Rincon 38 shows that less is more

The new tapas restaurant packs a lot of flavor into small plates

A A A Comments (0) By Emily Weiss Tuesday, Apr 9 2013

In the grand tradition of authentic Spanish tapas bars, Rincón opens at 3 p.m. to draw in late-afternoon snackers who are ready for a glass of wine but maybe not hungry enough for full-blown dinner, and it stays open until midnight to accommodate those who love to start late and linger longer. Around 9 p.m. on most of my visits, the restaurant was still steadily busy, though not completely packed — something to keep in mind since Rincón doesn't take reservations. The intimate room seats only about 40 guests at a time, including the bar, which has the best seats in the house as far as I'm concerned. You'll rub elbows with other couples, get up close and personal with all the bottles of wine, and have the best view of all the tossing, frying, and searing going on in the kitchen.

The addition of Hector Ruiz's Rincón 38 is turning this whole intersection at 38th and Grand into a tucked-away foodie destination. With Grand Cafe across the street, Victor's 1959 Cafe sitting kitty-corner, and charming vintage candy shop Sugar Sugar right next door, Rincón, I predict, will augment Kingfield's reputation as the Minneapolis neighborhood most conducive to smaller-scale restaurants. For the opportunity to taste so many dishes of such high caliber in an intimate, come-as-you-are setting like this one, I'd gladly pay double what my bill for four was at Rincón, but I'm even more glad I didn't have to. Just as the word tapas suggests, Rincón has you covered.