Apicius 27

With this twenty-seventh edition, Apicius has crossed the 6000-page mark. The weight of this paper makes us responsible. Even more than we already were... We will continue, we are continuing. And, on this occasion, we are doing so with a taster menu that will be a revolution through the following 224 pages. It is bristling with authenticity…and with risk. "Apicius 27 wants to delve even deeper into different projects, from the most influential international ones to restaurants born from a clear desire to become a food destination. It is pure transversality," says Jãvi Antoja de la Rosa, editor-in-chief of the publication and managing director of Montagud Editores. Come and see for yourselves. You will enjoy an endless show.

In Roman civilisation, the atrium was the principal area in a home. It was open-roofed, and all other rooms led off it. Thousands of years later, the term is still alive in the heart of the Extremaduran town of Cáceres; a place that was declared a World Heritage City three decades ago. It is precisely this 'Atrium,' that lives on in the heart of the Extremaduran town, goes one step further than the ancient perception of the room. Whereas the atrium marked the transition between private and shared spaces, the restaurant represents a spatial incarnation of an experience. This is constructed every day with care and professionalism by Toño Pérez and José Polo. They starting building this dream years ago, and today it is heralded as one of the great eateries in Spanish gastronomy, with the unanimous love and respect of the whole profession.

“Mexico smells of damp earth… Earth in which corn grows and which shapes us when we are born.” This is the opening of the Apicius 27 chapter devoted to Édgar Núñez. He is a true, unique and different chef. He runs the restaurant Sud777. This is how Apicius 27 takes a step further into the transversality that it brings to its readership. The pages travel to one of the most densely populated cities in the world to soak up a refuge of peace where a philosophy of common sense prevails. As the chef himself says: "Mexican produce plus a Mexican chef equals Mexican food."

Santiago Pedraza and Carmen Carro realised something when they opened Taberna Pedraza in Madrid. All the places they had visited over the years, as lovers of good food, had given them a palate that, combined with talent, could only result in succulence. With Carro in the kitchen and Santiago as manager, what started out as a small business has now become the flagship for a promising gastronomic project, under the umbrella of which there is a place that only serves Cocido Madrileño for lunch and Catalan-style food for dinner.

Something's on the move in Barcelona... It is a 'bundle' of two creators, set up on one of the city's main thoroughfares. And excellence is of paramount importance. They are Paolo Casagrande and Martín Berasategui - one and the same-. They are both reaping the rewards of all their hard work at Lasarte restaurant. Lasarte, the great restaurant with Paolo Casagrande and Martín Berasategui, is a fundamental chapter of the transversal and daring taster menu put forward by Apicius 27. Through its pages you can travel to the Catalonian capital to feel the Basque maestro at the hands of a great chef.

Víctor Quintillà has been behind the burners for many years. Now, the Michelin star awarded to him and his wife Mar, is shining brightly out of the Lluerna Restaurant. Its light emanates from Santa Coloma de Gramenet, a small town very close to Barcelona. Here, Quintillà makes careful use of very local produce, with a number of virtually unknown ingredients. In fact, the chef says that some of the producers who supply him wouldn't even dream of heading into the big city to sell their goods. Given its success, why is Lluerna still in Santa Coloma de Gramenet? The pages of the Apicius 27 chapter dedicated to the restaurant reveal the reason why...

Taberna Arzábal opened its doors in 2009 in a small property in the Retiro district of Madrid, very close to the world famous eponymous park. Today, Iván Morales and Álvaro Castellanos, its creators, employ over 75 people to work on their culinary projects. But there is something that has not changed over these seven years: "Our pride in being barkeepers," says Morales. "We were exited to pay homage to those small businesses characterised by self-employment and hard work." In this way, they both help to reinvent a concept that has always been there, but which is now totally unique. All with passion and excellence at the forefront.

Apicius 27 does not only reveal the history of La Tasquita de Enfrente, a true gastronomic temple in the heart of Madrid. It also talks about the curiosities hidden behind many of the unmissable dishes made in its kitchen. This is all rounded off with a true portrayal of Juanjo López as a chef, including the main points of his culinary philosophy. Indispensable knowledge is contained in these pages, which should be read by anyone who has thought about doing something as simple, yet as complex, as making others happy with food.

