I was so going to stay in the hotel room and eat leftover pizza, who
wants to walk to lunch in the rain? Well, the sun came out and
seemed intent on staying out, so I picked up Frankl’s Will to
Meaning and headed to lunch alone with Viktor. So glad I did, have
always wanted to try something set up by José Andrés, after the
wonderfully simple pizza last night, some wonderfully simple Spanish
options were just what the Chef ordered. |
|
|
||
Jaleo apparently means revelry or party. It seems like a pretty fancy place for a party but my server Cynthia seemed to be having a great time, which made for a much less lonely outing. She brought me some bread you could smell from the other side of the table with a thin crisp crust and luscious almost creamy center. It came with a little bowl of fragrant and bright olive oil with a whole clove of smashed garlic and half a branch of rosemary. If you insist…. I went with the Almuerzo Rápido or quick lunch the José way.
You get one choice each from four different
sections and I tried the Gazpacho estilo Algeciras, the chilled
Spanish soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and bread, which
turned out to literally be summer in a shot glass. Strong garden
flavors with just enough crunchy pulp to scream fresh. So vibrant,
but so balanced, I should have added a bowl to the shot. Cynthia
suggested the salad instead of the croquettes and I have already put
this simple combo together at home, steal from the best.
Endibias con queso de cabra, naranjas y almendras are little boats
of endives with passengers of goat cheese, oranges and almonds, with
a sprinkle of onion or chive. So simple, so just right. Lightly
bitter blade of lettuce, sweet juicy orange with a touch of acid,
browned nutty almonds and big plops of tangy goat cheese. |
|||
Crispy Loaf And Fruity Seasoned Oil |
The Jose Way Comes With A Discount On Excellent Sangria |
Could Do A Gallon Of Gazpacho |
Simple Deliciousness In The Salad |
The Tortilla de Patatas was listed as a traditional Spanish omelette,
so there was no tortilla but a thin sheet of egg was engineered into
a perfect circle and stuffed with potatoes I’m pretty sure were
cooked in butter, a little onion, I think a little cheese, oh, and
just butter. It was certainly interesting and everything was well
cooked, but this was easily the least flavorful and exciting dish.
Finally, the dessert, a Pan con chocolate, beautiful chocolate
custard with a quenelle of vanilla ice cream and deeply dark and
rich chocolate sauce and crumble. But that’s not it. It was topped
with the thinnest ever slice of toasted savory bread which cracked
under the weight of the spoon…and they drizzled the whole mess with
some of the fruity olive oil from the bread dip. The little touches
of savory made the less sweet flavors of the chocolate stand out for
a unique and delicious dessert. |
|||
Good Taters & Eggs & Butter & Butter & Butter... |
...But Less Vibrant Than Other Dishes |
||
The Dessert Looks Sweet |
But Closer Examination Leads To Savory Elements |
||
I got a sandwich to take back to the hotel to share later because we
only had 20 pounds of pizza left from We
the Pizza. The Sammy was the Roasted lamb with thin sliced
roasted lamb topped with a salad of tomatoes and olives on grilled
ciabatta bread with a pungent alioli which served to explain what
the gyro would have been like had it been created in Spain.
Intensely tasty. It also came with a side, so I got a cup of the
soup of the day which was lentil, not my favorite, but like most
chefs of note…they can take things I’m not excited about and alter
my perception. Excellent lunch, the José way. Now I really want to
try some of his nuttier places. |
|||
Goodies To Go |
Smooth & Rich Lentil Soup |
||
Lamb Sandwich... |
...The Spanish Gyro |
||
|
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
||
A | A | A | A | B- | A- | ||
Simple Beauty | Omelet |