Estragon

Estragon has serious tapas bona fides. It's co-owned by Lara Gavigan and Julio de Haro, the Madrid native formerly of Brookline favorite Taberna de Haro. On the menu, you'll find plenty of Spanish classics, but also the likes of sea urchin and foie gras sliders. And then there are the garbanzos fritos, a.k.a. chickpea crack. These deep-fried legumes have extraordinary addictive powers. The restaurant is pleasantly low-key, which makes it a good place to come when you don't want to deal with the scene at that other tapas bar down the street. Estragon's growing crowds prove there's room for twice the tapas in the South End. (Boston Globe, Sept. 10, 2008)