—and its dedicated patrons—landed the team a meeting with respected city councillor Michael Wiebe. The result? Patio permit granted.
As the summer gets off to a head, Cómo Chico will return with their temporary patio on June 18th; new menu items will be served from the kitchen, shifting week to week, and the restaurant's contractors can begin the process of getting Cómo a permanent patio built. Along with so many locals, we'll be standing by: some Barcelona-style vibrancy will be a welcome addition to this burgeoning neighbourhood.
Words & photos by Tracy Giesz-Ramsay
