You can't get any more convenient for commuters than this newish tapas bar on the Vanderbilt side of Grand Central. The food is quite good, the wine-by-the-glass list is full of intriguing choices, including Telmo Rodriguez LZ Rioja that could become my signature pour, as soon as I can find out where to buy it. I've never seen so many sherry choices--more than a dozen, from bone-dry manzanilla to rich oloroso. You can order flights of three from across the spectrum, which I think I'll do next time.
The food is quite good, though with some surprises. Pimientos a la plancha with garlic, lemon and sea salt turned out to be shishito chiles, rather than the milder padrons. With pardrons, about one in a dozen has a real spike of spicy heat; with shishitos, the hot-to-savory ratio is reversed.
In Spain, pan con tomate is simply a piece of crusty bread rubbed with garlic and plum tomato, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with salt. At La Fonda del Sol, the dish is similar to bruschetta, slices of toast heaped with chopped tomato salad.
Though different from what I expected, I enjoyed both dishes. My dining companion did not.
The simple calamari with aioli was well-prepared, very tender and tasty, a good example of what this dish can be.
Our favorite tapa was albondigas de cerdo con pimenton y queso manchego: little pork meatballs with smoked paprika and manchego cheese. Hot, fresh, garlicky and delicious, served in a tangy reduced red sauce similar to romesco, which is ubiquitous in Spain. I could eat this every day.
We had a friendly server who found out answers to all of our questions. She helped us but didn't butt in.
Desafortunadamente, La Fonda del Sol let me down in two key areas: The place is so cavernous that chatting is out of the question, and it is totally frickin' freezing in there! Without these fatal flaws, I could make this place a regular hang.
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