The Passing of Padre Luis de Lezama, The Tavern Keeper Priest of the Bull Bums in Madrid at Age 88

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Padre Luis de Lezama Barañano, founder of Grupo Lezama Restaurant and Hotel Group has just died. Ironically, I awoke early this morning and was on my phone reviewing Instagram messages, which I had not checked since before Christmas. I came across a message from a photographer friend of mine, Eric Mencher, who spends a lot of time in Spain. He sent me a photograph of my book Sunset in a Glass, which was on the reading shelf at Luis de Lezama's Taberna del Alabardero in Taberna del Alabardero Madrid. I must have seen the message about the time Luis died. In my book there is an entire chapter on Luis. QDEP. 

 

Chapter 3 The Tavern Keeper Priest of the Bull Bums

 

“Don’t give them fish; teach them how to fish.”—Padre Luís de Lezama, explaining to his boss, Cardenal Tarancón, why he intended to open a tavern to employ his flock of young aspiring bullfighters, impoverished youths and assorted wayward souls.

 

 

Padre Luís de Lezama, an unlikely combination of priest, author, educator and tavern keeper, who over a span of 45 years built a successful restaurant, hotel and cooking school empire, could also very well be considered a modern day saint because of his good works for his fellow man over a period of more than fifty years. Indeed, this tabernero, or tavern keeper, has been compared in newspaper columns to Mother Teresa. And on several occasions, because he often leads with his heart, he has been likened to Don Quixote. In Miguel de Cervantes’s immortal novel, when Don Quixote tells his squire Sancho Panza that they are about to get into adventures up to their elbows, he could have been describing Luís de Lezama’s life, in which he found himself in adventures up to his elbows, but as time has proved, not over his head.

 

 Padre Lezama with the gypsy cattle brand that he turned into the logo for his Grupo Lezama Restaurant and Hotel hospitality group.

Lezama was perhaps the most famous priest in Spain. I spent many hours, lunches and dinners with Luis over many years and I am saddened by his passing. He was 88 years old.

 

 Lunch with Padre Lezama and a friend at Café de Oriente in Madrid.

 

Photographs of Padre Lezama by Gerry Dawes©2024.  Contact: gerrydawes@aol.com.

 

Comments are welcome and encouraged.

 

Text and photographs copyright by Gerry Dawes©2021.  Using photographs without crediting Gerry Dawes©2021 on Facebook.  Publication without my written permission is not authorized.

* * * * *

  Shall deeds of Caesar or Napoleon ring
More true than Don Quixote's vapouring?
Hath winged Pegasus more nobly trod
Than Rocinante stumbling up to God?

 

Poem by Archer M. Huntington inscribed under the Don Quixote on his horse Rocinante bas-relief sculpture by his wife, Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington,

in the courtyard of the Hispanic Society of America’s incredible museum at 613 W. 155th Street, New York City.

 _______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

In 2019, again ranked in the Top 50 Gastronomy Blogs and Websites for Gastronomists & Gastronomes in 2019 by Feedspot. (Last Updated Oct 23, 2019) 

"The Best Gastronomy blogs selected from thousands of Food blogs, Culture blogs and Food Science blogs in our index using search and social metrics. We’ve carefully selected these websites because they are actively working to educate, inspire, and empower their readers with frequent updates and high-quality information."  

36. Gerry Dawes's Spain: An Insider's Guide to Spanish Food, Wine, Culture and Travel

 
About Gerry Dawes

My good friend Gerry Dawes, the unbridled Spanish food and wine enthusiast cum expert whose writing, photography, and countless crisscrossings of the peninsula have done the most to introduce Americans—and especially American food professionals—to my country's culinary life." -- Chef-restaurateur-humanitarian José Andrés, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and Oscar Presenter 2019

Gerry Dawes is the Producer and Program Host of Gerry Dawes & Friends, a weekly radio progam on Pawling Public Radio in Pawling, New York (streaming live and archived at www.pawlingpublicradio.org and at www.beatofthevalley.com.)

