Marengo tapas and bar

We went back to Marengo for the second time after discovering them a couple weeks ago. Still in love. We have now experienced both Brunch and Tapas

The patio is outstanding, with tables spaced out enough you are not crowded. The wine list is not extensive, but it is perfectly balanced with the menu, and heavy on Spanish varietals, with most wines at a low to medium price point and a good selection by the glass.

The best thing we ordered this time was the mussels with blue cheese and fries (in the photo). The fries were perfectly cooked- crisp but not overdone and not greasy. The mussels were perfection, with the subtle, salty blue cheese broth. Fresh crusty bread helped us savor the goodness of the broth

And don't leave without getting dessert. We each got a second dessert to go so we could savor more Marengo for breakfast. The desserts are housemade and so creative. On our first trip, we got the chocolate pyramid cake (exactly what you picture - a hard chocolate pyramid shell filled with chocolate mousse sitting in a cake base) and the key lime cheesecake. This time, we got pistachio pie (light and delightful) and creme brulee. We.took home some chocolate cake and a fruit creme tart. The selections differ every time, and every choice a winner.

Despite a bit of a drive to get here, Marengo is rapidly becoming our go-to place.

Oh, the patio is dog friendly as well!

Out meandering for the day, we stopped for brunch. Service was good but seemed a little disorganized. I learned the tables are not numbered and servers were all over. Our server was very pleasant. Food and bar drinks arrived quickly.
My partner had the Duck, Crimini, Goat cheese omlette. It was spot on!
I had the RoastDuck Skillet. Loved that it was both duck liver & meat! The duck was super flavorful and tender. The bits of duck liver added a wonderful richness! If this is a normal thing, might I suggest mentioning the liver on the menu. Personally, maybe as a special,do a Duck Liver Skillet!
The Poached eggs.....Menu said Runny Poached Eggs. Mine were poached medium well. Runny yolks would have been fantastic with the duck fat and crispy potatos.
I'm a bit picky about my Bloody Mary's. The Marengo Mary was of good flavor but had no depth or body. It was made correctly so no fault on this.

We stopped in for desserts at the new spot in Tryon! They were absolutely delicious! Very friendly staff and attentive. Enjoyed a glass of champagne. Our kids loved the macrons and chocolate pyramid. My husband enjoyed the chocolate chip cannoli! Great place! Can’t wait to return to try lunch!

Tapas style restaurant

My husband & I stopped in tonight for a bite to eat and to see what this new restaurant in our town had to offer (aside from seeing the name on the exterior in passing, we weren't sure what they were offering food wise & did not see a menu listed via Google). Vague comments previously posted gave little clue other than "European" and reference to octopus & clams).

In entering, we were met by a warmly lit interior with seating to the left and in the rear (when we entered, there were just 2 or 3 people sat near the wall on left side) and yummy desserts on display).

The hostess greeted us and seated us in the back near the wall with a good view of the kitchen (which seemed sort of odd to put us in such an out of the way place with so few in the front portion). No matter. We are game🙂 However, I don't think she told our server/waitress that she had seated us as it took a while to be waited on, and when she did catch sight of us from the front of house, she seemed very surprised to find us there. Dee was helpful if a bit frazzled with being the only one working the tables & lack of communication to her that we were there.

In regards to drinks, they are still working on their liquor license but had a selection of soda/tea to choose from. We kept it simple with a coke and Pierre.

Before I go into reviewing the food, let me clarify my earlier comment that we didn't know what they had to offer...They are a Spanish tapas (small plate) cafe/restaurant offering a selection of approximately 10 sharable plates as well as 3 types of burgers (bison, beef, and salmon) with fries. I like the concentrated menu which allows an establishment the ability to focus on putting out quality food and also keeps me from spending an excessive amount of time reading a massive menu.

We ordered the fried calamari, ham/potato/mozzarella croquettes, and the olive & anchovies tapenade with baguette. The calamari and croquettes came out fairly promptly and we jumped on in. I enjoyed the crispy legs of the calamari (my favorite part of them!) and the garlicy dipping sauce was right up my alley! In regards to the croquettes, great size and texture but despite being described as having ham in them, we didn't taste or see any evidence of ham in them which was disappointing. The potato flavor/texture was nice and the mozzarella gave a nice interior softness to them. They too were paired with the garlicky dipping sauce which was okay but would have been nice to have a different option. Unfortunately, the tapenade never arrived which we left Dee know about so she remove from our bill. She was very apologetic and offered to get an order right out to us but by that point, we were ready to return home as it had been a long day. Apparently it was the second time today that the tapenade had not made it through to the kitchen so I hope they are able to work out the technology bugs.

All in all, the experience was okay considering they haven't been open long, the staff seem fairly new to service, and they are working on finding their rhythm.

As a tapas restaurant to stop in and have a drink and share some light bites, I think they have a good start and just need to fine tune a bit.

I look forward to stopping back in during daytime hours to try one of their pretty desserts and a coffee.

Wishing you all the best🙂