Tag Archives: spanish

Lasarte (Barcelona, Spain)

Posted on by October 29, 2017

Lasarte
Carrer de Mallorca, 259
08008 Barcelona, Spain
Dining date: 9/29/17

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Lasarte is currently the only restaurant in Barcelona to hold three Michelin stars; it was upgraded from two to three in the 2017 version of the guide. This is the second three-star restaurant for Martin Berasategui after his eponymous restaurant outside of San Sebastián. Berasategui holds 8 total Michelin stars, the most of any Spanish chef, for his takes on modern Spanish cuisine. I didn’t get a chance to try his restaurant while in San Sebastian but had an opportunity to dine here for a lunch.

The restaurant offers two tasting menu options (185€ and 210€) but we went with a la carte for this meal.

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Arzak (San Sebastián, Spain)

Posted on by October 1, 2017

Arzak
Alcalde José Elosegui Hiribidea, 273
20015 Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain
Dining date: 9/27/17

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Arzak was the first reservation I made in Spain on this trip. This restaurant has reached a legendary status in San Sebastián and has been on the forefront of modern Basque cooking for decades. The restaurant has garnered three Michelin stars since 1989 and has made the top 50 best restaurants in the world list every year it’s been published (since 2003). It currently sits at #30. Chef Juan Mari Arzak has been the driving force behind the restaurant’s success, and he now shares the kitchen management with daughter Elena Arzak.

I had a very hard time deciding between this restaurant and fellow three-star establishments Akelarre and Martin Berasategui. While the restaurant has plenty of accolades, I read a number of reviews with mixed feelings about the place. I ended up sticking with Arzak and am glad I did.

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An a la carte menu is available, as well as a 210€ tasting menu. We went with the latter for this dinner.

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Mugaritz @ SAAM at The Bazaar (Los Angeles, CA)

Posted on by August 6, 2017

Mugaritz + Saam
SAAM at The Bazaar
SLS Hotel
465 S La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Dining date: 7/21/17

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It’s been over 4 years since I dined at the Saam Room, the tasting menu-only private room in the back of The Bazaar by Jose Andres. I’ve appreciated the experimental nature of the restaurant – it never fails to provide something new, exciting, and different with a flair for the whimsical. Andres’ organization recently announced that the Saam Room was closing to re-conceptualize. To mark the occasion and provide a sort of farewell, the restaurant hosted a two-night dinner with chef Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz. Mugaritz, a well-known restaurant in Spain, currently holds two Michelin stars and is ranked the ninth best restaurant in the world. Aitor Zabala, who will be chef of Somni when it takes the place of the Saam Room, teamed up on the collaboration. The menu was about 20 courses ($250), with Aduriz and Zabala more of less alternating on each course.
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Bazaar Meat (Las Vegas, NV) [2]

Posted on by May 25, 2015

Bazaar Meat by José Andrés
SLS Las Vegas
2535 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Dining date: 5/7/15

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My first visit to Bazaar Meats was just a few weeks prior, but my family and I returned two weeks later primarily to try the suckling pig. On our previous visit, it was highly recommended by our server, but the dish ran out just before we could order it. While in town for Vegas Uncork’d, we stopped in again to try this suckling pig along with a couple of new dishes.

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Bazaar Meat (Las Vegas, NV)

Posted on by May 3, 2015

Bazaar Meat by José Andrés
SLS Las Vegas
2535 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Dining date: 4/23/15

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Bazaar Meat is Jose Andres’ latest concept, opened as part of the new SLS Hotel in Las Vegas. The restaurant draws inspiration from the classic American steakhouse, married with Andres’ Spanish flair. The menu offers something for everyone from a vast raw seafood bar (including a caviar bar), meats in raw carpaccio/tartare form, cured meats, Spanish small plates, and an impressively long list of meats cooked to order. Just for beef ribeyes alone, Bazaar Meats offered them from five different ranches, all of different breeds and sold by the pound. Other cuts of beef, suckling pig, lamb, veal and various fish were all available as well.

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smoke.oil.salt (Los Angeles, CA)

Posted on by May 22, 2014

smoke.oil.salt
7274 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Dining date: 4/27/14

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Spanish cuisine has gotten a lot of attention on the global scene in recent years; as diverse as Los Angeles is, we haven’t seen a lot of new Spanish eateries open up. Except for, of course, the megahit Bazaar; opened almost six years ago, it’s still one of the go-to spots for tapas in the city. smoke.oil.salt aims be another premiere Spanish option in LA.

Opened by Adam Fleischman/AdVantage Partners in the old Angeli Caffe location, the food is tapas-style focused on a lot of traditional flavors. Perfecto Rocher is the chef here, who most recently brought his Spanish influences (and resume including stops at El Bulli and Martin Berasategui) to Lazy Ox Canteen. I visited Lazy Ox a couple of years ago when Rocher was cooking and enjoyed it, so was excited to check out his next stop.

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