Restaurante Monastrell
María José San Román keeps experimenting with format at her gourmet restaurant that represents the best Spanish contemporary cuisine in Alicante. She named the restaurant for Alicante’s indigenous grape—a nod to how grounded she is in local product. But she ranges across the country for flavors and probably uses more saffron in her cooking than any other chef in Spain.
San Román offers three tasting menus. The one bearing her name is a veritable feast, with a half dozen appetizers, seven fish and meat dishes, two complete desserts, and some additional small pastries. The “menu Alicante” simplifies things by giving a choice of one of three main dishes for less than half the price. The “menu Monastrell” splits the difference in price and in complexity. All three include her signature hake loin with rainbow chard and apricots and a Picual olive oil emulsion. Main dishes draw on hearty cooking of the interior (roast lamb with crisp red peppers and breadcrumbs) as well as the coast (tuna neck confit with potato sauce and sea vegetables), though vegetarian options are also available.The menu has a QR code next to each dish that links to the producer of the main ingredients.
Reservations are essential.
María José San Román keeps experimenting with format at her gourmet restaurant that represents the best Spanish contemporary cuisine in Alicante. She named the restaurant for Alicante’s indigenous grape—a nod to how grounded she is in local product. But she ranges across the country for flavors and probably uses more saffron in her cooking than any other chef in Spain.
San Román offers three tasting menus. The one bearing her name is a veritable feast, with a half dozen appetizers, seven fish and meat dishes, two complete desserts, and some additional small pastries. The “menu Alicante” simplifies things by giving a choice of one of three main dishes for less than half the price. The “menu Monastrell” splits the difference in price and in complexity. All three include her signature hake loin with rainbow chard and apricots and a Picual olive oil emulsion. Main dishes draw on hearty cooking of the interior (roast lamb with crisp red peppers and breadcrumbs) as well as the coast (tuna neck confit with potato sauce and sea vegetables), though vegetarian options are also available.The menu has a QR code next to each dish that links to the producer of the main ingredients.
Reservations are essential.
Details
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
