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On Wednesday night, the owner of one icon in the Madison
restaurant scene opened what is sure to become another. Moe Barketallah, owner of Frida Mexican Grill, recently unveiled
his latest project, The Icon Tapas Bar and Restaurant, 206 State St.

The Icon has an understated, mature decor. The color scheme
consists solely of red, white and black, and the only adornments on the white
walls are a few pictures of legends of American pop culture and a series of
black-and-white films projected against the restaurant's back wall. Although
the choice of theme is a bit puzzling for a Spanish restaurant, the decoration
is tasteful and the atmosphere is comfortable for how upscale of an
establishment it is.

Most of the Icon's menu, which is available daily from 5
p.m. until bar time, consists of tapas. These are small dishes — it generally
takes three or four to make a meal — that are traditionally served alongside,
or on top of, drinks in Spain. Legend has it that tapas originated with King
Alfonso X of Spain, who insisted that his guests not be served drinks unless
there was a dish, a "tapa," served with it.

The menu at The Icon consists of six sections: cold tapas
($4-12), hot tapas ($4-10), soups and salads ($4-10), Spanish flatbreads
($7-9), entrees ($15-25) and desserts ($3 each).

The marinated white anchovies are the perfect way to start a
meal at The Icon. Although some people may be intimidated by the dish's fishy
name, these canapés balance the saltiness of the anchovies with a mellow but
brightly flavored almond-parsley pesto.

Other items on the cold tapas menu include a refreshing
artichoke and fennel salad and a beef carpaccio that is sure to leave any
carnivore wanting more.

For people desiring something a bit heartier early in the
meal, The Icon's wild mushroom soup fits the bill. Its subtle warmth plays
nicely with the forceful blue cheese toast points that come alongside it.

The Icon continued to shine with its hot tapas. The Spanish
tortilla is a perfectly executed Spanish omelet with the addition of wild
mushrooms. The stuffed piquillo peppers are filled with a combination of spicy
roasted vegetables and sweet caramelized onions. Although the steamed mussels
initially seemed garden variety at best, the saffron cream sauce they come with
absolutely makes the dish. Protein-hungry diners will likely enjoy The Icon's
take on surf and turf:  shrimp skewers
with chorizo served over cucumbers and yellow grape tomatoes. Another star of
the hot tapas menu was the beef empanada, which had an outstandingly flaky
crust in spite of its moist beef and mushroom filling.

However, the most innovative dish at The Icon is their "Fish
Fry," a piece of tilapia wrapped in fried fideau noodles. The crunchy pasta
enveloping the perfectly cooked fish established an interesting contrast of
texture that would have been sadly absent had the chef simply breaded the fish.
Although its $10 price tag is a bit steep for a tapa, the portion is generous
and the experience of eating it is edifying.

If your meal has left your stomach with any vacant real
estate, The Icon offers a wide array of desserts, all of which cost only $3.
The caramelized banana, which comes with peanut butter ice cream and
pistachios, is definitely worth trying because it presents an incredible
diversity of flavors and textures in just one dish.

The inherent variety of tapas and the quality of the food
make The Icon one of the most satisfying places to dine on State Street.
Unfortunately, it is also one of the best places to max out one's credit card.
However, for people who prefer the poetry of sampling sundry small dishes to
the prose of plowing through a solitary entrée, The Icon simply cannot be beat.

5 stars out of 5