Monday 15 February 2010
Los Gatos denies rumours of closure
Los Gatos will be open late on Tuesday morning due to the staff Christmas Party on Monday night. Reports in the National Press that this is a permenant closure are completely unfounded. Shareen and Phil will spend the morning having a rest and thinking up delicious new Tapas del dia for the rest of the week. Speaking on Monday night, Phil said "Rumours that the Spanish restaurant, repeatedly voted the Best Restaurant in Swindon, will close for two years, are not true. We will close for two hours for creative reasons and will then re-open later on Tuesday as a not-for profit foundation." Shareen added, "You see, nothing has changed!"
Monday 18 January 2010
Paella for Haiti
Last Thursday night our staff were talking about the unimaginably awful situation in Haiti. So we decided to try to do something to help. We decided to arrange an extra paella lunch, with ALL proceeds donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee. We know that many people will already have made a donation, and that anything we do will be a drop in the ocean, but with the generosity of our staff and suppliers, we hope to maximise the funds we can raise.
Within 15 minutes of announcing our intention to put on a "Paella for Haiti" on Sunday 24th January, Los Gatos was fully booked for our normal capacity. We continued to receive emails and phone calls and many who came into the bar at the weekend also wanted to support the event. By today (Monday,) we had over 70 reservations - too many for us, even with two sittings!
We approached our friend Manni Madhani across the road at The Old Bank Brasserie and he has not only agreed to host the Los Gatos Paella in his restaurant, but has also pledged to donate takings from his Sunday lunch on the same day to the Haiti appeal! Manni was only too pleased to support this good cause and happy to do whatever he and his staff could to make the event as successful as possible.
This is such a tremendous outcome for all of us, as it means we can accommodate all those who wanted to support our fundraising effort, as well as potentially doubling the amount raised through the generosity of The Old Bank. We are delighted, not only at the enormous level of support from our customers, but also at the great spirit of co-operation shown by the independent traders in Wood Street. This is such a great, fun way of doing something positive in the face of such awful tragedy. We hope other businesses will also be inspired to do something similar.
The Los Gatos Paella - now full to capacity - will be served as planned at 1.30pm at the Old Bank. The Old Bank itself will be open for Sunday lunch, with bookings being taken throughout the lunch period as normal (some tables still available at present.)
Los Gatos' regular Spanish guitarists - the Betula Daubney duo - will play for everyone at the Old Bank from about 2.00 pm.
We'd like to publicly reiterate our enormous thanks, both to Manni and the staff at The Old Bank for making this tremendous joint event possible, and also to all the lovely staff and suppliers who have offered their time and donated food and drink to help us maximise the amount we can raise for this cause.
Suppliers who have already agreed to donate now include:
Magnum Wine Shop of Wood Street
Morgenrot Chevaliers wine importers and distributors, Manchester
Walter Rose & Son Butchers of Devizes
New Wave Seafood, fish suppliers of Fairford, Glos
Mevalco, Fine Foods from Spain, Stonehouse, Glos
Delicioso, suppliers of Spanish produce, Berinsfield, Oxon.
Mantinga, suppliers of continental bread and cakes, Gloucester
We are all looking forward to what's turning out to be a really exciting event.
Within 15 minutes of announcing our intention to put on a "Paella for Haiti" on Sunday 24th January, Los Gatos was fully booked for our normal capacity. We continued to receive emails and phone calls and many who came into the bar at the weekend also wanted to support the event. By today (Monday,) we had over 70 reservations - too many for us, even with two sittings!
We approached our friend Manni Madhani across the road at The Old Bank Brasserie and he has not only agreed to host the Los Gatos Paella in his restaurant, but has also pledged to donate takings from his Sunday lunch on the same day to the Haiti appeal! Manni was only too pleased to support this good cause and happy to do whatever he and his staff could to make the event as successful as possible.
This is such a tremendous outcome for all of us, as it means we can accommodate all those who wanted to support our fundraising effort, as well as potentially doubling the amount raised through the generosity of The Old Bank. We are delighted, not only at the enormous level of support from our customers, but also at the great spirit of co-operation shown by the independent traders in Wood Street. This is such a great, fun way of doing something positive in the face of such awful tragedy. We hope other businesses will also be inspired to do something similar.
