bar moruno, silverlake.
i have loooved spanish food since my family took a trip to southern spain back while i was in college, but it never really felt like there were many good spanish restaurants in LA. the ones i’ve enjoyed in the past (cobras & matadors, smoke.oil.salt) inevitably, unfortunately closed. recently there has been an increase in spanish restaurant openings and one of them is bar moruno.
jamon iberico old-fashioned: jamon iberico washed buffalo trace bourbon, mezcal, calvados, bergamot bitters, moruno spice; yuzu friendly: roku gin, chareau aloe, oka kura yuzu, fever-tree mediterranean tonic, yuzu juice, shiso & yuzu bitters.
i’ve traveled to spain for work a few times the last couple years and the spaniards always look at us americans funny for ordering cocktails before dinner as opposed to after. never stopped me though! and a wonderfully spanish thing about bar moruno is they have quite an extensive gin list and multiple gin & tonics on the menu. love that.
jose gourmet spiced sardine pate served with house pickles, butter and bread.
pan con tomate: griddled sourdough, cherry tomato confit, garlic, olive oil.
our meal here really reminded me of all the best (aka my favorite) parts of eating in spain. i love, and i mean LOVE, a pan con tomate. and anchovies. and they were so, so good here. there’s just something about all that acidity and briny-ness with some really good olive oil. perfect in it’s simplicity. my mouth is watering just thinking about it and now i’m wondering why we haven’t been back (and that i should probably make a reservation soon…).
gildas: white anchovy, guindilla pepper, olive, cured egg yolk.
anchovy matrimonio: anchovies, lemon, shaved butter, garlic confit, pickled red onion.
radicchio salad: manghego, marcona almonds, quince paste, sherry vinaigrette.
setas con huevos: hen of the woods mushrooms, fried egg, fried bread.
beef morunos: flank steak, rye flatbread, garlic yogurt, pickled onion, lemon.
really though, the whole meal was so delicious and scarf-able. the only thing i didn’t love was the dessert! and while it was delicious, you know i’m a savory girl who only likes desserts that are “not too sweet” (i know, so asian of me). probably should have just ended with another cocktail.
basque cheesecake.
3705 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
