From 4 September to 4 October, Besa joins Eat Spain, Drink Spain, Spain's national celebration of its food and wine. Consider it a reason to cook closer to the source, to open bottles worth the occasion, and to bring the regions of Spain to one table on Hall Street.
Start with the Gilda, the Basque classic, an Olasagasti anchovy wrapped around a green Cantabrian olive with guindilla and pepinillo. A tortilla of confit onion and potato, Galician kombu and piquillo folded through the middle. Pan con tomate under Paco Lafuente razor clams, tinned in Galicia and worth the plate on their own. Conservas straight from the tin, the way half of Spain eats.
Then the flight. Four glasses, two white and two red, chosen to cross the country a region at a time. A saline Albariño from Rías Baixas. A Verdejo from Rueda with a little grip. A Garnacha and Cariñena from Montsant. A Tempranillo from Rioja, six months in oak and in no hurry. Four 75ml pours, $38.
Small plates, plate after plate, and no rush to end the evening. Running 4 September to 4 October.
Aquí se vive bien.
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+61 (02) 8353 9757
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Edgecliff Centre, Suite 408/203 New South Head Rd, Edgecliff NSW 2027