GOURMET’S CHOICE: SYBARITES’ SENSATIONS

Los Gallos’s magnificent clam marinera

Written by Margaux Cintrano
Photo courtesy Margaux Cintrano and Listed Businesses

Sybarites are people devoted to the sensual gastronomic adventures, wines, licores and the best edibles and libations that life has to offer. SYBARIS, an ancient Greek City in southern Italy, defines sybaritic and sybaritcal as enjoying to the utmost the luxurious and the volputary tastes.
If you enjoy reading about amorous aphrodisiacs and magnificent wines, you have come to right place.

MEMORABLE
Taberna Los Gallos

Calle Puigcerda 4
Metroline 4: Colón
Reservations Highly Suggested: 91. 431. 0647
Website: www.tabernalosgallos.com

Dishing on Facebook, I had encountered this amazing 3 ambience multi use space and marvel of a venue, Taberna Los Gallos. I had contacted owner, former eye doctor, and contact lens distributor who attended Berkeley University in Los Angeles, California, Don Pepe Caldas from the island of Tenerife. Part of my professional purview, I visit restaurants every Friday, and and I had overseen this five year old gem. Let me return to the 3 ambiences. The 1st is the beautiful open air terrace. The 2nd, an enchanting Enoteca and Gastro Bar chockful of rooster memorabilia. The 3rd stunning country yet minimalistic woodsy contemporary and main, lunching and dining salon, the attic, in which there is a movable roof, so when weather permitting, diners can stargaze …

Assorted cheese on the Los Gallos carte served with membrillo, guava and fresh currants.

EAR TO EAR WITH DON PEPE CALDAS
Margaux: Firstly, tell us why the name The Roosters .
Pepe: I was born and raised on the Canary Island of Tenerife and this is a family inherited namesake from my maternal grandfather, Los Gallos, symbolizing their work and traditional bound ethics and culture.
Margaux: Tell us about the carte.
Pepe: Firstly, we offer half portions of every dish and every special, including desserts versus a Menu del Dia or fixed Lunch Menu. Furthermore, we offer a daily Fish / Shellfish suggestion and a Spoon Cuisine stew dish daily. Our carte is divided into sections featuring:
8 Suggestions of the Day; 4 Cheese and / or combined Charcuterie trays; 6 Seasonal Salads; 8 Meat variety dishes; and 7 Fish / Shellfish dishes.
Margaux: Wow, a truly impressive carte with fair prices. Tell us about your wine carte.
Pepe: We offer a list of wines by the glass on our blackboards, ranging from 2.50 – 8.50 Euros for wines and the most expensive are the Champagnes by the glass. Our wine carte, is small however, with outstanding variety; Jerez, Champagne, Cava, Rosé, Canary Island designation of origin wines, Navara, Penedès, Rueda, Somontano, Aragón, Valdeorras, Rias Baixas, Utiel Requena, Valencia, Empora, Jumilla, Ribera del Duero, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Cádiz, Castilla La Mancha, Mallorca and several others.
Margaux: What are your hours ?
Pepe: We are open 7 days a week from 13.00 hours to 2 a.m., and on the weekends until 2.30am.
Margaux: Tell me, what is the culinary philosophy of the Chef at Taberna Los Gallos ?
Pepe: The product, regional traditional XXI century, cosmopolitan city cuisine with evolutionary details and visual creativeness, art on a plate.

Magnificent braised octopus.

THE CARTE WE SHARED

>Champagne: Veve Clieuot ( 8.80 Euros per flute glass )
>Champagne: Vilarnau ( 3.00 Euros per flute glass )
>Sublime elegant Red Tuna Tartar served with Guacamango ( Guacamole and Mango ) & Caviar of Black Olives
>The Magnificant Chef Special Fresh Clams Marinera
>Exquisite Braised Octopus
>Exceptional Beef Cheek served with Fresh Apricot & Dried Apricot Reduction
>Paradise for the palate Tiramisù Mousse
>Assorted Cheese Platter served with Membrillo, Guava and Fresh Currants

MINI INTERVIEW ON CHEF ALVARO DIAZ
Margaux: Tell us a little about your culinary philosophy.
Chef Alvaro: Basically, The Product of course is number one, followed by traditional grandmothers´ renovated cosmopolitan contemporary dishes, combining and merging exotic condiments, for example, vanilla and cardamom.
Margaux: Who inspired your culinary interests ?
Chef Alvaro: My mother and my brother.
Margaux: Gastronomic Dream Trip ?
Chef Alvaro: Perú.

