I’m going to be straight up honest: I’m a Manhattan kind of guy. Sauntering down 5th ave to relaxing in Central Park really puts the cherry on top of the sundae. However, when I heard I was going to Newark this weekend, my sundae melted. Look: compare Manhattan to Newark…self explanatory.

But clearly I forgot one element to judge: food.
Because of the large demand for Spanish, Portuguese and Mexican food, I decided to check out Ferry St.
Cruising down Ferry St. I found a few places, but one stuck out to me: Iberia.
In an exclusive square with live music and an “aquatic” feel. A rather casual restaurant with lots of tables pleases yourself and your pallete.

FOOD: So usually at a Spanish restaurant, we like to go family style. Of course, we’d go with a classic: Seafood Paella. Before I continue, let me just say…THE PORTIONS ARE HUGE! HUGE. HUGE. HUGE. So anyway: best. paella. I’ve. ever. had. It was very fresh, (unlike most ones in Miami) and I could taste all of the necessary elements. Saffron (of course), peppers, scallops, A WHOLE LOBSTER, and fish. Equal amounts of elements were portrayed, and a burst of flavor had a little fiesta in my mouth. I highly recommend this. So for a heavier dish, get the steak cooked to medium well. The dish comes with perfectly cooked, crispy potatoes and a huge slab of meat. Ask for tabasco though, it will really bring out the flavor of the steak. So staying with meat, you must try the pork. The pork was sautéed and had a citrusy, garlic cilantro marination an abundance of jumbo clams with fried, cubed potatoes. All of the components went so well together, and the pork was so tender. I could combine anything on that plate and it would taste amazing.

DESSERT: Because no one in my family can ever agree on anything, we ended up getting three desserts rather than one. Pineapple sorbet, Molotov and the Chocolate Cheesecake. The pineapple sorbet had a really cool presentation of being served in an actual pineapple rind. It was very soft, but a bit too sweet. More of an ice-cream than a sorbet. The cheesecake was good, not to sweet, like a good cheesecake should be, and the dark chocolate glaze went really well with the milk chocolate used in the cheesecake. However, the Molotov was just whipped up sugar. No cake, no glaze, just crust and foam which tasted disgusting. The dessert was disappointing after such a great meal.