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.      

 

19 enero   2010

 

tapas small plates

 

butternut squash & fuji apple soup, 7.75

salt cod & potato cazuela, 7.75

fried potatoes with herbs & sea salt, 8.75

pinchos de pollo a la costa brava,   8.75

roasted cauliflower & fennel with baby spinach, 7.75

toasted garlic vinaigrette

*sobrasada & caramelized onion empanada, 8.75

potato, mushroom   & onion tortilla, 8.75

coca, flat bread with piquillo peppers, capers, cilantro & queso blanco, 8.75

gambas salteadas con alioli, 14.75

gulf shrimp with white wine & alioli

garlic & bread crumb crusted salmon with mixed greens, 10.75

spicy lamb meat balls with garbanzos 8.75

brussels sprouts a la plancha with parsley garlic oil, 7.75

patatas bravas,with spicy tomato sauce & alioli, 8.75

charcutería, quesos &

acompañamientos

 

marinated olives,  5.75

(first dish is complementary )

marcona almonds,   6.75

house-made potato chips, 5.75

 

a 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

butifarra, cooked pork sausage, with garlic    & nutmeg

 

a 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 & black olive alioli ,   8.75   

smoked salmon and shrimp, 11.75

oil-cured anchovies with salpicón verde, 8.75

 

bocadillos sandwiches

spicy tuna & egg, 10.75

manchego & greens, 10.75

melted queso tetilla, grilled eggplant & peppers, 10.75

 

paella

paella mariscos ,   21.75

shrimp, clams, squid & chorizo in a shrimp broth with peas & piquillo peppers   

(please allow 25 minutes)

 

postres desserts

bread pudding with orange-caramel sauce,  7.75

crema de chocolate, 6.75

mel i mato with poached apples & almonds,   6.75

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

arbequina olive oil ice cream,   6.75

date-almond ice cream, 6.75

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*while available