Martín Berasategui himself (Restaurante Martín Berasategui, Lasarte, three Michelin stars) says that he is one of the best young chefs in the world. And the "maestro's" words are not in the least bit surprising... Óscar García's food at Baluarte makes Soria even greater. And it does it with its feet on the ground and its sights set on the stars. This is how Jãvi Antoja describes it in the pages of Apicius 27. "Flavour is our challenge, as well as creating dishes that are harmonised, delicate, light, well put together and presented in the best way possible," explains the chef's team at the restaurant. Amen.

The pages of Apicius 27 give the reader a route map where transversality reigns. And it makes a pit stop in Jaén. That is where we find the restaurant Casa Antonio. And that is where Pedro Sánchez Jaén cooks - with his homeland seared into his second surname. And Pedro does it all as a pillar of discretion. He works steadfastly and is eternally grateful for the good things that happen to him. For this reason, he doesn't hesitate to say that appearing in Apicius is a good reason to raise a glass.

A taco bar… a Mexican with a Michelin star… a Peruvian with another star from the Red Guide… and a location reinventing the concept of 'bites,' offering an all-new vision of dining room work. As reported in Apicius 23... Albert Adrià has risen as the lord and master of Barcelona's Paralelo district with his innovative concept, and with the collaboration and respect for the profession. Now, on the island of Ibiza, madness reigns with a new project from the Adrià brothers. Heart Ibiza, is a project in which Albert and Ferrán have come together with one of the creators of Cirque du Soleil to turn the art of cooking into a performance; and in the very best sense of the word.

Ángel León has been at the El Caño tide mill restaurant for just over a year. Since then, he has worked tirelessly towards his dream. The dream is none other than opening an endless world, like that of the bottomless seas. Now, the chef is displaying his latest discoveries through this ongoing journey in the shape of recipes and culinary possibilities on the pages of Apicius 27. He shows how the whispers of the waves are not only enigmatic and plentiful in gastronomic secrets yet to be discovered, but also how incredibly beautiful they are in the words they whisper...

Atlántico Casa de Petiscos is one of Pepe Solla's establishments in Madrid with Lucía Lema and Luis Gracia in the kitchen. "Our food is based on Galician produce," explains Lema. "But travelling influences our dishes." In short, these are traditional bite-sized snacks combined with punchy flavours to promote the fact that entertainment can be edible. Or, in other words, "the little things" - the meaning of the word 'Petiscos' - serves more relaxed, less constrained food and yet it is still gastronomy. And rightfully so.

"We cooked two Michelin stars in this kitchen." La Taberna del Chef del Mar opened its doors on 18 February 2016 on the same site that Aponiente was brought to life. Here the bite-size snacks are succulent, but also "dynamic, fresh, fun, cool and edgy." This is how they are described by Marta Girón, manager of this new adventure by Ángel León. This Taberna - with a capital T - can be nothing but a heady ride. How could it fail to be when the chef has rolled in after forging two stars?

Local produce. This establishes a dialogue with flavours from the South of Europe that avoids clichés. All this boils down to cooking, cooking, and more cooking. This not only a possible combination, but an edible one. The chef, Sergio Barroso, who crossed the pond to Santiago (Chile) from his home town of Madrid, proves this every day from the kitchen of the restaurant 040, a shining star on the food map of the Chilean capital. Barroso innovates and surprises with bite-sized snacks, shots...and concepts. The pages dedicated to him in Apicius 27, the latest edition of the haute cuisine journal published by Montagud, are the proof.

Paco Pérez (winner of five Michelin stars at all his restaurants) is a true role model for the world of Spanish cuisine. Perhaps one of the reasons is that he doesn't expect diners to understand everything hiding behind his dishes. What he wants is for them to enjoy his way of understanding food. His dishes hide a huge amount of work. This is the result of a long climb up a cutting-edge path that has lasted many years. This means that today, Paco Pérez's work is innovative in the purest sense. The section of Apicius 27, written by this chef, explains why.