Elizabeth Keyser photo

Paella

Meigas
10 Wall St., Norwalk, (203) 866-8800, www.meigasrestaurant.com

A sunny side of a bad economy is that some of Fairfield County's best restaurants are offering amazing deals. Meigas in Norwalk has long been one of the county's culinary stars. Since last September it's been under new ownership that has returned the food to traditional Spanish roots, after a foray into Ferran Adrià–inspired foams. Prices are lower and the restaurant offers several promotions that will allow a wider audience to enjoy the food.

We partook of the $24 three-course prix-fixe menu, which is offered Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. On the regular menu, tapas range from $9 to 16, entrees $29 to $33. Given the quality of the food and service and the generosity of the portions, the prix-fixe is a damn good deal.

The dining room in a converted trolley barn is pleasant, with tile floors and exterior walls of reclaimed brick. Interior walls are painted deep yellow and decorated with Spanish pottery. Floor-to-ceiling shelves are stocked with bottles of Spanish wine. White tablecloths are crisp, but service is more relaxed than in previous days. It is professional without being stuffy.

A gracious waiter set espresso cups on the table. One sip revealed a delicious, cool concoction. This melon gazpacho of honeydew was complex and subtle with less acidity than traditional gazpacho. Olive oil punched up the pepper flavor and smoothed the texture, while ground almonds gave body to the sweet-savory soup. It was a blissful way to start the meal.

From the tapas menu we ordered the croquetas of the day. These addictive treats were given an elegant and austere presentation. Upon a white rectangular plate, six little bread-crumb-rolled and deep-fried balls sat on a dab of aioli. The ultimate snack food goes upscale. These were flavored with chicken and cheese, but whether chicken, cheese, fish or oxtail, they are delicious. Beneath the crisp coasting was a light, creamy interior. Good thing there were only six — we would have popped them like peanuts.

Grilled baby squids were laid like a starburst on a plate. The tender and silky cephalopods were topped with minced red and green pepper, mango and scallions in green citrus vinaigrette. This light, fresh dish was perfect for summer.

Pork tenderloin and melted Terilla cheese ("terilla" is Spanish for "tit," a reference to the shape of the mellow Galacian cow's-milk cheese) on toasted bread was dressed with scallions, tomatoes and black olives. It was rustic and satisfying.

Of our main courses, the suckling pig was the star. The skin was crisp, the meat tender and full of pork flavor. The sauce of pureed apricot, honey and sherry vinegar hit the sweet-savory notes that go so well with pork. A square of potato pandera (gratin) and sautéed fresh spinach shared the plate.

The braised boneless short ribs had a melting consistency and the ginger-infused dark beer soy sauce was flavorful. But the meat itself could have had more beef flavor. Perhaps it was a casualty of not having been cooked on the bone. We prefer the deeper, richer flavor and unctuous texture the bones and cartilage impart.

On the prix-fixe menu, paella is made with Catalan noodles. We liked that the paella was served in the small paella pan in which it is cooked. The dish was filled with clams and mussels in their shells, squid and scallops. Their flavor had absorbed into the thin noodles, which were kind of like broken cappellini.

On the regular menu, the paella is served with bomba rice, the premier Spanish short-grain rice. This paella is deep red, the top scattered with thin slices of red pepper, the rice pumped with the flavor of paprika, saffron and seafood. Nestled in the rice were clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops (whose caramelized surfaces revealed they'd been seared on the grill), chicken, pork and sliced chorizo. The rice clung to the edges of the pan, the coveted crustiness. I preferred this paella ($32) to the one on the prix-fixe menu.

From the regular menu, we also tried the Salpicon de Pescado y Mariscos. The colorful seafood salad is served in a martini glass. Seafood, tomato, cucumber and peppers are piled high and topped with a garnish of avocado and tender grilled baby squid. The lemon dressing was well seasoned with black pepper, red onion and cilantro.

The prix-fixe menu comes with dessert. The large plate displays the old favorite — chocolate croqueta served on a spoon with lemon gelatin topped with coconut foam. Alas, the combination seemed a tad tired, the nut coating tougher than in our memories of an ethereal novelty. We did enjoy the scoop of white chocolate sorbet on a bed of finely shredded phyllo. But the pieces of fruit on the plate were unripe, flavorless.

It turns out that, since taking over the restaurant, owner Carlos Hernadez has yet to update the dessert menu. And we learned, Domingo Caballo, the chef who had interned at Adrià's innovative and iconic El Bulli in Roses, Spain, is no longer cooking at Meigas. Hernadez is in the process of choosing a new chef from Spain and who, we hope, will make the food truly sing.

In the meantime, you can't go wrong with the tapas tasting menu (a choice of 10 tapas with desert for $32). On Friday nights, there's live music, and for $45 you get the daily gazpacho, nine tapas and a glass of wine. Wines are half price on Thursdays and Sundays. A tapas brunch is served Sundays. Lunch is served seven days a week. Hernadez is also scheduling wine tasting dinners in the fall. Flamenco music will be played, he says.

Meigas has been around for almost 20 years, and you can't help but be glad that Hernandez is breathing new life into it. We look forward to the arrival of the new chef.