Remember - you read it here first

[vserna]

Don't go looking for it in Michelin, Campsa or elsewhere for now. The just-opened Zaranda (San Bernardino 13, phone 91 541 20 26) is the most ambitious new restaurant opening in Madrid in 2005 - of those that I've been able to try, of course. Chef Fernando Pérez Arellano is only 27 (his wife Itziar is in charge of the tiny, 24-seat dining room) but he's traveled quite a bit: Patrick Guilbaud in Ireland; Gordon Ramsay, Waterside Inn and Le Gavroche in the UK; Pic in France; Don Alfonso 1890 in Italy; Celler de Can Roca, Can Fabes and El Poblet in Spain! He seems to have learned well and is putting together a modern but energetic and flavorful offer (including a spectacular 'all mushroom' menu for autumn, and a '21st century' cocido madrileño on Thursdays).

[Luis Gutiérrez]

What about the wine list Victor? When I heard someone recently say that he was going to a new place in San Bernardino I automatically though, "Indian". I didn't expect this... Will have to try soon. Have you been to Dominus yet?

Cheers,

Luis

[vserna]

The wine list put together by Itziar is rather personal and original, and with a number of Riojas and Ribera del Dueros I'd never heard about! I chose a 2001 Corullón, and it worked well with both my scallops and my (yes!) wild woodcock. Many wines appear without a mention to their vintage in the wine list, and of course that's a total no-no.

I haven't been to Dominus yet. How is it?

[pedro]

Is Dominus the restaurant started by people who left Cuenllas? Where is it located?

[docsconz]

but he's traveled quite a bit: Patrick Guilbaud in Ireland; Gordon Ramsay, Waterside Inn and Le Gavroche in the UK; Pic in France; Don Alfonso 1890 in Italy; Celler de Can Roca, Can Fabes and El Poblet in Spain!

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Where's El Bulli?

[Luis Gutiérrez]

Is Dominus the restaurant started by people who left Cuenllas? Where is it located?

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Yes it is. The new place started by Mateo Gelado, Antonio del Álamo and Fernando Garrido, long-time sommelier, chef and maitre respectively of Cuenllas, one of the best gastronomic empires in Madrid (Gourmet Shop, Wine Bar and Restaurant within 100 metres en calle Ferraz).

They called their new adventure Dominus as a hommage to the famous californian wine (I'd have preferred Échezeaux, but that's just me...). The address is Francisco de Ricci 15, phone +34 91 540 10 09. I was planning on going this week, but had to change plans for reasons not relevant here... How about giving it a go next week, guys?

\L

[vserna]

I'd rather wait a little. I've heard some mixed reports, Luis.

John: No, he hasn't been to El Bulli. That's his saving grace.

If you analyze the places where he's trained you'll get the idea of where this guy is coming from: Pic/Waterside Inn/Can Roca/Can Fabes/Don Alfonso 1890 means, basically: "I don't recoil from modern techniques and textures and a few exotic ingredients, but what I really take pride in is in offering you woodcock as it should be done and ten different types of wild mushrooms." And that's OK with me.

[docsconz]

I'd rather wait a little. I've heard some mixed reports, Luis.

John: No, he hasn't been to El Bulli. That's his saving grace.   

If you analyze the places where he's trained you'll get the idea of where this guy is coming from: Pic/Waterside Inn/Can Roca/Can Fabes/Don Alfonso 1890 means, basically: "I don't recoil from modern techniques and textures and a few exotic ingredients, but what I really take pride in is in offering you woodcock as it should be done and ten different types of wild mushrooms." And that's OK with me.

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Sounds good to me too. Now, I just have to get myself to Madrid!

[Judith Gebhart]

I'd rather wait a little. I've heard some mixed reports, Luis.

John: No, he hasn't been to El Bulli. That's his saving grace.   

If you analyze the places where he's trained you'll get the idea of where this guy is coming from: Pic/Waterside Inn/Can Roca/Can Fabes/Don Alfonso 1890 means, basically: "I don't recoil from modern techniques and textures and a few exotic ingredients, but what I really take pride in is in offering you woodcock as it should be done and ten different types of wild mushrooms." And that's OK with me.

