Etxebarri
well - i won’t say it’s THE reason for going to this area of spain - but i will say that the 6 of us revolved the trip around our reservation at this restaurant. etxebarri ( etchebarri in basque) seems to be on the radar of foodies everywhere - destination restaurant……. in the middle of nowhere !
thanks to betty - our gps co-pilot - we arrived without problem in this sleepy town of axpe ( about 20 miles from bilbao). in the middle of the small village square sits an 18th century building - asador etxebarri !
……about to indulge in our long awaited and much anticipated culinary experience. (and it had better be damn good ! )
let me begin by saying that chef victor s reputation is one of master of the grill - he has developed it into a fine art. his pristine kitchen showcases custom adjustable grills and wood fired ovens. he has designed some of his own cooking utensils. victor makes his own charcoal - from various surrounding woods of apple - oak - grape & olive - using different charcoal depending on what it is he is cooking. his menu is strictly local and seasonal - the quality is extreme.
( we were disappointed not to have his famed smoked caviar & baby eels - but hey - we were there in september).
i will skip the many bottles of accompanying wine - well chosen by the wine aficionado’s at our table- and get straight to the 10 course menu. no commentary needed - each course was stunning.
oyster topped with a sea water foam. ( we did ‘augment’ our menu with another round of these - thanks dustin ).
clams with peas & sliced garlic.
hand churned goat butter & sheep butter with smoked salt - on a bed of “breadcrumbs”.
smokey anchovy on chewy crispy grilled bread.
small shrimp.
large shrimp.
calamari & ink.
baccalao. house salted /cured & sous vide.
rare galician beef. (these cows are 10-15 years old. crazy.)
‘augmented’ with croquettes & green salad.
apples with sheep milk smoked icecream.
we caught up with chef victor ( bictor in basque) after a tour of his kitchen by his cooks. with all the hype and expectation - it was all we expected - and more. yeah - you can say we were pretty happy diners. take us home betty !
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