what are 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.
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.
19 junio 2009
tapas small plates
paella : gambas y almejas ,
shrimp, clams, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic & saffron in a seafood broth; 20.75
(please allow 25 minutes)
marinated olives, 5.75
olive oil-fried marcona almonds, 6.75
cucumber gazpacho with piquillo relish, 7.75
setas a la plancha with garlic parsley oil, 10.75
bacon, garlic & sage wrapped yukon gold potatoes, 6.75
pinchos de pollo a la costa brava with onions & bell pepper, 8.75
alaskan halibut a la plancha with herb butter & rice, 11.75
mixed greens with queso de cabra, black olives & lemon vinagreta, 7.75
*empanada with scallops, caramelized onions, swiss chard & bacon, 8.75
pimentos de padron, some are hot some are not, 8.75
gambas a la plancha with smoked paprika & sea salt, 13.75
hanger steak a la parrilla with salpicón, 13.75
endive, watercress, apple & smoked duck breast salad, 9,75
fried potatoes with herbs & sea salt, 8.75
salt cod & potato cazuela, 7.75
a plate of jamon iberico, 21.75
a plate of jamón serrano, lomo embuchado, & butifarra, 10.75
three spanish cheeses: urgélìa, tronchon, & murcia al vino , 11.75
montaditos on toast
boquerones with spicy green olives , 8.75
pickled white anchovies
pan & tomate, 7.75
smoked pork shank with jalapeno alioli, 8.75
bocadillos sandwiches
spicy tuna & egg, 10.75
manchego & greens, 10.75
portobello mushroom , peppers, basil & queso blanco 10.75
postres desserts
bread pudding with orange-caramel sauce, 7.75
crema de chocolate, 6.75
mel i mato with poached pears, almonds & honey, 6.75
panellets, catalan-style cookies with almond & coconut , 5.75
arbequina olive oil ice cream, 6.75
cinnamon-chocolate ice cream, 6.75
baked cherry-almond custard, 7.75