what are tapas?

césar tapas In Spain, there is a tradition of eating small, simple plates of food, or little mouthfuls, to be consumed over drinks with family and friends. 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.

césar tapasAt 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.      

 

3 marzo   2010

 

tapas small plates

 

sopa de verduras y pollo, 7.75

vegetable & chicken soup

salt cod & potato cazuela, 7.75

pinchos de pollo a la costa brava,   8.75

roasted cauliflower & fennel with baby spinach, 7.75

toasted garlic vinaigrette

tortilla verde, 8.75

little gem lettuce with beets, cornishon, egg & orange vinaigrette, 7.75

camarones en mojo verde, 8.75

bacon wrapped fresh gulf shrimp (3), 11.75

migas con chorizo with spanish style fried egg, 8.75

brussels sprouts a la plancha with parsley garlic oil, 7.75

fried squid with mojo picón, 8.75

catalan style crab, shrimp & spinach canelones , 10.75

top sirloin with tomato-honey demi glace, 10.75

spinach mash potatoes

patatas bravas with spicy tomato sauce & alioli, 8.75

plate of cured meats, 10.75

jamón serrano, 12 month air-dried ham          from landrace pigs

chorizo palacios, dry-cured pork sausage     with spicy paprika

chorizo soria, cured pork loin & paprika chorizo 

plate of jamon iberico, 21.75

12 month air-dried ham from iberico pigs

three spanish cheeses: 11.75

   urgelia, cow

   iberico, sheep, goat , cow  

   murcia al vino, goat

 

montaditos on toast

boquerones & alioli with spicy green olives ,   8.75   

smoked salmon and shrimp, 11.75

piquillo peppers with queso manchego in herb oil, 8.75

sobrasada & honey,   8.75

 

bocadillos sandwiches

spicy tuna & egg, 10.75

manchego & greens, 10.75

pork belly, cabbage escabeche & caramelized apples, 10.75

 

paella (please allow 25 minutes)

paella césar ,   21.75

clams, mussels, shrimp, chicken & chorizo in a shrimp broth

with peas & piquillo peppers

   

postres desserts

bread pudding with orange-caramel sauce,  7.75

   coffee pound cake with coffee cream, 6.75

mel i mato, grilled pears & almonds ,   6.75

panellets, catalan-style cookies with almond & coconut ,   5.75

crema de chocolate, 6.75

arbequina olive oil ice cream,   6.75

date-almond ice cream, 6.75

 

*while available

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

césar on piedmont

goes to latin america!

see our press release and menu by the front door

charcutería, quesos &

acompañamientos

 

marinated olives,  5.75

(first dish is complementary )