Sunday Suppers Goes to Spain
At a recent Sunday Supper, guests were treated to a fun and vibrant tapas menu by local chef Neil Taylor and his able assistant Vic. Chef Taylor - the co-owner of Denman Street's wildly popular Espana Restaurant - created a menu based on the Spanish flavours of Movida, a lavish cookbook by Frank Camorrra and Richard Cornish. Neil - who's resume includes time at London's prestigious River Cafe - has a culinary philosophy that encourages a certain playfulness. "Recipes don't always have to be exact down to the letter," he explains. "Sometimes, it's nice to add your own special touches."
Espana is one of those openly democratic places that doesn't take reservations. ("I've had to wait for a table," laughs Neil.) But one taste of Taylor's five course tapas menu and you understand why his intimate restaurant has people clamouring to get in. Barbara-jo, for one, doesn't mind waiting for a table. "You can sit at the bar with a glass of wine and an an appetizer, mulling over all the other things you're going to eat. It's a wonderful way to dine."
The Sunday Supper menu included delicious Ham and Egg Croquettes, Empanadillas (Little pastries filled with tuna, with Spanish sherry worked into the dough.) And Churros con Chocolate. (Spanish doughnuts with an accompanying chocolate dip.) But the highlight for this hungry blogger was the upscale take on traditional pork and beans, featuring crispy pork belly, white beans and quince aoli.
At a recent Sunday Supper, guests were treated to a fun and vibrant tapas menu by local chef Neil Taylor and his able assistant Vic. Chef Taylor - the co-owner of Denman Street's wildly popular Espana Restaurant - created a menu based on the Spanish flavours of Movida, a lavish cookbook by Frank Camorrra and Richard Cornish. Neil - who's resume includes time at London's prestigious River Cafe - has a culinary philosophy that encourages a certain playfulness. "Recipes don't always have to be exact down to the letter," he explains. "Sometimes, it's nice to add your own special touches."
Espana is one of those openly democratic places that doesn't take reservations. ("I've had to wait for a table," laughs Neil.) But one taste of Taylor's five course tapas menu and you understand why his intimate restaurant has people clamouring to get in. Barbara-jo, for one, doesn't mind waiting for a table. "You can sit at the bar with a glass of wine and an an appetizer, mulling over all the other things you're going to eat. It's a wonderful way to dine."
The Sunday Supper menu included delicious Ham and Egg Croquettes, Empanadillas (Little pastries filled with tuna, with Spanish sherry worked into the dough.) And Churros con Chocolate. (Spanish doughnuts with an accompanying chocolate dip.) But the highlight for this hungry blogger was the upscale take on traditional pork and beans, featuring crispy pork belly, white beans and quince aoli.