Estéban Restaurant

Best New Restaurant Of 2007: Estéban Read »

Ethnic food, small bites highlight a tasty year for He Said, She Said Read »

Estéban's charm doesn't stop at the small dish Read »

01/10/2008

A "tapa" this is not. Tapas are for sharing, and I'm not about to share this – a big sandwich built on a big rustic roll that's grilled and then layered with a yogurt dressing, a slice of eggplant (also grilled), a free-range chicken breast spiced with a Middle Eastern blend called baharat (and striped nicely from the grill itself), smoked bacon and arugula. All this grilled goodness is going straight to my grill.

This runs counter to the main motto at the sleek new Estéban Restaurant in the completely re-swanked Casa Munras, which above all announces itself as a tapas lounge where the cultured clientele are encouraged to: "Sip. Savor. Share." But there is much to recommend the three-and-a-half-month-old place besides the tapas (though they're quite worthy… more on that later), particularly its gourmet sandwiches, sandstone patio and stylish presentations – from the decor to the flatware to the fireplaces.

The patio, like the entire space, is a combination of tan tones and dark glistening accents, with firepits and pretty polished wood tables and chairs. It's also a reminder that Monterey is sadly short on quality restaurant patios. This isn't right – the gods invented Mediterranean climates and Friday afternoons precisely for patios and good sangría.

A colleague and I reconfirmed this reality on a recent Friday and had the Carmel stone expanse to ourselves, which was awfully nice, but seemed a waste – this is a space that deserves to be shared. The sangría had evolved since my first and second visits, now finding the right balance between sweet, citrus and smooth, and the tapas proved satisfying. Our selection of "mini plates" ($4 each) made for a colorful and social sharing session: some simple but savory yellow and orange braised carrots; delicious slow-roasted organic beets in shades of red and orange; a vase of great saffron-and-chive-flavored seafood chowder; and a thick if unexciting lentil and eggplant stew. The four dishes (of almost 20 possibilities) were about right for a light lunch between the two of us. The Spanish anchovies caught my eye for next time – as did the artisan dessert cheeses (Cypress Grove Bermuda Triangle goat milk chevre, Fiscalini Farmstead 30-month cloth cheddar, Valedeon blue cheese, $14/plate.)

On a previous dinner visit the tapas also made for a pleasant experience – with an assist from the Spanish finger-picking guitarist by the fireplace and some Italian Chianti – even if the server was asleep at the wheel, asking us repeatedly if we wanted to order more during the same trip to the table (the patio visit and my final visits saw dramatic improvements).

The grilled prawns, baby squid and seafood chowder ($8 each) all starred, each arriving in various curvy vessels. The modest prawns were impeccable – ideally tender, seasoned just right and set off by an excellently spicy romanesco dipping sauce. The pan-fried local baby squid gets its lift from red Spanish chorizo, arugula and lime, and its foundation from fingerling potatoes. The chowder's deliciously creamy broth and fresh barramundi, mussels and salmon help overlook the challenge of sharing it without creating a stewage spill.

I've been back for the chowder and the prawns since and they haven't disappointed; I've also tried the Dungeness crab cake ($12) and the freshly shucked oysters ($8), which are both good but unremarkable. Given the wealth of tapas, I haven't ventured much into the few other plates they've been experimenting with, but I like the look of the basil-infused Atkins lamb chop – especially given the mantra at the top of the menu: "Estéban strives to purchase all our produce from organic farms, local purveyors and day-boat fisherman." (Along the sustainable avenue, to-go items come in recyclable cardstock.)

I have tangled with two of their upscale sandwich options ($10 with fries) – both the delicious chicken sandwich (which was just some bacon-crispiness away from terrific) and the Hereford organic burger. On the strength of its quality beef, aged white cheddar, tracing-paper-thin gourmet pickles and garlic aioli, only a distractingly strong vinaigrette dressing stopped it from redeeming manager Chris' bold praise. ("It's the best burger in town, it really is," he told me when I called in the order.)

The wine list has a short but fun and trendy lineup of Italian and Spanish bottles and includes a range of California reds and whites. There's always the sangría and some fashionable cocktails (from the "Spanish Paradise" to the "Chocolate Covered Raspberry"). The sippers fit well into the buoyant theme at Estéban – namely, this is a spot and a cuisine that's fun to share.

Hide

Bite-size bliss Read »

Tapas-centric Estéban a hip, delicious new comer to Old Monterey
The Monterey County Herald

As with most great ideas, Spanish tapas were devised over drinks at a bar.

History says that, in between sips of sherry in Andalusian taverns, patrons used to cover their glasses with slices of bread to keep the flies at bay. Enterprising bartenders began to add slices of cheese or meat atop the bread. Soon the lowly tapa (from the verb tapar, meaning to cover) became as important as the sherry.

Today's Spaniards relish this 700-year-oldtradition with small-bite bar-hopping, beginning very late in the evening. America has adopted this concept, with restaurants tweaking the original idea to allow patrons to eat and share several small-bite dishes that serve as a full, sit-down dinner.

Monterey's first tapas-centric restaurant, Estéban, arrived in September as an outcrop of the$8 million renovation of the old Casa Munras Garden Hotel. Two years ago, Larkspur Hotels and Restaurants added the property to its collection of four-star independent hotels.

