BYOB Buzz: Gaudi Coffee and Grill

Their eats: It’s hard not to be inspired by Antoni Gaudi’s one-of-a-kind architecture, which gave rise to some of Barcelona’s most wildly imaginative, original buildings, including Casa Mila (La Pedrera) and the still-unfinished La Sagrada Familia. The Spanish architect’s work so captured the imaginations of sisters Betty and Veronica Romo that they named their month-old West Town tapas spot, Gaudi Coffee and Grill, for him.

The sisters, with business partner Ezequiel Bahena, bring an artistic flair to their casual corner cafe. The bright walls are hung with paintings from Arts of Life, which benefits adults with developmental disabilities (all paintings are for sale), and there’s live flamenco guitar during Sunday brunch.

Stop in for a breakfast of omelets, pancakes or chilaquiles (breakfast dishes run $6.50-$12), or swing by at lunchtime for the nutty apple salad ($7.95) or one of many burgers named for various artists. The Diego Rivera is a particularly spicy option, topped with pepper jack cheese, jalapenos and avocados ($8.25). Hot and cold tapas and a handful of entrees such as Mila Special, a chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and sauteed vegetables ($14.95), round out the menu.

Your drinks: A Spanish bottle is the obvious choice here, and we turned to Juicy Wine Company for a couple of suggestions. If you’re pairing with heavier tapas such as grilled rib-eye on toasted bread with melted blue cheese ($6.95), try a bottle of  b.b. de Exopto ($20), a cedary blend of garnacha and tempranillo with black cherry notes.

Spicier dishes such as the grilled calamari ($5.95) need something light to temper the heat. Llopart Brut Rose Cava ($21), an elegant sparkling rose, should do the trick. Gaudi charges a corkage fee of $1.50 per person.

Emily Hiser Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor.