by MARK SLUTSKY

The expansion of the formidable Casa del Popolo empire continues apace. Having converted the top floor of the former Centro Social Español into the popular showroom La Sala Rossa, Casa proprietors Mauro and Kiva have, in the last few months, moved into the restaurant below, converting it into a charming Spanish restaurant with that Casa touch.

The building's restaurant level - called La Sala Rosa to distinguish it from upstairs - is divided into three rooms: one large dining room in the front, an attached barroom with a couple of tables and a foosball game, and a quieter dining room across the hall. The whole place is rather nice and subdued, though you can sometimes hear muffled thumping from upstairs when there's a loud rock show going on.

The restaurant offers a sizeable menu of fresh, tasty Spanish food. There's tapas in abundance, and you can certainly make a meal out of just those $5–$10 appetizers alone. On the seafood side of the tapas, the calamari has a lovely thin breaded crust, and is nice and salty. The garlic shrimp are worth a taste as well - they're large, pink and tender, and the white wine and olive oil sauce is well worth dipping your roll into once you've eaten them up. Meat eaters ought to check out the chewy chorizo sausage, which is apparently made in some very dedicated man's garage. (This is a recommendation.)

There's plenty for vegetarians to choose from on the tapas menu as well. The antipasto is just what it sounds: a large plate heaped with various leafy greens, pickled eggplant and other vegetable delights, as well as a few slices of tasty Crotonese cheese. One of my personal favourites is the pisto manchego, a smoky-tasting sautéed veggie dish served in a crisp nest of shredded potato. Meanwhile, the garlic mushrooms are much like the garlic shrimp, only with fungi in place of the crustaceans; this dish in particular ought to be a little more flavourful. And you can't enjoy tapas without that timeless classic, the tortilla español (a circular potato omelette), which the cooks pull off with aplomb - perfectly cooked through and seasoned just enough to provide a rounded taste without obscuring the flavour of the eggs and potatoes. There are a few paellas on offer as well, which make a big solid meal if you're into those saffron-infused skillets of rice and seafood (or veggies, if you like), which originated in Spain's coastal city of Valencia.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, La Sala Rosa offers a wide array of breakfasting options, offering the opportunity to nurse away your hangover just steps down from where you acquired it. All the brunch options are by default veggie, though you can add some ham or chorizo for an extra change if you like. The huevos rancheros are something else, a pair of fried eggs served up alongside two small tortillas, guacamole, mango salsa and fried yuca (cassava) root. If you're hankering for some Chanukkah-style eats, latkes are on the menu as well. The potato pancakes are served with sour cream and a tasty (and almost spicy) fruit compote, though the two relatively small latkes aren't really enough to fully satisfy; three would be perfect. All breakfasts are served with a side of salad, which always tastes a little salty, something I can never quite understand. Sweet-potato fries, a real treat, are also included with most breakfasts.

Finally, if you're going for dinner, I'd recommend Thursday nights, where you can enjoy a delightful flamenco music-and-dancing show with your meal at no extra charge. Stick around after the dancing and you can enjoy cocktails with a lovely musical backdrop by local key-man extraordinaire Jesse Levine.

La Sala RoSa
Address: 4848 St-Laurent (just below St-Joseph)
Phone: 844-4227
Hours: Dinner, 5PM–11PM, daily (bar open till 3AM); weekend brunch, 10AM–3PM
Best features: Flamenco/cocktail hour Thursdays
Alcohol: yes
Vegetarian friendly: yes
Credit cards: ?
Wheelchair access: one staircase up
Price: $10–$15 per person for dinner, $5–$10 for breakfast, before taxes & tip
Rating: *** out of ****