Archive
NYC: Empellón Cocina: The Push Project: Part IV (Nov. 2013)
Author: Victor
Chefs: Alex Stupak and Grant Achatz
Website: http://empellon.tumblr.com/tagged/push-project
November 7, 2013
Push Project Part IV: Grant Achatz
This is the last Push Project of the year, and Chef Stupak decided to go out with a BANG. He asked his former boss/mentor, Grant Achatz, to collaborate with him, resulting in one of the most hyped dining events of the year. Thomas Keller and Grant Achatz are basically gods in the American culinary scene, so having one of them as a guest chef in a meal is pretty darn amazing.
Anyway, enough rambling. Let’s go look at the food!
San Sebastián: Akelarre (Nov. 2013)
Author: Victor
Exec Chef: Pedro Subijana
Website: http://www.akelarre.net/public_home/ctrl_home.php?lang=en
November 3, 2013
Akelarre (or Akelaŕe) was the last of the restaurants that I had on my list for San Sebastián, and it was also the last meal I had before heading to Barcelona. The restaurant itself has a wonderful view of the sea, so try to reserve a seat near the window if you get the chance. Most tables are near the window and have a view of the water, though you should try to avoid any of the tables farthest from the window—they don’t really have a view of the water
You have an option of three tasting menus: a land-based one, water-based one, and one with some of the Akelarre’s classics. I went with the classics (even though I generally like “newer” dishes) because I wanted to try what helped make this restaurant and Chef so famous. I also added the suckling pig as a supplement because it just sounded so dang good haha.
San Sebastián: Arzak (Nov. 2013)
Author: Victor
Exec Chef: Juan Mari and Elena Arzak
Website: www.arzak.info/arz_web.php?idioma=En
November 2, 2013
Arzak was stop #3 on my list of San Sebastián destinations, and I was a little apprehensive about whether I’d have enough space to eat—I had just finished lunch at Martin Berasategui a few hours ago! (I ended up having more than enough space… I’m getting way too fat for my own good haha.)
Arzak’s east of the city centre, and it’s located right on a major street. There’s no romantic taxi ride with beautiful green scenery like the one you take to Mugaritz. On the other hand, it’s close, easy to get to, and NOT in the middle of nowhere haha.
The restaurant doesn’t feel pretentious at all. The wait staff is pretty friendly, and Chefs Juan Mari and Elena come out pretty often to greet and talk to the guests. Elena came out quite a bit to discuss different dishes with the guests, which I thought was awesome. She gives a lot of insight into the cultural influences and creative ideas behind dishes, and she does it in a very understandable way with no hint of pretense. Juan Mari also came out to greet guests, and he felt more like a jovial grandfather who has accomplished a lot and is just chilling. And let’s be honest—the man is a living legend haha (grandfather of “New Basque Cuisine” and all that).
The menu has an à la carte option as well as a tasting menu. The tasting menu is seven courses, and it starts with around five amuses-bouche. Some of the courses have two options. You can choose between two appetizers, two seafood courses, two main courses (meat or poultry), and two final desserts. Of course, you’re free to supplement more dishes if you feel like eating more (and, more important, trying more of their cooking!). As for myself, I chose to get both meat AND poultry for two main courses haha; I really wanted to try both. I was craving lamb, and the pigeon at Martin Berasategui was disappointing—I was hoping the pigeon at Arzak would end up being AMAZING so that it could counter the terrible-ness of MB’s pigeon (and it did!).
Monte
Victor
tadv3
Happy Noms 