You always have to return to Chueca
We all know that staying up to date on Chueca it's as hard as grabbing the Roadrunner by the feathers and spanking him. The day a new place is not inaugurated, the one next door closes, the one across the street is completely remodeled or the one over there is converted for the umpteenth time when we all know that it will lock the door before blowing out the candles (believe us, there are real indian cemeteries in the neighborhood ) .
We bring a couple of fresh openings that, we dare to bet, will not be of these, but of those who remain , and they have a couple of things in common:
1. Both are born after the success of other restaurants of the same owners in the neighborhood.
2.In both the embers call the shots: one in the shape of a grill ; other, in wood oven.
Chueca burns
The first, ** Charrúa ** is the new brother of cannibal . The owners of it, a tandem formed by a Galician and a Uruguayan repeats here the formula that has already reaped good success in A Coruña, betting on having the two premises a stone's throw away.
If in Cannibal, with a name for real bloodhounds, the specialty was raw, a large open grill is what everything revolves around in Charrúa.
Even the name pays homage to the grill: it is that of a tribe of great hunters who lived in what is now southern Uruguay during the 16th century, for whom fire (as here) was an essential element.
Charrúa, the reign of the grill
The layout of the venue is elegant, with personality, with perfect lighting and a more wintry atmosphere , for rugs imitating cowhide (probably in winter we will appreciate both this and the fireplace).
A few strategically placed candles, a single canvas lining the walls , some dry branches and, yes, a large golden sun made of metal, as a tribute to Uruguay, are the only decorations.
It doesn't take much more when you have original wooden beams and iron columns , all in bichrome blacks and whites, crockery included, which can remind even the korean pottery.
Fire, keep it lit, fire!
The letter goes to what it goes: meat is eaten here . In different courts and from different countries, but always meat : of Steer entrecôte or the Typical Argentinian chorizo steak (or Uruguayan, in this case) to the Picaña Black Angus “prime” Nebraska (22 euros/300gr), passing through Galician blonde steak with 40 days of maturation (at 60 Euros per kg), the german simmental loin (1/2 kg; 41 Euros), the High loin Black Angus (1/2kg) or a hamburger . To accompany, puree, sweet potato, grilled vegetables or the traditional French fries (very good), which can be made with truffle oil and Parmesan.
After the olives with Anchovy from L'Escala and salted butter, courtesy of the house, we can start, as we are, with a Creole chorizo, a black pudding or a gizzard.
Or try (we say right, try) to compensate for protein with green in one of their salads: burrata with tomato and basil or spinach, dried tomato, avocado, savora and honey dressing and Parmesan flakes.
If things in Charrúa are about protein, in Hot Now , our second premiere, is quite a defense plea to carbohydrates . The pizza here are the ladies and gentlemen. His name comes to mind it's burning , it's been less than a month and they have already become famous by word of mouth and by the favored portraits of them shared with all kinds of compliments on ** Instagram .**
In this case Hot Now is the "second part" of another successful restaurant in the neighborhood, Kuoco 360 (Mediterranean-Asian fusion), from Venezuelans Rafa Bergamo and Andres Correa . It is an informal place with only one long table to share (and some banquets that open for you to store your things) no tablecloths , and a kitchen (a wood-fired oven) in sight designed to go with friends to have a snack and have a few beers (also a good selection of fun crafts) .
The pizzas come out round (wink, wink) , thin and with thicker edges, as the Neapolitan tradition dictates.
They are made with sourdough with 72 hours of fermentation to make them more digestible and lighter. You can choose from a dozen. the daisy It includes latte fior cheese and grana padano ; that of Pepperoni (eye! spicy) it has a little honey, a contrast that suits it divinely; and the Truffled Durrata Pizza , a stracciatella very fine
Other more iconoclastic ones are Pistaccio (pistachio pesto, tomato confit zucchini, panko and fresh lime zest) or the Mexican (Tallegio, Gorgonzola, Reggianohuitlacohe, Lardo and Chervil) .
To whet your appetite while waiting for the pizzas (they ensure that a couple of minutes) you can order some starters.
Don't expect a antipasti to use , because here, in addition to the burrata pugliese , you can try a Tiradito of prawns , a Matured loin roast beef , which is done for 24 hours at low temperature; guacamole, hummus or a tabbouleh (but with quinoa).
As you may be imagining, in the desserts are not lacking in trompe l'oeil either. The tiramisu is oreo cookies ; the Nutella Pizza has strawberries and marshmallows and the chocolate lover It's NOT a coulant or a chocolate pyramid! It's a biscuit-based tub that's the closest thing to airing a can of Nutella in one sitting.
Who has never dreamed of it?...
Address: Charrúa (Count of Xiquena Street, 4); Hot Now (Barbieri, 14) See map
Half price: Charrúa: around 45 euros; Hot Now: around 20 euros.