Favorite Dishes #7: La Vara’s Gurullos

Jewish and Moorish-influenced Spanish flavors pervade at La Vara (268 Clinton Street, Brooklyn; 718-422-0065), Alex Raij and Eder Montero’s spot located along a sleepy residential Brooklyn street. Whether ensconced by exposed brick or seated beneath the massive tree that juts into the tiny outdoor seating area, diners enjoy the couple’s evocative and often hearty plates, like cumin-spiced half-chicken and bricks of shredded lamb served with scallions. But we were also delighted to find out that Spain has a pasta tradition.

Hailing from the Southeastern city of Murcia, gurullos are airy and hand-rolled stubby semolina noodles poached in milk. Sometimes flavored with saffron, La Vara’s kitchen drenches them in grassy goat butter and seasons them with bright, lemony sumac. For an extra barnyardy taste, you can (and should) get this primo pasta with the addition of ground goat meat — the animal’s usual gaminess is only hinted at, while its richness and texture bolster the rest of the ingredients on the plate.

In honor of our Best of New York City issue (available now!), the Village Voice has been combing the city every day, one dish at a time, to guide you to the most delicious food in NYC. These are our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2015, in no particular order, save for the top 10. To read about previous dishes, browse our 100 Favorite Dishes page.

Here’s our countdown up to now:
#100: Laminated Blueberry Brioche at Dominique Ansel Kitchen
#99: Egg Shop’s Golden Bucket Fried Chicken
#98: Ramen Lab’s Torigara Shoyu
#97: Cannoli at Ferdinando’s
#96: Breakfast Sandwich at Dimes
#95: Banana Royal at Eddie’s Sweet Shop
#94: Fletcher’s Burnt Ends
#93: Almayass’s Mante
#92: Empellon Taqueria’s Fish Taco
#91: El Rey’s Sardine Tostada
#90: General Tso’s Pig’s Head at the Cannibal
#89: The Vegetarian at Meat Hook Sandwich Shop
#88: The 21 Club’s Creamy Chicken Hash
#87: Deep-Fried Olives at Via Carota
#86: Pougi at Loi Estiatorio
#85: Shelsky’s Hot Pastrami Sandwich
#85: Pearl & Ash’s Smoked Bread with Chicken Butter
#84: Gluten-Free Pizza at Rossopomodoro
#83: Perry St’s Chocolate Pudding With Candied Violets
#82: Whit’s End’s ‘Fuckin’ Bluefish Dip’
#81: Morgenstern’s Salt and Pepper Pine Nut Ice Cream
#80: Levain Bakery’s Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie
#79: Delmar Pizzeria’s Pizza
#78: Cafe Cluny’s Avocado Toast
#77: Brooklyn Star’s Cinnamon Bun
#76: Pork Belly Cotton Candy at Carnem
#75: Ippudo’s Pork Buns
#74: Mission Chinese Food’s Oil-Cured Anchovies
#73: Johnnycakes at LoLo’s Seafood Shack
#72: The Starving Artists Steak at Belle Reve
#71: The Spotted Pig’s Gnudi
#70: Xi’an Famous Foods’ Tiger Vegetable Salad
#69: Crème Brûlée Truffle at Kee’s Chocolates
#68: Pok Pok’s Muu Paa Kham Wong
#67: Cacio e Pepe at Upland
#66: Pulpo at Toro
#65: Junior’s Something Different
#64: Duck Carnitas at Cosme
#63: Banana Miso Ice Cream Sandwich at Neta
#62: Breads Bakery’s Chocolate Babka
#61: Braised Lamb Neck at the Gorbals
#60: Dough’s Passionfruit Doughnut
#59: Uncle Jesse Bao at Baohaus
#58: Patatas Bravas at El Colmado
#57: Lupulo’s Razor Clams
#56: Bar Masa’s Spicy Dancing Shrimp
#55: Underwest Donuts’ Halva
#54: The Virgola Platter at Virgola
#53: Noreetuh’s Monkfish Liver Torchon
#52: Amarena Cherry Merveilleux
#51: Roasted Mushrooms at Bara
#50: Fonda’s Oaxacan Black Mole Enchiladas
#49: Flinders Lane’s Lamb Rump
#48: Blue Ribbon Sushi’s Temaki Honnin
#47: Dirty French’s Chicken and Crepes
#46: The Vegetarian Combination at Zoma
#45: Merguez Sausage Flatbread at Irvington
#44: Le Grand Aioli at Marlow & Sons
#43: Shelsky’s Hot Pastrami Sandwich
#42: Hippie Banjo at Pies ‘n’ Thighs
#41: Malted Milkshake from Dizzy’s Diner
#40: Graffiti’s Graffiti Burger
#39: Beef Rolls at Kottu House
#38: Cafe Katja’s Wiener Schnitzel
#37: Norma’s Potato Pancakes
#36: Goat Milk Soft Serve at Victory Garden
#35: Okonomi’s Onsen Egg
#34: ‘Njuja Pizza at Obicà
#33: Paulaner Sausage Sampler
#32: Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies at The Whitney
#31: Momofuku Ssäm Bar’s Dry Aged Rib Eye
#30: Bar Boulud’s Escargots Persillade
#29: Marta’s Roman-Style Pizza
#28: Untitled’s Roasted and Fried Chicken Salad
#27: Sweet Corn Goat Cheese Tamal at Confessional
#26: Crispy Duck Necks at Trestle on Tenth
#25: Emily’s Emmy Burger
#24: Manousheh’s Jibneh Manousheh
#23: Herbie’s International at Ivan Ramen
#22: Bhutanese Ema Datsi’s Namesake
#21: Lan Larb Soho’s Ba Mee
#20: Lobster Roll at Fairway Market
#19: Khinkali at We Are Georgians
#18: Doughnuttery’s Paris Time
#17: Eisenberg’s Patty Melt
#16: Gabriel Kreuther’s Virginia Quail
#15: L’Artusi’s Garganelli with Mushroom Ragu
#14: Rebelle’s Clafoutis
#13: Epaulettes at Vaucluse
#12: Wildair’s Georgia White Shrimp
#11: Trini-Gyul’s Doubles
#10: Bar Goto’s Okonomiyaki
#9:   Peasant’s Risotto
#8:   Empellon Cocina’s Cucumbers