Smoke, Oil, Salt: A New Spanish Wine Bar on Melrose

A new Spanish wine bar has taken over the old Angeli Caffe spot on Melrose, with a kitchen helmed by Perfecto Rocher (formerly of Lazy Ox Canteen).

We started dinner at Smoke, Oil, Salt with olives amb bitets (olives, toasted almonds, Manchego cheese, $6) - a great starter!

Followed by a traditional pa amb tomaca il llangonisses (Catalan tomato toast, homemade red and white sausages $6)

I like the fresh taste of the tomato on Catalan toast, compared to Italian tomato sauce, and the homemade sausages are quite flavorful.

Vegetarians can opt for the truita de carxofes (artichoke omelet, Meyer lemon aioli, $11)

salpico d'orxata i ostres, clotxines (oyster and mussel cocktail, octopus, marinated in tiger nut milk, $17)

This was an interesting one with a different, milder flavor profile than the rest of the dinner menu which complemented the fresh seafood well.

Don't miss the bravas trencades (fried potatoes, Serrano ham, chorizo, fried egg, $11)

This was one of my favorites that night. A potato dish? Yep. The fried potatoes are so deliciously crispy

calcots (traditional smoke spring onions, salbitxada sauce, $7)

At first I thought it strange to have a dish of just spring onions but we all actually really enjoyed this.

Since I love sea urchin so much, of course I liked the flam d'erico (sea urchin flan, caviar, shrimp chili oil, $18)

I just wished I could pay extra to top if off with a couple of sea urchin!

calamars amb mongetes (Monterey Bay baby calamari, warm cranberry beans, $15)

pluma Ibera (wood-fire grilled butcher's filet Iberico pork, smoked green onions, Xato sauce - $35, though shown here is not the full portion)

The wagyu of pork, this is possibly the best grilled pork dish I've ever had. With a deep flavor that is close to a good cut of beef, the filet is also very tender.

For dessert, we had pate de xocolate (chocolate pate with organic olive oil and smoked salt, $7)

Smoke Oil Salt brings a taste of a lively Spanish wine bar to Melrose with bold flavors. I, for one, really want to come back for that Iberico pork filet!

Smoke Oil Salt
7274 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 930-7900
http://smokeoilsalt.com/