A TRIP TO GREECE
Restaurant Delfos Griego

Cuesta Santo Domingo 14
Metroline 2 or 5: Santo Domingo or Callao
Reservations Highly Suggested: 91. 548. 3764

Traditional authentic classic fare and their recipes tell a story, and in Greek cuisine they tell the ancient story of time honored inherited and handed down traditions. However, more recently of boundless creativeness and artistic innovation. In this unique duplex venue, the Hellenic collaboration of authentic Greek regional dishes shall provide you and your guests with a trip to Greece, and an epicurean escape for your palates. Opened since June 2001, Restaurant Delfos Griego, is the best Greek Restaurant in Madrid. Originally owned and operated by a Greek Travel Agent, Delfos Griego Restaurant is now directed by her beautiful daughter, Helleni.

Delfos ground floor. Above photo: The cueva.

MINI INTERVIEW
Margaux: Helleni, tell us about the culinary philosophy at Delfos Griego Restaurant.
Helleni: Firstly, the Greek cuisine served here is homemade, and the products are Greek. The regional fare is classic and authentic. Sublime Mediterranean ancient fragrances and vegetables are predominant in our culinary repertoire.
Margaux: I see that your premises contain a duplex structure. Tell us about this.
Helleni: Firstly, there are 20 tables on the ground floor, and a small Tavern. The downstairs, cellar, called a “ Cueva “ has 22 tables, and is reserved during dinner hours for romantic dining for couples, special event dinners, business meetings, family reunions and groups of friends.
Margaux: What do you suggest for those unfamiliar with Greek cuisine ?
Helleni: I usually suggest one of our Degustations which range from 25 Euros for two, to 38 Euros for two. Additionally, I suggest a selection of a few of our “ Mezze “ both cold and / or hot.

Fragrant Greek rice on the carte.

THE CARTE
>White Wine: Kourtaki 2010 – Designation: Crete
>Piklia Megali: This selection of divine Mezze, served with a rustic oven baked bread, similar to a large Pita, includes fresh Greek Feta Cheese
>Domadakia: Grape leaves stuffed with fragrant Greek Rice and fresh Greek herbs
>Tzatziki: Cream of Greek Yogurt, combined with Cucumber, garlic and fresh dill. It is not blended by machine.
>Taramasalatta: Cod fish roe with lemon cream
>Xoumous: Hummus. Cream of chickpeas ( Garbanzos ) with Tahine of Sesame.
>Greek Kalamata Black Olives
>Tirokafteri: This is a feta cheese creamed dip prepared with roasted red peppers.

THE KORFU DEGUSTATION ( 32.00 Euros for 2 people )

Baklava and Greek coffee.

>The Exojiko: This awesome amazing dish is simply a Phyllo stuffed with veal stew, mushrooms, Greek rice, potato and fresh Feta cheese.
>The Skewers: Tender, melt in your mouth, pork cubes braised on open flame with tomato, onion and bell peppers. (Brocheta de cerdo )
>Bifteki: This oval mini meatloaf concoction, is filete of beef ground, and stuffed with fresh Greek Feta.
>Home made on the premises, Baklava & Greek Café …
>THERE IS ALSO A LABORAL LUNCH MENU MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FOR 11.95 Euros

OCTOBER´s RED WINE SELECTION
Bodegas Obssidiana

La Guardia, Álavesa
Winemaker: Multilingual Jone Crespo
Contact: 606 364 649

TASTING NOTES OBSSIDIANA 2010 CRIANZA
NOSE: Mature red fruit, cherries, hints of elegant spice, subtle smoke fragrance and extraordinairely complex aromatically.
TASTE: This red is as smooth as velvet, full bodied, potently sublime and seductive mouth feel.
COLOR: This black cherry visually brilliant red is a merger of black cherry tones and ruby hues.
PRODUCTION: 85% American Oak and 15% French Oak
BLIND TASTER´s GRADE: Excellent
TEMPERATURE: Serve at 12 – 13 degrees centigrade
PERFECT PAIRING: Steak Tartar, Beef Carpacchio, Young feathered game, Charcuterie and Bean stews.

PRESTIGE GOLD AWARD EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Evdominda Merblong 70

61 – 28th October Str.
Petroupolis, Attica
Greece 13231
30. 210 506 9888

Indigenious to Peleponnese, Greece, this superb sublime extra virgin olive oil has merited the award of the Prestige Gold, at the Tierra Olivo International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Trade Fair held in Jerusalem, in June 2013, for the best Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This Evoo, is a true pleasure for the senses. What has amazed me most, is its non greasy texture, as it possesses an elegant silkiness.

TASTING NOTES:
Medium high fruit nuances are expressed with a most sublime peach exotic fragrance, green almond, herbal leaves and ripe fruit.
This gold liquid is the perfect pairing for all your Greek Regional Mezze, Greek Salads, and Greek desserts. Additionally, it is a wonderful pair for Focaccia and other flatbread varieties.

——————————