Estéban, named after Don Estéban Munras, the last Spanish diplomat to California who lived in a hacienda on site, boasts a three-word motto - "sip, savor, share." Served in a hip, warm atmosphere designed around an earth-tone palette with copper and bronze finishings, the food is Mediterranean in origin with seasonal ingredients culled from local sources.

The evolving menu is the brainchild of executive chef Ken MacDonald, an Aussie whose resume includes directing the kitchen at the five-star Pan Pacific Hotel in San Francisco.

The tapas menu is divided into mini plates ($4 and $8) and small plates ($10 and $12), encompassing more than 20 items, from Spanish anchovies to slow-roasted organic beets. For those seeking the single-item approach to dining, five large plates (items such as crispy-skinned Monterey Bay salmon and grass-fed New York steak) are priced at $22.

Wine from California and the Mediterranean is priced by the glass ($8 or $12) and the bottle ($32 or $48), and signature cocktails are available.

|HE SAID|

Tapas is not a fad, but rather the future of dining, where friends and family gather to enjoy a convivial spirit that makes everything taste better. This concept allows us to taste it all, have it all. And it eliminates the dreaded "bad order," where you push around that overcooked chicken while coveting what everyone else is eating.

Estéban is hip and chic, but has substance. Huge corporate money has trickled down to the kitchen, where fresh, high-quality ingredients play out in creative ways. A complimentary starter arrives in the form of grilled pita triangles and a trio of dips - olive oil and balsamic, garlic hummus and black olive tapenade. Then we get serious, furiously circling items on our paper menu.

The baby squid and chorizo ($8) is sheer genius, the unbreaded body and tentacles toothsome yet supremely tender, the bias-cut, deep-flavored Spanish sausage lending a smokiness and piquancy that awakens the senses. The squid and sausage create the perfect match, enhanced by wilted, peppery arugula, fingerling potatoes and a splash of fresh lime for balance.

Our expert server Dave (polite, accommodating quick-witted and knowledgeable), allowed us to graze slowly, adding plates as we went along (a perfect strategy at Estéban, where most tapas are pre-prepped and moved quickly).

The four-buck slow-roasted beets, Serrano ham, roasted potatoes and sautéed mushrooms are all winners - and enough for five to sufficiently sample. The only "loser" on this night is the plate of two silver-dollar-size crab cakes - oil-laden, heavy and way overpriced at $12. The accompanying olive, tomato and cilantro salsa was quite good, but couldn't counteract this dish's faults.

We ordered one large-plate entrée to share, choosing the grilled harissa chicken with a salad of fresh chickpeas, feta cheese, herb oil and strips of wonderfully inventive, long, curly, dried pumpkin shavings. The harissa, a spicy Tunisian red-pepper paste, gave the leg-thigh piece some punch and the meat was ultra-moist, although a bit pink at the bone for some's comfort.

|SHE SAID|

If I could, I would eat appetizers at every meal. Not with every meal, but for every meal. Living on snacks is fun, interesting and often low-cal. We have crossed a big, fat line with regard to portions in this country (think breakfast at the Black Bear Diner).Enter an antidote: the small plate, which challenges you to sample, rather than consume - to taste, rather than clean your plate. With tapas, in the time it takes to eat a plateful of meat and potatoes, you've experienced an astonishing array of flavors, your taste buds tingling.

The mini plates at Estéban range from the familiar (organic lettuces, olives, grilled prawns) to the exotic (lentil and eggplant stew, Spanish anchovies, babaghanoush with tahini). From the $4 mini plates menu, I love the garlicky roasted fingerling potatoes with sweet hints of basil and cumin. Thin, salty ribbons of Serrano ham make for tiny open-faced sandwiches on toasted crostini with a dollop of green tomato chutney (my favorite taste of the evening). The $8 plate of spicy North African lamb croquettes features silver dollar-size rounds of pan fried lamb patties - crispy on the outside, tender inside, with a little side of yogurt dip to cool the palate.

There is a lot of dipping going on at our table of five, in fact. And lots of reaching and passing and feeding and talking. In my food-induced glee, I catch myself spearing bites off of my friends' plates with impunity. There is a unique camaraderie sparked by this dining genre.

Not all plates here are small. Not one for dainty Spanish almonds or organic beets, our friend Matt chows down, as only a 16-year-old can, on the organic beef burger (a steal at $10) on a ciabatta roll. The patty appears to be about a half-pound, with accoutrements of pickled cucumber, cheese, sun-dried tomato, mixed greens and a slew of fries. Afterward, coffee is served in a French press, and we pass around a house made lemon tart with meringue. (Dessert is second only to appetizers - at least in my world.)

Mike Hale and Melissa Snyder approach their reviews from a couple's perspective. All visits are made anonymously. Comment at tablefortwo@sbcglobal.net .GO! ESTÉBAN 700 Munras Ave., Monterey, 375-0176·Hours: lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner 5:30-10 p.m. daily ·Cards: all major ·Wheelchair access: yes ·Bar: full ·Price range: $4-$22 ·Must-orders: baby squid and chorizo; organic beef burger; lamb croquettes ·Web site: www.esteban restaurant.com· Pluses: late-night menu; outdoor patio with fireplace; professional, informed staff; sustainable menu; interesting and fun combinations of flavors; mostly a good value ·Minuses: none apparent ·The bottom line: New digs for historic downtown site offers upscale ambience and unique tapas experience.

Hide

The all-nice list Read »

Party Size	Date:

You will be able to select a time after continuing
You will be able to select a time after continuing