Dawes was awarded Spain's prestigious Premio Nacional de Gastronomía (National Gastronomy Award) in 2003. He writes and speaks frequently on Spanish wine and gastronomy and leads gastronomy, wine and cultural tours to Spain. He was a finalist for the 2001 James Beard Foundation's Journalism Award for Best Magazine Writing on Wine, won The Cava Institute's First Prize for Journalism for his article on cava in 2004, was awarded the CineGourLand “Cinéfilos y Gourmets” (Cinephiles & Gourmets) prize in 2009 in Getxo (Vizcaya) and received the 2009 Association of Food Journalists Second Prize for Best Food Feature in a Magazine for his Food Arts article, a retrospective piece about Catalan star chef, Ferran Adrià. 

In December, 2009, Dawes was awarded the Food Arts Silver Spoon Award in a profile written by José Andrés. 

". . .That we were the first to introduce American readers to Ferran Adrià in 1997 and have ever since continued to bring you a blow-by-blow narrative of Spain's riveting ferment is chiefly due to our Spanish correspondent, Gerry "Mr. Spain" Dawes, the messianic wine and food journalist raised in Southern Illinois and possessor of a self-accumulated doctorate in the Spanish table. Gerry once again brings us up to the very minute. . ." - - Michael & Ariane Batterberry, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher and Founding Editor/Publisher, Food Arts, October 2009. 

 

Pilot for a reality television series on wine, gastronomy, culture and travel in Spain.
 

Experience Spain With Gerry Dawes: Customized Culinary, Wine & Cultural Trips to Spain & Travel Consulting on Spain  

Gerry Dawes can be reached at gerrydawes@aol.com; Alternate e-mail (use only if your e-mail to AOL is rejected): gerrydawes@gmail.com

Elkano Txiki in Getaria (The Basque Country), One of the Greatest TaPinTxikos (TaPinChico) Restaurants in Spain

 

 

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The late Pedro Arregi at Restaurante Elkano with his prized wood-grilled rodaballo (turbot).  Elkano Txiki is run by Restaurante Elkano in the recuperated space that was where the Pedro Arregi started Elkano decades ago in 1964 as bar with grill on the street to cook some of the catch brought in each day by local fisherman.  The chef behind the menu at Elkano Txiki is the supremely talented chef of Elkano, Pablo Vicari.

Elkano and Elkano Txiki Chef Pablo Vicari, chef of the greatest fish restaurant in the world and of one of the greatest TaPinTxikos.

 

              

Hotel Itxas Gain owners Antero Silveti and Maria Edarri.

 

October 7, 2024

 

I returned to The Basque Country of Northern Spain to attend San Sebastián Gastronomika, a three-day conference that features some the world´s greatest chefs and restaurateurs. I am staying in the fishing port of Getaria, 30 kms. west of San Sebastián, at one of my favorite "hotelitos" in the world, Hotel Itxas Gain, which is just across the street from one of my favorite restaurants in the world, Elkano, which many experts, including myself, think is likely the best fish restaurant in the world. (I know, you think I am overusing best in the world, etc. Come here and you will find that I am not.)

 

 Kay Balun, breakfast at Hotel Itxas Gain, Getaria.

 

Last night, all the main restaurants in town were closed. During weeknights and always on Sunday night they close. But, just around the corner from my hotel is a tapas, pintxos, small plates restaurant Elkano Txiki.   I coining a word for these places that are not tapas bars, nor pintxo bars, nor full-blown restaurants per se, they are casual, not expensive, Gastro TaPinTxikos (Tapinchico) restaurants serving tapas (pintxos in Basque) and platos txikos (small plates) and raciónes (larger portions) but at a level that should be satisfying to even the most demanding serious foodie.  Remember you first read the word TaPinTxikos here on Gerry Dawes's Spain. 

