If you were not a super-foodie type but had a work dinner at Jaleo, what would you order?

[Anonymous]

Hopefully the post title conveys my query well enough - it's just that the whole tapas thing throws me off for a work dinner that will mostly be folks I don't know. I can't get a sense from the menu on the website if there are options for an individual meal, or would that be even weirder? Should I just plan on sharing plates with perfect strangers who hold my professional future in their hands?! It just seems a little more intimate than I would prefer. Sorry for the dumb question, and would love any advice as I know Jaleo is a big favorite for many friends in this area.

[Anonymous]

They do have soup and salad. You could also order a tortilla, which is basically an omelet with potatoes. The paellas are large, so more than an entree. And they have some basics, like chicken, vegetables, beans. And dessert is always just dessert.

So you could order a few plates of your own and call it a day. But in general, Jaleo food is often shared, so if you are a picky eater, you might run into trouble sharing with your boss. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

The items on the menu have descriptions.

[Anonymous]

I think that although there is usually a lot of sharing at Jaleo, since this is more of a work event, it may be more that people just eat what they order. I would follow the lead of whoever is the highest ranking person there. Order about 3 things that you know you like. The shrimp with garlic dish is good and if you like shrimp scampi you'll like it. The fried potatoes are good and basic (the sauce somes on the side). There is usually at least one dish that is essentially plainish beef. There are lots of choices and unless you are a really picky eater, you should be able to find stuff that works for you. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I always share at Jaleo. Are you expected to take the lead on the order? If so, some parties mix it up, with some sharing and some ordering their own entree. How large a party will you be?

[Anonymous]

People do share at aJaleo, but it's not like you eat off of each other's plates, right? They bring out plates like at a family style dinner, and you serve yourself from the plates. Just imagine the plates are serving dishes at a company buffet. Help yourself to what you like and just eat.

[Anonymous]

It's like Chinese food with smaller portions. We often order two, one for each end of the table.

[Anonymous]

I'd share the plates. Communal eating is a social thing. It brings people together. If you order your own dish or dishes, you are putting distance between you and the rest of the table. And if you order tapas plates, it will be awkward to explain that they are for you alone when everyone else is sharing.

Really most of the time it is more like family-style eating, where you serve yourself things from a plate in the middle of the table. There will be four or five of something on a plate, and each of you takes one.

There are a few dishes where someone might want to dip bread in the olive oil, but you don't have to go for those.

[Anonymous]

When I've been to Jaleo, several times, sometimes someone in the party wants their own dish. So I'd mix it up. You shouldn't impose sharing tapas on unwilling diners!

[Anonymous]

Second the fried potatoes; I am kind of a foodie and always get them there. Yum. Actually, almost everything on the tapas menu is reasonably good and not too exotic at all, don't be intimidated. From a career perspective, you are better off sharing -- not to do so may be (unfairly) perceived as too standoffish. Knock back a sangria or two (no more) and go with the flow -- you'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

I lived in Spain and love love Jaleo.

If you have to pick 2-3 dishes that the table will share, I would choose the datiles con tocino (bacon wrapped dates that are fried--not health food!), the chorizo (look like little hot dogs) with mashed potatoes (Chorizo casero tradicional), and the potatoes other people mentioned (called patatas bravas). They're pretty palate-friendly, so i don't think you would be too weirded out, but also delicious

The flan is wonderful if you like the texture of flan. I love it and am now jealous that you're going!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in Spain and love love Jaleo.

If you have to pick 2-3 dishes that the table will share, I would choose the datiles con tocino (bacon wrapped dates that are fried--not health food!), the chorizo (look like little hot dogs) with mashed potatoes (Chorizo casero tradicional), and the potatoes other people mentioned (called patatas bravas). They're pretty palate-friendly, so i don't think you would be too weirded out, but also delicious

The flan is wonderful if you like the texture of flan. I love it and am now jealous that you're going!

If I was on death row, I would most likely select those bacon wrapped dates as my last meal. I also love the sauteed spinach with raisins and apples. MMM. Now I want to go.

[Anonymous]

I have gone to Jaleo for work functions (once for my firm, a for-profit consulting place; and another time with my husband's BigLaw elders). In one instance, each person ordered 2-3 items to eat on their own (offering tastes to those seated very nearby, but not a formal, morsel for morsel swap thing). The senior most person at the table paid the bill, and the outing was a time for "teambuilding". The other time, the senior-most person (who established beforehand would be the bill-payer) ordered multiples of her favorite items for each section of the table to share. I'm not a huge eater, but I love tapas and left hungry each time! But I didn't feel ordering my own entree thing (paella, salad, soups) felt appropriate given that the location was chosen specifically for the communal vibe. At work functions, you're not really there for physical nourishment (eat a protein bar before you go!).

Favorite dishes: gambas ajillo, red peppers with goat cheese, endive with goat cheese and oranges, catalan spinach, escalavida (eggplant), patatas bravas....everything is quite delicious.