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At Casa B, Latin flavors meet Caribbean

Dining Out

THIS STORY APPEARED IN

February 22, 2012|By Devra First

Shrimp with yuca are wrapped in bacon. (YOON S. BYUN/GLOBE STAFF )

Every once in a while a restaurant opens that feels completely fresh. Casa B, in Somerville’s Union Square, is one of these. In the downstairs dining room, couples share loveseats at a counter overlooking the open kitchen, watching the chefs at work. Live plants cover one wall. The lighting is flattering, the color scheme poppy red and bright white. Beautiful waitresses greet you - “Ho-o-la-a’’ - spinning the word out with utmost sass. The restaurant feels like a cross between Barcelona and a tropical island. Right now it might be one of the area’s best date nights, but that doesn’t mean two manly men speaking Spanish can’t feel perfectly comfortable here, tussling with tiny white porcelain spoons over the last bites of creme brulee.

Husband-and-wife team Alberto Cabre and Angelina Jockovich are architects who previously ran a catering company. This is their first restaurant, opened in December. (The “B’’ stands for Bobonis, the last name of Cabre’s maternal grandfather.) Part of its charm is that the pair plainly did much of the decorating themselves, and that it came out so well. The place is stylish and sparkling, modern and romantic.

Cabre, the chef, is from Puerto Rico; Jockovich is from Colombia. They’ve taken the concept of tapas and applied Latin and Caribbean flavors and ingredients. You won’t find gambas al ajillo or tortilla espanola. Instead, there are shrimp filled with yuca and wrapped in crisp bacon, served with cilantro-ginger dipping sauce, and “pizzas’’ of crisp plantains topped with tomatoes and cheese.

All of the dishes are designed for sharing, and the bilingual menu is heavy on finger food. Casa B also provides wee forks and knives.

Some of the dishes are served on wooden boards, such as a trio of ceviches - salmon, lobster (without very much lobster in it), and a fish that the Spanish side of the menu calls mojarra, the English side says is red snapper, and the waiter mumbles (we think) is hake. Unless you brought along your pocket fish DNA testing kit, just deem it enjoyable, with a nice balance of lime and the surprising addition of peas. There are shatteringly crisp root vegetable chips for scooping.

Other snacks, called pinchos, are served on toasts - for example, chicken gizzards, cooked with onions and plenty of butter, tender and savory.