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Victor: I couldn't resist: "And that's OKAY with me too!!" What a tasting delight!! Judith Gebhart

[vserna]

I have now visited Dominus, and indeed Antonio del Alamo and Mateo Gelado are hitting all the right buttons. Slightly less ambitious technically than Zaranda, but excellent, fresh and tasty stuff. Warm Castilian goat cheese salad with artichokes, roast red peppers, tomatoes and balsamico; modern-style but smooth vegetable 'menestra' (al dente instead of soft); sensational wild hare risotto, oven-roasted 'pez de San Pedro' (john dory) with a cuttlefish-and-potato stew; beef filet on a porcini cream; almond wafer with a plum foam and Tahiti vanilla ice. The wine list, as could be expected from Mateo, is not too long but balanced and top-notch (including Dominus, of course!) We had a 2004 Val de Sil Godello white from Valdeorras and a 2002 Paixar red from Bierzo.

[Luis Gutiérrez]

I have now visited Dominus, and indeed Antonio del Alamo and Mateo Gelado are hitting all the right buttons. Slightly less ambitious technically than Zaranda, but excellent, fresh and tasty stuff. Warm Castilian goat cheese salad with artichokes, roast red peppers, tomatoes and balsamico; modern-style but smooth vegetable 'menestra' (al dente instead of soft); sensational wild hare risotto, oven-roasted 'pez de San Pedro' (john dory) with a cuttlefish-and-potato stew; beef filet on a porcini cream; almond wafer with a plum foam and Tahiti vanilla ice. The wine list, as could be expected from Mateo, is not too long but balanced and top-notch (including Dominus, of course!) We had a 2004 Val de Sil Godello white from Valdeorras and a 2002 Paixar red from Bierzo.

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Well, you didn't wait much...

[vserna]

Almost two weeks. That's quite a wait in my book...

[podolski]

Don't go looking for it in Michelin, Campsa or elsewhere for now. The just-opened Zaranda (San Bernardino 13, phone 91 541 20 26) is the most ambitious new restaurant opening in Madrid in 2005 - of those that I've been able to try, of course. Chef Fernando Pérez Arellano is only 27 (his wife Itziar is in charge of the tiny, 24-seat dining room) but he's traveled quite a bit: Patrick Guilbaud in Ireland; Gordon Ramsay, Waterside Inn and Le Gavroche in the UK; Pic in France; Don Alfonso 1890 in Italy; Celler de Can Roca, Can Fabes and El Poblet in Spain! He seems to have learned well and is putting together a modern but energetic and flavorful offer (including a spectacular 'all mushroom' menu for autumn, and a '21st century' cocido madrileño on Thursdays).

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Thank you for the suggestion... It has been a nice surprise.... We were looking for the Micophilia menu but some wild mushroom were not longer available so we had a Degustacion Menu with a bottle of Laxas 03 (Albariño) and Cesar Principe 02 (Cigales). Good value for money.... and considering they've running the business for only 4 months.... Mr Capel was in a near table so I guess they will receive a El Pais review soon.

[vserna]

Glad you liked it!

And remember, you read it first here too (tomorrow in El Mundo's Metrópoli): Sudestada, the outstanding, idiosyncratic South-East Asian restaurant in Buenos Aires, has dispatched co-owner and chef Estanis Carenzo to Madrid to launch their European sister restaurant. It's a terrific, un-self conscious explosion of fresh vegetables, fish, seafood, meats, herbs, spices, and the best new foreign restaurant in this city in quite some time. Looks like a luncheonette - looks can be deceiving! (Modesto Lafuente 64, tel. 91 533 41 54.)

[podolski]

Glad you liked it!

And remember, you read it first here too (tomorrow in El Mundo's Metrópoli): Sudestada, the outstanding, idiosyncratic South-East Asian restaurant in Buenos Aires, has dispatched co-owner and chef Estanis Carenzo to Madrid to launch their European sister restaurant. It's a terrific, un-self conscious explosion of fresh vegetables, fish, seafood, meats, herbs, spices, and the best new foreign restaurant in this city in quite some time. Looks like a luncheonette - looks can be deceiving! (Modesto Lafuente 64, tel. 91 533 41 54.)

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Yes I really enjoyed it... We take note about Sudestada... although I'm not very confident with the ones (Thai, Viet, Pilipino, etc) I've tried here in Spain.....And yes... looks can be deceiving... The true is in the bottle (Luis Gutierrez dixit) and in the dish!!!

[vserna]

I don't know if you have tried any other Asian restaurants in Madrid. Madrid and the rest of Spain are at markedly different quality levels in the Asian (and generally, the foreign) end of the restaurant scale. (Marbella's Tai Pan opened a Madrid branch with much fanfare, and it's been a wash here.) And Sudestada towers above most of the other Asian restaurants in Madrid. Yes, even though it's an Argentinian-born place! Then again, the equally Argentinian-born Olsen is probably the best modern Scandinavian restaurant on the European continent south of Denmark! Those Argentines are wily and well-traveled...