what are tapas?
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Throughout the Mediterranean region, there is a tradition of eating small, simple plates of food, or little mouthfuls, to be consumed over drinks with family and friends. In Spain, this tradition began in the southeastern region where sherry is made when innkeepers would put little plates on top of the sherry glasses (copitas) to keep out the flies and dust. In time, they began to add little bits of bread, cheese or ham to the little “covers,” or tapas, and a wonderful tradition was born. Today, tapas bars are found in every region of Spain and offer a range of tapas that can be anything from a dish of olives or a plate of cheese, to sophisticated cooked dishes.
At César, Chef Maggie Pond honors this tradition by offering authentic tapas made from the finest Spanish ingredients combined with the unrivaled fresh meat, seafood, and produce of the San Francisco Bay Area. Maggie has traveled throughout Spain and continues to go back each year to scour the markets for new ingredients, and to eat and cook in the finest tapas bars in Barcelona, Madrid, and San Sebastián. She brings back recipes from all over Spain, including signature dishes such as our salt cod & potato cazuela, canapé de boquerones (sweet, white Spanish anchovies), spicy tuna & egg bocadillo, and mel i mato for dessert, as well as her own inspired creations like fried potatoes with herbs and sea salt, croque señor (toasted palacios ham & cheese sandwich), and our fabulous bread pudding. At César, you will not only find the most extensive tapas selection in this country, but a broader array than one is even likely to encounter in Spain. In fact, all that’s missing at César is the sawdust on the floor.
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