Bocadillos in S.F.: Splendid tapas at reasonable prices

With the rise in popularity of Spanish restaurants and the opening of such high-profile places as Coqueta, some of the tried-and-true standbys get lost.

In revisiting for my Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants guide, I was impressed all over again by Bocadillos, Gerald Hirigoyen's decade-old tapas restaurant.

Hirigoyen has proven himself at his Basque-inspired Piperade, but under chef James LaLonde the food at Bocadillos is as fresh and exciting as the day it opened.

It's a place I'd go back to again and again, which seemed to be the thought of many others as I looked around the full house on a recent evening.I'd sampled about five versions of deviled eggs in as many days, but Bocadillos' version ($4) still rises to the top; in the center of the creamy yolk filling is a skewer with pepperoncini and poached shrimp. Every egg should be accessorized as grandly.

Steak tartare is equally as well represented on Bay Area menus, but the one here ($9) is a star. A horseradish vinaigrette moistens the chopped meat, which is served with house-fingerling potato chips.

I'm still trying to manipulate my dining schedule so I can drop in for a second act of the prawns a la plancha ($17), a chorus line of seafood on a rectangular plate, tails curled and heads pointing the same direction. They're sweet and succulent, accented with lemon confit and crisp bits of garlic. I don't remember when I've had such sweet shrimp.

Little Gem salad ($11) is generously coated in a black pepper-Mahon cheese dressing, punctuated with slices of radishes and thin squares of bacon. The menu also includes kale salad ($10) with avocado, lemon vinaigrette and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Crisp chicken wings ($11) feature a sweet-and-sour drizzle over their delicate batter. I loved the wings, but would have liked them even more without the embellishment.

Bavette steak ($16) is excellent, too - rare slices of meat fanned around a ramekin of chimchurri sauce. It's a generous portion and drives home what a bargain Bocadillos is.

For dessert, I can't pass up the caramel flan ($7) accented with maldon salt that brings out the custard's richness.

As with the food, the 50-seat interior has held up well, with a long dining counter wrapping the back walls by the bar and the kitchen. The tangerine-colored brick walls glow with artfully placed votive candles on metal holders. Most seating is in the middle, at a long communal table; bar-height tables hug the walls around the perimeter.

Service is professional and well timed. Dishes come out as courses, so a diner never feels rushed, even though people may be waiting for the seat.

Bocadillos is worth the wait, and worth many return visits.

Bocadillos

710 Montgomery St. (at Washington Street), San Francisco; (415) 982-2622.www.bocasf.com

Breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday; dinner 5-10 p.m. Saturday. Beer and wine. No reservations. Credit cards accepted. Difficult street parking.

Overall	Rating: THREE STARS		Atmosphere	Rating: THREE STARS
Food	Rating: THREE STARS		Prices	$$
Service	Rating: THREE STARS		Noise Rating	Noise Rating: FOUR BELLS

RATINGS KEY

FOUR STARS = Extraordinary; THREE STARS = Excellent; TWO STARS = Good; ONE STAR = Fair; NO STARS = Poor

$ = Inexpensive: entrees $10 and under; $$ = Moderate: $11-$17; $$$ = Expensive: $18-$24; $$$$ = Very Expensive: more than $25

ONE BELL = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); TWO BELLS = Can talk easily (65-70); THREE BELLS = Talking normally gets difficult (70-75); FOUR BELLS = Can talk only in raised voices (75-80); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)

Prices are based on main courses. When entrees fall between these categories, the prices of appetizers help determine the dollar ratings. Chronicle critics make every attempt to remain anonymous. All meals are paid for by The Chronicle. Star ratings are based on a minimum of three visits. Ratings are updated continually based on at least one revisit.

Reviewers: Michael Bauer (M.B.), Nicholas Boer (N.B.), Mandy Erickson (M.E.), Amanda Gold (A.G.), Janny Hu (J.H.), Allen Matthews (A.M.) and Carey Sweet (C.S.)