"Small plate" savorers can soon mix and munch at a new Fells Point location: a Spanish tapas restaurant called Adela that's slated to open Oct. 1.
Located on the South Broadway side of the Admiral Fell Inn, Adela is the latest brainchild of Kali's Restaurant Group, which has brought to Fells Point a suite of high quality and sophisticated restaurants at varying price points. (There's the group's marquee restaurant,
Kali's Court; the bistro
Meli with its elegant, ample entrees all below $20; and
Mezze, a Greek/Turkish tapas restaurant on the Thames side of the Admiral hotel).
Darin Mislan, who handles operations for Kali's Restaurant Group, says the success of Mezze has signaled an interest in small plate dining, and that traditional Spanish fare seemed the obvious way to go. The group has created for Adela a traditional Spanish atmosphere, with a mosaic tiled bar, traditional wrought iron, Spanish motifs, and a courtyard boasting a lush garden. The restaurant can seat roughly 120 diners, and includes a private room, accommodating 12, that overlooks the courtyard.
"We're going to have a very active bar and cocktail scene, with a fantastic wine list centered in Spain and specialty cocktails," says Mislan, adding that the menu will include lots of Spanish cheeses and cured meats. "It will be a spot to go and grab a glass of wine and have a bite to eat before going home to have dinner with the family, or a place to bring a group and make a night of it."
Another sign of authenticity? "We're getting very, very serious about sangria," Mislan says. "The chef and bartender have been researching different types, and we have some guys who just got back from Brazil and Spain who are helping us."
A fixture in Fells Point since 1999, Kali's Group hasn't seen a need to branch out to other neighborhoods.
"We've had great success in Fells Point," Mislan notes. "We've had huge neighborhood support. We've always looked for unique and beautiful properties, and because Fells Point is historic district, we find so many here. We're not the kind of group that goes into strip malls."
Writer: Lucy Ament
Source: Darin Mislan, Kali's Group