Run by Restaurante Elkano in the recuperated space that was where Pedro Arregi started Elkano decades ago in 1964 as bar with grill on the street to cook some of the catch brought in each day by local fisherman. Elkano Txiki has only about 20 seats plus a few at the bar, so reservations are a must (it is only open Thursdays through Sundays).

 

 Aitor Arregi, owner of Elkano restaurant, Getaria.

 I know Aitor Arregi, who is a good friend of mine, so I have an entree. Nevertheless, I stopped by and reserved a seat at 8:00 p.m. I went at 8, sat down and they offered one of those scan on your phone menus, which they have in a little abstract wire globe device with a disk of wood with an image of Juan Sebastián Elkano, the native Getarian who was the first man to circumnavigate the globe (up on the stone wall of the restaurant is a very good bust of Elkano). 

 

When I objected to scanning the menu with my cell phone, Mila Osa, the one-woman whirling dervish who serves the whole restaurant and must run several miles per night, brought me the menu in three languages, English, Spanish and Basque (I always opt for Spanish). 

 

 

 

After one look at the menu, I knew I was going to have a very special gastronomic evening in relaxed, casual surroundings. Not only that, if you know people in Getaria, you are likely to see one or more of those work in and/or own other restaurants in town. As I was about to finish, Peio Lazcano and his son Gorka, owners of Asador Astillero, located down in the port and one of the best restaurants in a town of great restaurants, showed up at the bar. With Peio Lazcano (pronounced Peyo) and Gorka, was their  friend, Pello (also Peyo) Arruabarrena, the long-time grill master at Kaia-Kaipe, another favorite restaurant, also of the Arregi family of Elkano fame.

 

 

Gorka Lazcano and his father Peio (Peyo) , owners of Asador Astillero in the port of Getaria, his friend, Pello (also Peyo) Arruabarrena, the long-time grill master at Kaia-Kaipe, another favorite restaurant, also of the Arregi family of Elkano fame.   Far right, Elkano Txiki sala manager-bartender-waiter Bengoetxea Zuhaitz (Zweitz, tree in Basque).

 

I perused the menu which opened with pintxos that ranged from 2.5 Euros apiece to 5.5 Euros, then followed a list of entree-sized dishes from 8-14 Euros each. I wanted every damned dish on the menu! 

 

 

 

I began with one of the best Gildas--olives and guindillas (slightly picante slender green peppers) and pickled anchovies from Getaria, followed by a superb croqueta de pulpo a lo Pelayo (octopus and onion croquette), followed by a brochetita de langostinos con papada, three delicious prawns entwined with a thin slice of high quality pork cheek. Next came an exquisite ceviche del pescado del dia, which turned out to be corvina. 

 

By this time, I decided that I wanted to try several dishes off the bigger portion part of the menu, so asked the all-purpose jefe de la sala-bartender-waiter Zuhaitz (Zweitz, tree in Basque) Bengoetxea if he could give me tapas-sized portions of several more dishes. He agree and brought me smaller portions of pulpo de roca asado a la plancha (exceptional, perfectly grilled octopus with a delicate puree of potatoes), a single ravioli de hongos y carne de cocido (ravioli with mushrooms and meat from the stew pot) and a piece of pescado del dia de Getaria, which turned out to be a fatty portion of tuna belly that was as rich as a meat dish. 

 

I finally called time out and passed on super rich carrilleras de vaca guisada lentamente (slow-cooked veal cheeks), which I knew would put me into a coma. Besides, I had to save room for the tarta cremoso de queso, Basque cheese cake, which itself, was one of the best ever. 

The wine was an excellent Viña Zorza Navarra Garnacha Rosado 2023. 

 

Elkano Txiki ranks among the best restaurantes-bares of this type that I have ever encountered. It is so good that I would rank it alongside such other great places as Bar Bigote in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Taberna del Gourmet in Alicante, Quim de la Boqueria in Barcelona, La Catapa and Marisqueria Rafa in Madrid and Ganbara in San Sebastián. 

 

The chef behind Elkano Txiki is the chef at Elkano, Pablo Vicari, who deserves to be recognized as one of the top chefs in northern Spain. Vicari is an Etxebarri-level chef.

