Relish Modern Tapas

You learn something new every day, they say. If that is true, I'm roughly 47 years behind, and that's only a rough estimate. But I learned something new last evening by taking the lovely Robin on a date to Relish Modern Tapas in Mason, north of Cincinnati.

You probably knew this already, but tapas is a Spanish tradition, combining good company, artful surroundings, and little dishes of food grouped into three main categories: cosas de picar (“things to nibble,” basically finger food), pinchos (bites on decorated toothpicks), and cazuelas ("little dishes" that usually come in sauce).

So, armed with near total ignorance, we ordered a tasty little beef dish to start (above),

along with a trio of empanadas (two beef and two chicken).

Then, because we were new to the whole tapas thing, we each ordered an entree. Mine (above) was a delicious filet with asparagus spears and golden potato medallions, all perfectly cooked.

Robin's Catalan chicken with pasta tossed in basil pesto was likewise excellent.

And, to top it all off, we shared one of my favorite desserts, a crème brûlée with a couple complimentary "cookie" thingys on the side. These, like all the rest, were perfectly prepared and presented. And, while the experience was not cheap, there was not even the tiniest disappointment.

Relish Modern Tapas is located at 5947 Deerfield Blvd.​ in Mason, Ohio, north of Cincinnati. It's a little hard to find, however, located as it is behind the main part of the Deerfield shopping plaza.