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| suckling pig, anyone? |
Had a lovely little bday dinner for G at La Vara over a week ago that I thought was worth taking notes about for later reference. I'd been years ago but could only afford a cocktail and the fried chickpeas they're known for. What makes this Spanish restaurant worth the price and hype is the creativity around Jewish and Moorish-inspired dishes. The cocktails were standard for the price but the food really surprised me.
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| Me: House Call, Yacht Rock, G: Wild in the Streets and a glass of red |
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| MEJILLIONES EN ESCABECHE |
First up we had Maine mussels in a carrot/bay vinaigrette and pimentón aioli. They were so plump and meaty, it reminded me of the first trip we took together to Acadia National Park before the pandemic. I might try to replicate this with canned mussels and see where it gets me!
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| AJO BLANCO |
This one blew my mind with its clever combination of shrimp ceviche and golden kiwi (almost indiscernible) in a lavish white gazpacho, which I'd never had before. Ajo blanco is usually thickened with almonds and bread, there was also pine nut in this one. I'm struggling to remember what infused oil was used but I think it was some kind of peppercorn. Sadly the Ajo Blanco has now changed slightly (squid) so I can't refer to the menu.
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| COCHINILLO |
G had never tried suckling pig so of course for his birthday it only seemed fitting. They roast the whole thing in house and then cut the cochinillo into portions to be served with chimicurri. We got a thigh piece (lucky us) and the meat was so tender it was practically falling apart at the touch of a fork. All in all, it's worth the novelty, but I personally could have used something a little more to punch it up. The dish was also begging for some kind of bread to sop up the meat and sauce.
All in all a very memorable meal.
Order again: Ajo Blanco
Skip: Cochinillo
Regret: none