The Los Gatos Paella - now full to capacity - will be served as planned at 1.30pm at the Old Bank. The Old Bank itself will be open for Sunday lunch, with bookings being taken throughout the lunch period as normal (some tables still available at present.)
Los Gatos' regular Spanish guitarists - the Betula Daubney duo - will play for everyone at the Old Bank from about 2.00 pm.
We'd like to publicly reiterate our enormous thanks, both to Manni and the staff at The Old Bank for making this tremendous joint event possible, and also to all the lovely staff and suppliers who have offered their time and donated food and drink to help us maximise the amount we can raise for this cause.
Suppliers who have already agreed to donate now include:
Magnum Wine Shop of Wood Street
Morgenrot Chevaliers wine importers and distributors, Manchester
Walter Rose & Son Butchers of Devizes
New Wave Seafood, fish suppliers of Fairford, Glos
Mevalco, Fine Foods from Spain, Stonehouse, Glos
Delicioso, suppliers of Spanish produce, Berinsfield, Oxon.
Mantinga, suppliers of continental bread and cakes, Gloucester
We are all looking forward to what's turning out to be a really exciting event.
Saturday 26 December 2009
Los Gatos - The Full Story
Here we post the full story of the opening of Los Gatos. Reflecting as we have, after the recent conclusion of "The Restaurant" TV show, we would like to share this real-life story of two amateurs opening a retaurant and apparently succeeding. Good luck to JJ and James - they are now discovering the hard work and the joys of the restaurant business for real...
The Story of Los Gatos
In April 2006, we opened Los Gatos in Swindon. Neither of us had any professional experience of cooking or of the food industry, just a love of food and a passion for sharing it. After more than 25 years in the electronics industry, Phil decided to take a gamble on a long-held ambition to open some kind of restaurant, and Shareen was about to return to a management post in the NHS. Whether the business would succeed, we didn't really know.
We decided on a tapas bar because we love Spain and we had often wished there was one in Swindon. We wrote a business plan, guessing at most of the numbers. Phil borrowed the money to buy the lease on a small café. Shareen took time off to help open the bar.
We spent months researching Spanish recipes and ingredients, cooking, eating, tasting, refining and trying again. We travelled to Spain and to any other tapas bars and restaurants that we could reach in the South of England. We recruited a chef, a kitchen assistant and some waiting staff, most of them Spanish or Spanish speaking. On a very tight budget, we redesigned the layout of the bar and kitchen areas and bought the equipment we could afford. The building work started and the opening date was announced.
The chef resigned the week before we opened, worried about the risk of working with two amateurs. With the opening date advertised, Shareen agreed to stay on for a couple of weeks until we found someone else. We trained the staff – though some of them had more experience than we had. We opened as a really enthusiastic, but otherwise completely naïve team, terrified at the thought of certain doom and humiliation...
From our first week we were packed every night and much of the day. It seemed everybody wanted to try! Before we opened, the local paper ran a full page story and we had bookings months ahead.... a few weeks later they ran a favourable review, creating another wave of new and enthusiastic customers.
3But behind the scenes... we were in a mess, having no idea how to run a commercial kitchen! Our best information came from TV programmes like Kitchen Nightmares. We worked from 7 in the morning until we had cleaned up after closing at 11 pm - in the first few weeks, this meant 2 or 3 am. We cut ourselves and burned ourselves and Shareen lost all sensation in her toes, having worked in heels for the first week! We both lost weight – there was no time to eat and we were exercising like never before!
BUT WE WERE HAVING SUCH FUN! IT WAS LIKE HAVING A PARTY EVERY NIGHT! Many of our customers became regulars, some coming daily, some weekly, but always coming back and bringing friends. We rarely advertise. Other local businesses have been supportive and friendly, and helped us when we needed it. Between them and our customers, we have made so many new friends...
After a few months things started getting easier. We developed routines, found reliable suppliers, sorted out quantities, became much more consistent. We replaced some of the inefficient equipment we had inherited and recruited more staff to help, a number of whom are still with us. More than three years and 35,000 hand-rolled albondigas later, we are still in business – rated number one restaurant in Swindon on Trip Advisor.
