On Thursday evenings, Aventura has a secret.
It is the outdoor courtyard/patio behind the restaurant. The music starts. The tables fill. People settle in with a drink and a plate of food. For a few hours, downtown Ann Arbor feels a long way from Michigan.
This is “Brava Nights.”
Held every Thursday through Sept. 24 from 6-10pm, the weekly event draws on the Spanish tradition of gathering around the table and staying there. There is live music. There are tapas, paella, Spanish wines, handcrafted cocktails, and gin and tonics. But the best part is the pace. No one seems to be in a hurry.
It is the kind of place where Ernest Hemingway might have relaxed with friends in Spain after the running of the bulls.
Built around sharing
First, the food is meant to be shared.
The communal paella is the highlight. One scoop is $5. Two are $9. We enjoyed the Paella Valenciana. It was hearty and full of flavor, the kind of dish that makes you want another bite before you have finished the first.
The tapas are also worth exploring.
The Datiles con Chorizo combines bacon, chorizo, Medjool dates, and Dijon membrillo. It is sweet, salty, rich, and smoky.
The Flor de Alcachofa is made with artichoke, lemon, salt-cured egg yolk, and anchovy aioli. The flavors are bright and deep at the same time.
Then there is the gazpacho. It is smooth and cold, not chunky, with a little olive oil drizzled over the top. On a warm summer evening, it is exactly what you want.
More than a meal
But Brava Nights are not only about the food.
The courtyard has an easy energy. People talk across tables. Friends share plates. Musicians or DJs provide the soundtrack. Dinner takes its time.
That is part of the appeal.
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Aventura opened in downtown Ann Arbor in 2013 and has become known for its Spanish-inspired cooking. Owner Sava Farah drew inspiration from travels throughout Spain, and the restaurant has built its menu around tapas, seafood, cured meats, cheeses, seasonal ingredients and the pleasure of eating together.
Brava Nights carries that idea outside and into the evening.
Stay for another song
Start with tapas. Try the grilled octopus. Order paella. Have a glass of Spanish wine or a sangria. Stay for another song.
The music changes, but the feeling remains. Spanish guitar, flamenco-inspired performances, and Latin acoustic music give the evenings a rhythm of their own.
There is no need to rush.
That may be the real attraction of Brava Nights. In a city where dinner can become another thing to fit into the evening, Aventura asks you to stop for a while.
Eat. Listen. Talk.
Enjoy the people sitting at your table.
For a summer evening, that is enough.
Brava Nights continue every Thursday through Sept. 24 at Aventura in downtown Ann Arbor.
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
