The panel that welcomes Manzanilla
The Calima chef had had the idea of opening a restaurant in New York for years. And on Tuesday the dream finally came true with the opening of Manzanilla Spanish Brasserie , the branch of the premises that he has in Malaga on the other side of the Atlantic. “Once we decided to set up something here, the hard part was figuring out what exactly we were doing,” he tells us. “We immediately ruled out haute cuisine (...) long tasting menus and more technical dishes are not part of their philosophy and culture” . They also didn't want a 'tapas bar'. "It's what everyone who serves Spanish food in New York does."
Without going any further, his partner in the New York adventure, Yann de Rochefort, is the owner of Boqueria, one of the most established tapas bar chains (with the best patatas bravas in the city). And, thus, discarding, they arrived at the 'Spanish Brasserie': "It is a concept that New Yorkers know very well, in which there is a more informal lunch menu, and a more formal dinner menu . The menu is very divided, and it gives you the freedom to do what you want. Also, we have a small bar area and there will be brunch. There are from more technically complex dishes to dishes for all audiences, it is something that they have insisted on a lot: go from the hamburger to something else”.
Nitro tomato with green gazpacho that will be offered today on the Valentine's menu
Decorated like a 1950s diner, with a stunning black and white zig-zag floor , a metal bar at the entrance, large lamps, Manzanilla Spanish Brasserie occupies a large space in the heart of Midtown Manhattan (345 Park Avenue South) with about 150 seats, prepared to provide more services than Dani García ever imagined. “It's gigantic. In Spain something so big is unthinkable” says the chef, who when they are at full capacity (open all day), will be accompanied in the kitchen by 35 or 40 people.
Meyer Davis is responsible for the design of the premises, purely New York, but with Spanish details: “The lighting, the music, the atmosphere are very important here… they have helped us a lot because I felt totally lost. But at the same time it is very inspired by the Alhambra and the Mosque of Córdoba, in small details, such as the wooden latticework”. Or a large panel that greets you full of words chosen by Dani García: Marbella. I wait. Sun. South. Red wine. Iberian Ham . "There are no bull heads, or anything like that," he says with a laugh. But we know where we are: in the center of New York in a Spanish restaurant. That was the idea: adapt or die. And not only in the decoration, but also in the menu.
The interior of the Manzanilla restaurant
CROQUETTES, SHRIMP TORTILLITTES, BLACK RICE...
“There are a series of gastronomic languages in this city that you have to adapt to,” says Dani García. “Like you should only serve the seasonal fruit and vegetables that are sold by the growers at the Union Square Greenmarket. Everything in this market is what sets the gastronomic trend”. Although there are things that, of course, local producers do not sell in Union Square, such as oil, shrimp (for tortillas), cheeses, wines, Raventós cava, pacharán... “We bring many things from Spain: a special oil made for Chamomile, olives, cod, octopus, Iberian pork…” . The necessary ingredients to prepare a very Spanish menu “adapted to New York taste”.
Oysters in the Manzanilla
That is the key to success in order to stay in a city where ten new restaurants open every weekend. "We had to put a hamburger, of course , although ours is oxtail. And here everything must be accompanied by dips (sauces), but that does not mean that it is ketchup”. On the menu you can also find Spanish dishes that are stars for North Americans: octopus, charcuterie, rice pudding... “But we have all given them a spin”, adds Dani García. "The octopus, for example, goes with an emulsion of paprika and smoke, a very common technique in Spain, but that in New York only restaurants with more than $350 a cutlery do."
Going from an essential cuisine like Calima's to the great variety of products that is styled in New York (that is, turning his culinary philosophy completely on its head) was difficult at first for Dani García. "But in the end I'm enjoying it, I'm very comfortable because I think we have been able to make many nods to the city within what is our kitchen” . An example? The oxtail brioche, “a traditional stew but with kale, a type of cabbage that is only seen here”. This, according to his partner Yann de Rochefort, may be one of the star dishes on the menu. But there will be more. Sure. One piece of advice: don't leave Manzanilla Spanish Brasserie without trying the aforementioned Galician octopus, the squid croquettes in their ink, the shrimp omelettes, the Iberian pork, the cod … And, above all, leave room for dessert: the rice pudding with raspberry cotton candy and crispy caramel deserves it.