But most importantly, we are very happy and incredibly proud that we have, unexpectedly, created a place in Swindon for people to eat decent simple food cooked from fresh ingredients and made with passion - and that there are enough people who enjoy it and come back for more.
Spain has so much to offer from cool north to hot south, from Atlantic coast to Mediterranean coast, from lakes and mountains to rivers and great plains. Not only does Spain have regional cooking styles that reflect this peninsular geography, but also its political history - rule of the Moors, inquisition, civil war, isolation from the rest of Europe - makes it unique. The result is that Spanish food now offers a very special combination of a deep understanding of the produce of its own land and sea, the sophistication of Europe, the elegant spicing of Africa, and the produce of its former colonies in South America.
We hope through this blog to share some of the pleasure we get from cooking and eating Spanish food – and as the whole point of tapas in Spain is to soak up your wine or beer… we always wash it all down with a good glass!
The Story of Los Gatos
In April 2006, we opened Los Gatos in Swindon. Neither of us had any professional experience of cooking or of the food industry, just a love of food and a passion for sharing it. After more than 25 years in the electronics industry, Phil decided to take a gamble on a long-held ambition to open some kind of restaurant, and Shareen was about to return to a management post in the NHS. Whether the business would succeed, we didn't really know.
We decided on a tapas bar because we love Spain and we had often wished there was one in Swindon. We wrote a business plan, guessing at most of the numbers. Phil borrowed the money to buy the lease on a small café. Shareen took time off to help open the bar.
We spent months researching Spanish recipes and ingredients, cooking, eating, tasting, refining and trying again. We travelled to Spain and to any other tapas bars and restaurants that we could reach in the South of England. We recruited a chef, a kitchen assistant and some waiting staff, most of them Spanish or Spanish speaking. On a very tight budget, we redesigned the layout of the bar and kitchen areas and bought the equipment we could afford. The building work started and the opening date was announced.
The chef resigned the week before we opened, worried about the risk of working with two amateurs. With the opening date advertised, Shareen agreed to stay on for a couple of weeks until we found someone else. We trained the staff – though some of them had more experience than we had. We opened as a really enthusiastic, but otherwise completely naïve team, terrified at the thought of certain doom and humiliation...
From our first week we were packed every night and much of the day. It seemed everybody wanted to try! Before we opened, the local paper ran a full page story and we had bookings months ahead.... a few weeks later they ran a favourable review, creating another wave of new and enthusiastic customers.
3But behind the scenes... we were in a mess, having no idea how to run a commercial kitchen! Our best information came from TV programmes like Kitchen Nightmares. We worked from 7 in the morning until we had cleaned up after closing at 11 pm - in the first few weeks, this meant 2 or 3 am. We cut ourselves and burned ourselves and Shareen lost all sensation in her toes, having worked in heels for the first week! We both lost weight – there was no time to eat and we were exercising like never before!
BUT WE WERE HAVING SUCH FUN! IT WAS LIKE HAVING A PARTY EVERY NIGHT! Many of our customers became regulars, some coming daily, some weekly, but always coming back and bringing friends. We rarely advertise. Other local businesses have been supportive and friendly, and helped us when we needed it. Between them and our customers, we have made so many new friends...
After a few months things started getting easier. We developed routines, found reliable suppliers, sorted out quantities, became much more consistent. We replaced some of the inefficient equipment we had inherited and recruited more staff to help, a number of whom are still with us. More than three years and 35,000 hand-rolled albondigas later, we are still in business – rated number one restaurant in Swindon on Trip Advisor.
But most importantly, we are very happy and incredibly proud that we have, unexpectedly, created a place in Swindon for people to eat decent simple food cooked from fresh ingredients and made with passion - and that there are enough people who enjoy it and come back for more.
Spain has so much to offer from cool north to hot south, from Atlantic coast to Mediterranean coast, from lakes and mountains to rivers and great plains. Not only does Spain have regional cooking styles that reflect this peninsular geography, but also its political history - rule of the Moors, inquisition, civil war, isolation from the rest of Europe - makes it unique. The result is that Spanish food now offers a very special combination of a deep understanding of the produce of its own land and sea, the sophistication of Europe, the elegant spicing of Africa, and the produce of its former colonies in South America.
