Cheese is the star of the Little John Burgers & Things menu.
After a whole decade working in Aponiente Side by side with Ángel León, the Chef del Mar, and after an extensive professional career behind him as a sommelier and head waiter, Juan Ruiz had yet to take the next step.
And he did it by returning to the childhood dream of creating a gourmet burger joint in the town where he was born 39 years ago. Despite the fact that such a decision is not taken lightly, the former sommelier of the three Michelin stars decided last March to close this stage of his life to return home and create together with his two partners (Victor Nieto and nacho lobato) a casual proposal whose philosophy is 'fast good' versus 'fast food', where people enjoy eating and –of course– also drinking. Missing more!
After months of intense work, at the beginning of last July opened the doors Little John Burgers & Things and, after the summer period as filming, it is presented as one of the most cutting-edge openings of the summer and for what remains of 2020, not only in Rota, but also throughout Spain.
Not everyday a National Prize for Gastronomy launches his own gourmet hamburger restaurant. What less than to celebrate it and – of course – stop by Rota to pamper it! Can you think of a better excuse than this to organize a getaway to Cádiz soon?
Little John Burgers & Things is one of the hottest openings of the summer
A CHILD'S DREAM COME TRUE
“Little John Burgers is my illusion, it is my passion and the riskiest bet of my entire career professional and personal”, says Juan Ruiz excitedly. Since he was little he always wanted to have an American diner, but life had other plans for him.
The renowned sommelier began his career in the hospitality industry together with his uncle who ran the Bar Bahía in Rota, to later train at the Cádiz School of Hospitality and work hand in hand with different renowned chefs. In this last decade the story is better known: “Together with Ángel and Juan Luis Fernández, we created with great enthusiasm one of the most interesting projects in Europe”, he continues.
“Last year, when the season ended in Aponiente, I needed to change the cycle for something very personal. I felt that the project that I had in my head since my childhood was gaining more strength than ever and a form that excited me a lot, because It was starting from scratch, a type of gastronomic business that I had never faced before”, says Juan Ruiz.
The place envisioned? could not be other than the Cadiz town of Rota, which has given him so much throughout the decades and to which now Juan Ruiz has wanted to return all that love in the form of a restaurant.
Juan Ruiz-Henestrosa, from sommelier in Aponiente to opening a gourmet hamburger restaurant in Rota.
And the name chosen for it? Nor is it done by chance, as the businessman affirms: “Despite the years, people in Rota know me as 'Juanito', Juan Ruiz is my father. The 'little john' thing is an affectionate diminutive of the name and to give meaning to everything”, he indicates.
But there is still more: “Little John is also the right hand of Robin Hood and refers to my history with wine and gastronomy. The way we cook on the premises is a bit like stealing some things from haute cuisine to give them to all those who want. My intention is to make it accessible, enjoyable and without labels for all audiences. And the same with wine, ”he suggests.
Because the fact that wine has been relegated to only being consumed on big occasions or in haute cuisine is a big mistake that the sommelier wants to bring down at all costs. For him, it is something that we should take daily, very naturally, where the most important thing is to enjoy around a bottle in a relaxed chat in the best of environments with your people. So, why not do it with a sandwich or a hamburger? The combination is the most successful!
The decoration of the American 'diner' is based on materials such as wood, metal and cement.
**A CLOSE, RELAXABLE AND QUALITY PROPOSAL **
Once we set foot in the premises, we find two clearly differentiated spaces. On the one hand as soon as you enter we are welcomed by the recreation of an alley as if we were in a big city, to later move on to the American diner, with a decoration based on materials such as wood, metal and cement.
And when it comes to paying tribute to us during lunch or dinner, we can start with some of their delicious starters such as chicken wings in red mojo sauce, potatoes by Little John with bacon and cheddar sauce or Mac&Cheese charrones (pasta with cheese sauce and pork cracklings).
If we continue with the sandwiches, there are three options to choose from (no more are necessary!): Club, Philadelphia cheesesteak and their special Cuban. You won't know which one to opt for!
And now we go to the important thing, to the holy grail of the place... Their hamburgers! A dozen proposals where cheese is usually a denominating factor in the composition of the burger, such as the Raclette (with brioche bread, veal, raclette cheese, bacon jam, onion and grilled mushrooms); the Scarmoza (brioche bread, veal, scarmoza cheese and pulled cochi); or the famous Little John (with brioche bread, double beef, double cheddar cheese, double bacon, double fresh tomato, double onion, double pickle, ketchup and mustard). A real pass!
For those seeking differentiation and proximity to the sea, there is the option of Prawn burger with laminated and grilled shrimp tails with juice from their heads, fresh tomato, onion and cilantro... You will not have tried anything like it! And for vegetarians, of course we find the traditional Beyond.
“I am a cheese lover and we play with all kinds of them, all of high quality and brought from origin. Also all the sauces are made in house. Our menu is a range of possibilities for enjoyment and sharing”, comments the creator of Little John Burgers & Things.
All the dishes are made in a homemade way with quality ingredients and 100% artisans. Those that are not prepared in the premises themselves, are ordered outside, but always with local products. Like the tomatoes from Rota, vegetables from Conil de la Frontera, potatoes from Chipiona or Sanlúcar de Barrameda, bread from the Artesa oven in Arcos de la Frontera... "The commitment to quality is above all in Little John", they indicate from the establishment itself.
The wine list at Little John has more than 50 references
**DID SOMEONE SAY WINE? **
Of course, in addition to accompanying the potato burgers or fried sweet potatoes, we must also do it with a good wine to make the Little John experience sublime.
White, rosé, red, sparkling... More than 50 references that Juan Ruiz will have no problem explaining to you! “The wine list is very dynamic, what we are looking for is rotation, that the client when he comes will find new things and with many possibilities to try at fairly contained prices. I only speak of sensations, of wines; those that I would take right here in Little John with the menu that we are offering,” he says.
AND FOR THINKING ALOUD...
And the medium and long term plans of Little John Burgers? The first wish is that the numbers come out. “We are at a time in society where we are facing something different, where we make decisions day by day because this changes very quickly. So I ask that the business be working, that it be consolidated, that it have a name and that people know it”, says Juan Ruiz.
And for dreaming in the long term, Juan Ruiz wants little by little to appear 'little brothers' everywhere, premises in other cities such as Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Madrid, Valencia...”. And we are more than sure that this idea will be fulfilled!
“In the end I have always participated in a lot of dreams of many people where fortunately I have been one of the most privileged accompanying them along the way, but they were always the illusions of others. The time has come to live my own dream." Juan Ruiz concludes emotionally. Said and done.
All the dishes are made in a homemade way with quality ingredients and 100% artisans.
Address: Plaza la Cantera, 13, Rota (Cádiz) See map
Schedule: From Tuesday to Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 8:00 p.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Half price: 20 euros