THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Cosmo Tapas

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Cosmo Tapas Restaurant Review:

Sun-drenched colors, exotic cocktails and, sometimes, live jazz set the backdrop for this Nob Hill standout from the Mexican pack. Spanish and South American influences predominate, marked by ingredients little known stateside, such as cabecero Iberico (cured pork top loin), Chilean merken (a type of red pepper) and Peruvian lucuma fruit. The resulting nibbles range from classics like tortilla española or paella to creations like cachaça-marinated calamari, coconut shrimp with piña colada dip, and even a “Spanish burger” topped with jamón Serrano, manchego cheese and piquillo peppers. Among our must-try dishes are beef empanadas studded with chopped egg, raisins and olives, and rossejat de fideus, a Catalonian specialty featuring pan-fried noodles with chicken, chorizo and garlic aïoli --- preceded by white gazpacho with grapes and followed by hot, glistening churros accompanied by hazelnut-chocolate sauce. Granted, we’d return more often if the selection changed regularly as well, but we’re glad we can rely on the joys of imbibing a glass of cava on the adobe-walled patio.