We hope through this blog to share some of the pleasure we get from cooking and eating Spanish food – and as the whole point of tapas in Spain is to soak up your wine or beer… we always wash it all down with a good glass!
Thursday 19 November 2009
November News from Los Gatos
We are now getting calls every day for Christmas bookings, so it's time to say something about this subject...
Scroll down for information about
Old Town Christmas Lights Switch-on
Christmas & New Year Opening times
Christmas Gift Ideas
Los Gatos Christmas Hampers
Charity Raffle
Thursday November 26 - Old Town Christmas Lights - The Big Turn On...
As before, we will be joining in this festive evening where, for only the second time this year, Wood Street will join the rest of Europe for a few short hours as it is closed to traffic to allow the discerning public to enjoy the street in safety. Los Gatos will be open for business as usual, as well as setting up our stall in the street to serve our delicious Chestnut and Chorizo Soup to the passing public, along with our Perros Calientes (Spanish hot dogs - this year made with special Iberico Pork) and Thick Spanish hot chocolate. Inside, the bar will be warm, friendly and probably crowded, so book early or turn up early to avoid disappointment. With Shareen's birthday out of the way, we will allow some Christmas spirit -whatever turns you on...
Feliz Navidad y Bueno Nuevo Ano - Christmas and New Year Opening Hours
It's always hard to get this right. We want to be there for you when you need us and yet we need to look after our staff and families too - this is the reality of the small independent business. This year, because of the way the days fall, our suppliers have advised us there will be no markets - and therefore little or no fresh produce for delivery - between Christmas and New Year. Taking all these things together, our opening hours over the period will be as follows:
* Thursday 24 December open as normal
* Friday 25th (Christmas Day) closed
* Saturday 26th (Boxing Day) open 6.00 pm - 11.30 pm (limited menu)
* Sunday 27th December closed
* Monday 28th December closed
* Tuesday 29th December closed
* Wednesday 30th December closed
* Thursday 31st December closed
* Friday 1st January open 6.00pm – 11.30pm (limited menu)
* Saturday 2nd January open 11.30 am - 11.30 pm (limited menu)
* Sunday 3rd January closed
* Monday 4th January closed
* Tuesday 5th January open as normal
* Wednesday 6th January open as normal (with special for "Dia de los Reyes" - Three Kings' Day )
We look forward to seeing you over the festive period!
Los Gatos can help you with your Chrismas Shopping too!
We have several ideas for your Christmas shopping this year.
As always, our Christmas Gift Vouchers are available in denominations of £10 and £25 and can be used (without time limit) for food and/or drink in the bar. You can buy them in the bar or, if you're stuck for time, give us a ring with your credit card details and we can post them to you.
Why not give a friend or family member a Personal Sherry Tasting for Christmas? With this original gift, they will learn all about how the Vino de Jerez is made, what the differences are between the different types, what they taste like and how good they can be with food of all sorts! Dates can be prepaid and prebooked, or we can give you a voucher for booking later. Cost £16.50 per person (maximum 4 people) - see the Vinos de Jerez page on our website for details (www.losgatos.co.uk)
We have an off-sales licence and all our wines can be bought at takeaway prices singly, or by the case or half case. Please ask in the bar for details or drop us an email.
