Dining and drinking review: En Rama

One of the perks of living at The Esplanade is the 100+ restaurants and bars located in walking distance of our home. Thankfully, "The Esplanade News" has our two in-house food and drink reviewers, Ted Broussard and Kurt Kwon, who provide us with a steady diet of reflections on these establishments. I have recently heard both Ted and Kurt talk about En Rama, which opened last spring in "Courthouse Square" on A Street. En Rama is owned and run by Chris Keil, who ran the legendary "Hilltop Kitchen" until it closed in 2016.

En Rama is located at Courthouse Square, 1102 A Street

Review and photos by Kurt Kwon

People often ask me, "What's the best place you recommend for restaurants in Tacoma?" It is such a hard question to answer because it's like asking a painter what's his favorite color.  But I did have one a few years ago. It was Hilltop Kitchen. They really had the best combination of perfect craft cocktails and an interesting and at times eclectic food menu. Unfortunately, they had to close a few years back because they couldn't come to terms with their lease. They resurrected for a short stint as a guest at Tacoma Cabana, but it was never quite the same.

The owners came back about a year ago to open En Rama at the old post office just a very short walk from The Esplanade. The focus of this reincarnated bar was sherry. I never knew there were so many different types of sherry! And I had no idea sherry on tap was possible. But at En Rama it is, and I would recommend trying a few to challenge your conceptions. 

The drinks are the feature at En Rama. Great care is taken with each drink from the quality of ice to the ingredients that go into making a perfect concoction. My favorite is the Old Fashioned. It is by far the standard I use to judge all other Old Fashioneds and I have yet to have one come close to En Rama. Another favorite is the Daquri. It is a simple but complex drink with the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Whatever you enjoy, be sure to take your time as the drinks do pack a punch without the consumer even knowing it. They also have started a Tuesday half-off wine bottles. The server seemed to be the procurator of the wines and seemed very knowledgeable. I haven't tried it yet but will be on my list for a boring Tuesday evening. 

The food is of the small plate variety which includes a typical charcuterie board, and cheese plates. They also have savory dishes like the homemade meatballs. I have to admit the meatballs were better in the past as the last order I had was pretty dry. They specialize in homemade pastas, which all are on the very small portion size. While flavorful and rich, you won't get full on it. 

En Rama is definitely a go-to spot for the best drinks in town. I highly recommend them to anyone in town.