Tantalizing Tapas with a Spanish Flair >> Bulla Gastrobar, Tampa

I was first introduced to the truly impressive tapas at Bulla Gastrobar during Creative Loafing’s Restaurant Week a year ago. I had just moved back to Tampa and was craving an adventure into my city’s food scene that I had missed for the past 18 months while living in North Carolina.

The food was so good! And I’ve been back a couple of times since, leaving each time with a full belly and thoughts of how can I possibly recreate these dishes at home, they are far too perfect.

Imagine my pleasure when I was invited back to Bulla (pronounced boo-ya, in case you’re wondering) for a date night! The concept of a date night is almost lost on us after the craziness that comes with having two very young children, but we hopped right back into the swing of things at Bulla, among the tapas and hand-crafted cocktails.

We started with drinks — I selected the Lemongrass Collins, a wonderful drink made with Martin Miller’s gin, elderflower liqueur, lemongrass syrup, and cucumber. It was vibrant and sharp and so refreshing after spending the majority of our day in the summer heat.

Mike selected the Bougie Palmer, made with Tito’s vodka, lemon, lavender syrup, and peach oolong tea. Of course, I tried his and the peach really came through. It was basically a spiked tea, but with a lot more depth.

After, we ordered the Padrones Rellenos, shishito peppers stuffed with Mahon cheese, crusted in panko and served alongside a spicy tomato sauce. It was my favorite part of the evening because I have been on a shishito pepper kick lately. They aren’t spicy peppers, although sometimes you’ll get one that provides more spice than the others. 

Next up: Montaditos. Brisket topped with tomato marmalade, guindilla and tetilla cheese, I mean….I could’ve eaten the whole bunch myself. Maybe next time I’ll take myself on a date night. 😉

For our meals, we ordered the Paella de Pollo and the Bistro Steak.

The menu lets you know that you can expect to wait 30 minutes for your paella to be ready and THAT’S how you know the dish is going to be solid. This paella had chicken, portobello mushrooms, green peas, red sofrito, saffron, and the most delicious artichoke hearts lovingly placed on top. The whole dish had some crispiness and the rice was cooked absolutely perfectly. I eat a ton of rice so I can say that in truth and with a lot of experience.

The steak is cumin-marinated and served alongside a sweet potato terrine and two sauces: mojo verde and peppercorn. The cumin added a nice, deep flavor and everything was cooked very well. I alternated between the sauces, naturally. We enjoyed a nice red wine with it.

Last but not least, we enjoyed the Torrija for dessert. It’s basically a deconstructed bread pudding with almond ice cream, made with caramelized brioche and honey.

I have seriously been considering just ordering shishito pepper to-go literally almost every single day since dining here. Everything was top quality and I can’t wait to be back. 

Thank you SO MUCH, Bulla, for having us!