I know, I know, my titles are the cheesiest. But I'm back! Aren't we going to talk about that instead?

Onto the review! Tia Pol is a Chelsea tapas joint that has become immensely popular. On the night that my friend Ayo and I went, we weren't expecting a wait. After all, it was a Tuesday night. Boy, were we wrong. We had to wait around a half hour. Luckily, there was a bar area where you can eat while waiting.

We started off with the garbanzos fritos, or fried chickpeas. Amazing. They were light, with the texture of potatoes, and sprinkled with paprika. Ayo and I gobbled them down.

Then we were seated, and I couldn't resist. I ordered a glass of sangria, which also turned out to be wonderful - it was fruity but with a twist. I tasted lime, which was a great choice.

We ordered the txipirones en su tinta (squid in ink with rice), pinchos morunos (lamb skewers), pan tomacat (3 salsas with toasted bread), green peppers blistered with sea salt, and torta de santiago (almond cake). I've never had squid in its own ink, even though I've heard much praise, and now I can see why! Though I have no basis for comparison, the ink was definitely like nothing I've ever tasted.

My favorite has to be the green peppers - the skin was crispy, insides soft and with a dash of heat. I chowed my way through about twenty of 'em. I actually would have argued for a little more salt, but they were still pretty perfect, all in all.

The pan tomacat was good, but didn't blow me away. Out of the three salsas, I have to say I liked the one made with red peppers most. The other two, an olive tapenade and a fava bean puree, were good but not exciting.

My least favorite were the lamb skewers. They were flavored well, but much too salty, and the meat wasn't tender enough.

I'd still definitely recommend a visit. I want to go back to try all the other items on the menu, especially since it is so moderately priced.

Tia Pol, 205 Tenth Ave., (212) 675-8805