LOS GATOS CHRISTMAS HAMPERS
For the first time this year, we have Christmas Hampers available in two sizes (medium -or large,) as well as a smaller "Goodie Bag". These contain genuine Spanish produce to make a special, and useful, Spanish Christmas gift. Both hampers contain a free Los Gatos Recipe booklet, giving some ideas of what to do with the some of the contents of your box! Details as follows:
Goodie Bag: (£16.00) - packed in a cotton Rice Bag, Salted Anchovies in a decorative tin
Whole green ArbequinaOlives
Habas Fritas - fried dried broad beans
Roasted Salted Marcona Almonds
Mahou - beer from Madrid 330 mls
Alhambra Especial - beer from Granada 330 mls
Medium Hamper: (£45.00) - packed in a box, (or for £5 extra, in a wicker basket,) containing
Spanish Arbequina Olive Oil in tin 250mls
Navarico Garbanzos (chick peas) in jar
White Tuna in decorative tin
Salted Anchovies in decorative tin
Whole Arbequina Olives (green) in jar
Roasted Salted Marcona Almonds in jar
Bomba Rice
Genuine Saffron in box 0.5g
Smoked Paprika de la Vera Dulce (sweet)
Smoked Paprika de la Vera (picante) hot
Tortas de Aceite olive oil biscuits from Seville
Turron de chocolate - Spanish Nougat
Fig & Almond Wedge
Half bottle La Gitana
FREE Los Gatos Mini Recipe Booklet
Luxury Hamper: (£95.00) - (packed in a box or for £7 extra, in a wicker basket, containing
Sherry Vinegar Valdespino 250mls
Spanish Arbequina Olive Oil in tin 250mls
Spanish Pardina Lentils 500g boxed
Navarico Garbanzos (chick peas) in jar
White Tuna in decorative tin
Salted Anchovies in decorative tin
Whole Arbequina Olives (green) in jar
Whole Spanish Black Olives in jar
Roasted Salted Marcona Almonds in jar
Spanish Bomba Calasparra Rice for Paella
Saffron in decorative jar
Onion Marmelade with PX
Smoked Paprika de la Vera Dulce (sweet)
Smoked Paprika de la Vera (picante) hot
Tortas de Aceite olive oil biscuits from Seville
Habitas Fritas - baby Spanish broad beans in Olive oil
Turron de chocolate - Spanish Nougat
Fig & Almond Wedge
Caramelised Almonds
La Gitana Manzanilla Sherry 375 mls
Alto Rio Rioja Crianz
a 750mls
Cava Brut Reserva Saniger 750 mls
Olive oil toiletries travel pack
FREE Los Gatos Mini Recipe Booklet
Christmas Charity Raffle
Samples of the above hampers will be on display in the bar from next week, and we will be selling raffle tickets (£1 each, £5 a strip) to win the luxury hamper, with all proceeds going to Restaurants Against Hunger, our charity of the year. The raffle will be drawn on Saturday 19th December. Winners will be notified by phone, so make sure you leave your phone number when you buy your tickets. Good luck!
Feliz Navidad!
Shareen and Phil
Scroll down for information about
Old Town Christmas Lights Switch-on
Christmas & New Year Opening times
Christmas Gift Ideas
Los Gatos Christmas Hampers
Charity Raffle
Thursday November 26 - Old Town Christmas Lights - The Big Turn On...
As before, we will be joining in this festive evening where, for only the second time this year, Wood Street will join the rest of Europe for a few short hours as it is closed to traffic to allow the discerning public to enjoy the street in safety. Los Gatos will be open for business as usual, as well as setting up our stall in the street to serve our delicious Chestnut and Chorizo Soup to the passing public, along with our Perros Calientes (Spanish hot dogs - this year made with special Iberico Pork) and Thick Spanish hot chocolate. Inside, the bar will be warm, friendly and probably crowded, so book early or turn up early to avoid disappointment. With Shareen's birthday out of the way, we will allow some Christmas spirit -whatever turns you on...
Feliz Navidad y Bueno Nuevo Ano - Christmas and New Year Opening Hours
It's always hard to get this right. We want to be there for you when you need us and yet we need to look after our staff and families too - this is the reality of the small independent business. This year, because of the way the days fall, our suppliers have advised us there will be no markets - and therefore little or no fresh produce for delivery - between Christmas and New Year. Taking all these things together, our opening hours over the period will be as follows:
* Thursday 24 December open as normal
* Friday 25th (Christmas Day) closed
* Saturday 26th (Boxing Day) open 6.00 pm - 11.30 pm (limited menu)
* Sunday 27th December closed
* Monday 28th December closed
* Tuesday 29th December closed
* Wednesday 30th December closed
* Thursday 31st December closed
* Friday 1st January open 6.00pm – 11.30pm (limited menu)
* Saturday 2nd January open 11.30 am - 11.30 pm (limited menu)
* Sunday 3rd January closed
* Monday 4th January closed
* Tuesday 5th January open as normal
* Wednesday 6th January open as normal (with special for "Dia de los Reyes" - Three Kings' Day )
We look forward to seeing you over the festive period!
Los Gatos can help you with your Chrismas Shopping too!
We have several ideas for your Christmas shopping this year.