 

Two young chefs cook Pablo Vicari´s menu at Elkano Txiki.

 

Comments are welcome and encouraged.

 

Text and photographs copyright by Gerry Dawes©2024.  Using photographs without crediting Gerry Dawes©2024 on Facebook.  Publication without my written permission is not authorized.

(Contact gerrydawes@aol.com for publishing rights.)

 

Sunset in a Glass: Adventures of a Food and Wine Road Warrior in Spain Volume I Enhanced Photography Edition by Gerry Dawes (Available on Amazon.)

 Foreword by Chef José Andrés. 

* * * * *

  Shall deeds of Caesar or Napoleon ring
More true than Don Quixote's vapouring?
Hath winged Pegasus more nobly trod
Than Rocinante stumbling up to God?

 

Poem by Archer M. Huntington inscribed under the Don Quixote on his horse Rocinante bas-relief sculpture by his wife, Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington,

in the courtyard of the Hispanic Society of America’s incredible museum at 613 W. 155th Street, New York City.

 _______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

In 2019, again ranked in the Top 50 Gastronomy Blogs and Websites for Gastronomists & Gastronomes in 2019 by Feedspot. (Last Updated Oct 23, 2019) 

"The Best Gastronomy blogs selected from thousands of Food blogs, Culture blogs and Food Science blogs in our index using search and social metrics. We’ve carefully selected these websites because they are actively working to educate, inspire, and empower their readers with frequent updates and high-quality information."  

36. Gerry Dawes's Spain: An Insider's Guide to Spanish Food, Wine, Culture and Travel

 
About Gerry Dawes

My good friend Gerry Dawes, the unbridled Spanish food and wine enthusiast cum expert whose writing, photography, and countless crisscrossings of the peninsula have done the most to introduce Americans—and especially American food professionals—to my country's culinary life." -- Chef-restaurateur-humanitarian José Andrés, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and Oscar Presenter 2019

Gerry Dawes is the Producer and Program Host of Gerry Dawes & Friends, a weekly radio progam on Pawling Public Radio in Pawling, New York (streaming live and archived at www.pawlingpublicradio.org and at www.beatofthevalley.com.)

Dawes was awarded Spain's prestigious Premio Nacional de Gastronomía (National Gastronomy Award) in 2003. He writes and speaks frequently on Spanish wine and gastronomy and leads gastronomy, wine and cultural tours to Spain. He was a finalist for the 2001 James Beard Foundation's Journalism Award for Best Magazine Writing on Wine, won The Cava Institute's First Prize for Journalism for his article on cava in 2004, was awarded the CineGourLand “Cinéfilos y Gourmets” (Cinephiles & Gourmets) prize in 2009 in Getxo (Vizcaya) and received the 2009 Association of Food Journalists Second Prize for Best Food Feature in a Magazine for his Food Arts article, a retrospective piece about Catalan star chef, Ferran Adrià. 

In December, 2009, Dawes was awarded the Food Arts Silver Spoon Award in a profile written by José Andrés. 

". . .That we were the first to introduce American readers to Ferran Adrià in 1997 and have ever since continued to bring you a blow-by-blow narrative of Spain's riveting ferment is chiefly due to our Spanish correspondent, Gerry "Mr. Spain" Dawes, the messianic wine and food journalist raised in Southern Illinois and possessor of a self-accumulated doctorate in the Spanish table. Gerry once again brings us up to the very minute. . ." - - Michael & Ariane Batterberry, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher and Founding Editor/Publisher, Food Arts, October 2009. 

 

Pilot for a reality television series on wine, gastronomy, culture and travel in Spain.
 

Experience Spain With Gerry Dawes: Customized Culinary, Wine & Cultural Trips to Spain & Travel Consulting on Spain  

Gerry Dawes can be reached at gerrydawes@aol.com; Alternate e-mail (use only if your e-mail to AOL is rejected): gerrydawes@gmail.com