Why is everyone so crazy about tapas lately?!
Well, I love the concept of tapas. Everyone coming together and sharing. Instead of being limited to just one dish, everyone gets to experience a bit of everything. In my family, we do this normally. “I’ll get this, and you get that and then we can share,” is a normal conversation in my life at dinner, so tapas is very homey to me. It’s all about coming together with connection and love. Share a bottle of wine, and a few different foods, and create friendship, community, and bonds.
The level of warmth and love at Elia is unmatched. From the decor to the service, at every step of the experience you feel welcomed. From having conversations about our motorcycles with a server, all the way to talking about wine and family with the owners, everyone was so delightful. The fireplace crackled in the background, and live music danced in the air. If you’re looking for a place to connect with people more, this is it!
I got to have an incredible glass of Tempranillo and a great conversation with Eddie Prado, one of the owners, learning all about the past and future of Elia.
To take it back to the beginning - Elia is owned by 3 brothers and Eddie, their brother-in-law.
The Tani brothers are now the owners of Luigi’s Patio Ristorante, previously their dad’s restaurant. So these four guys have been around good food for a long time. Luigi’s is named after Luigi Tani, their grandfather, and for years Eddie and the brothers had kind of jokingly talked about opening a Spanish restaurant and naming it after their grandmother, Elia.
Eddie and his wife lived in Downtown Bryan for a while and had a love of the area, so when the space where Madden’s and Clementines had previously been became available Eddie approached the guys about opening a Spanish tapas-style restaurant. He laughed, telling me how he’d told his father-in-law that opening a restaurant was a terrible idea, and that obviously he hadn’t taken his own advice.
So, here they are. They opened Elia’s just a few months ago and they’ve already made a huge impression in the community. The stunning atmosphere, incredible food, and outstanding wines are sure to have you loving it as much as I do.
Madi, the GM, was so sweet and wonderful as she brought the plates out. Explaining everything to me, and answering all of my questions. Y’all know I’m basically a damn hillbilly, not a chef, so I appreciate learning about all of the foods.
The Tabla Iberica is a charcuterie board made with the most fantastic Spanish meats, cheeses, and lovely in-season fruits. I’ve been a ho for a charcuterie board since 2nd grade with my Lunchables, so you know that this was my jam. Pimentos Del Padron is blistered shishito peppers topped with black sea salt and are amazing alongside the charcuterie, not spicy but so full of flavor.
The Empanadas De Carne were crispy, fresh empanadas stuffed with succulent ground beef. Nestled on a bed of cream sauce, served with a bowl of thick, slightly tangy, slightly sweet dipping sauce. Supposedly, this is “shareable” as well. Sorry y’all, I’m not sharing this one.
Escargot has been one of my most beloved foods for a long time, so I was beyond excited to see it come to the table. For those wondering, yes, it's snails, but they're like little pillows of savory garlic butter. These were tender and delicious; perfectly prepared.
The Albondigas are Spanish meatballs and are served with a Romanesco sauce that's made from tomatoes and roasted red peppers. Delicate and moist meatballs, covered in a hearty, flavorful sauce. This is one I kept going back for more.
Traditional paella is made with rabbit and chicken; however, Elia serves Paella Mixta. The rice is fluffy and flavorful, and it is absolutely filled with different types of meats. Every time I took a bite, I found something else delicious hidden inside. Shrimp, clams, mussels, ham, sausage, chicken, and calamari. The meats were all fresh and tender, and this pan was enough to serve an army. Eddie’s been making this particular recipe for over 20 years, and he never imagined that he would be serving it at a restaurant, much less making it in such large quantities. It’s one of their most popular dishes, and I understand why!
I have to admit, out of all of the incredible things I had to eat that night, they definitely saved the best for last, the Burnt Basque Cheesecake. The basque cheesecake is creamier and less dense than a regular one. Liquor was poured on top and bruleed at the table. The bruleed top created a delicate crust of charred sugar and when the liquor met a bit of the fruit compote drizzled on the bottom of the plate it created a decadent sauce.
You might not have to take many backroads to get to Elia in Downtown Bryan, Texas, but you should definitely get there as soon as you can, and tell ‘em I said hi! You’ll be glad you did!
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