As always, our Christmas Gift Vouchers are available in denominations of £10 and £25 and can be used (without time limit) for food and/or drink in the bar. You can buy them in the bar or, if you're stuck for time, give us a ring with your credit card details and we can post them to you.
Why not give a friend or family member a Personal Sherry Tasting for Christmas? With this original gift, they will learn all about how the Vino de Jerez is made, what the differences are between the different types, what they taste like and how good they can be with food of all sorts! Dates can be prepaid and prebooked, or we can give you a voucher for booking later. Cost £16.50 per person (maximum 4 people) - see the Vinos de Jerez page on our website for details (www.losgatos.co.uk)
We have an off-sales licence and all our wines can be bought at takeaway prices singly, or by the case or half case. Please ask in the bar for details or drop us an email.
LOS GATOS CHRISTMAS HAMPERS
For the first time this year, we have Christmas Hampers available in two sizes (medium -or large,) as well as a smaller "Goodie Bag". These contain genuine Spanish produce to make a special, and useful, Spanish Christmas gift. Both hampers contain a free Los Gatos Recipe booklet, giving some ideas of what to do with the some of the contents of your box! Details as follows:
Goodie Bag: (£16.00) - packed in a cotton Rice Bag, Salted Anchovies in a decorative tin
Whole green ArbequinaOlives
Habas Fritas - fried dried broad beans
Roasted Salted Marcona Almonds
Mahou - beer from Madrid 330 mls
Alhambra Especial - beer from Granada 330 mls
Medium Hamper: (£45.00) - packed in a box, (or for £5 extra, in a wicker basket,) containing
Spanish Arbequina Olive Oil in tin 250mls
Navarico Garbanzos (chick peas) in jar
White Tuna in decorative tin
Salted Anchovies in decorative tin
Whole Arbequina Olives (green) in jar
Roasted Salted Marcona Almonds in jar
Bomba Rice
Genuine Saffron in box 0.5g
Smoked Paprika de la Vera Dulce (sweet)
Smoked Paprika de la Vera (picante) hot
Tortas de Aceite olive oil biscuits from Seville
Turron de chocolate - Spanish Nougat
Fig & Almond Wedge
Half bottle La Gitana
FREE Los Gatos Mini Recipe Booklet
Luxury Hamper: (£95.00) - (packed in a box or for £7 extra, in a wicker basket, containing
Sherry Vinegar Valdespino 250mls
Spanish Arbequina Olive Oil in tin 250mls
Spanish Pardina Lentils 500g boxed
Navarico Garbanzos (chick peas) in jar
White Tuna in decorative tin
Salted Anchovies in decorative tin
Whole Arbequina Olives (green) in jar
Whole Spanish Black Olives in jar
Roasted Salted Marcona Almonds in jar
Spanish Bomba Calasparra Rice for Paella
Saffron in decorative jar
Onion Marmelade with PX
Smoked Paprika de la Vera Dulce (sweet)
Smoked Paprika de la Vera (picante) hot
Tortas de Aceite olive oil biscuits from Seville
Habitas Fritas - baby Spanish broad beans in Olive oil
Turron de chocolate - Spanish Nougat
Fig & Almond Wedge
Caramelised Almonds
La Gitana Manzanilla Sherry 375 mls
Alto Rio Rioja Crianz
a 750mlsCava Brut Reserva Saniger 750 mls
Olive oil toiletries travel pack
FREE Los Gatos Mini Recipe Booklet
Christmas Charity Raffle
Samples of the above hampers will be on display in the bar from next week, and we will be selling raffle tickets (£1 each, £5 a strip) to win the luxury hamper, with all proceeds going to Restaurants Against Hunger, our charity of the year. The raffle will be drawn on Saturday 19th December. Winners will be notified by phone, so make sure you leave your phone number when you buy your tickets. Good luck!
Feliz Navidad!
Shareen and Phil
Monday 12 October 2009
Los Gatos - October News
Three months after returning from our holiday which started us off on our blog we realise that it is the perfect place to make our regular customer news letters available to the wider world. If you find us through the blog and want to be on our mailing list, just contact us at info@losgatos.co.uk
Return of the Oysters!
Finally the Cornish oysters are back in season and featuring fresh on the specials board every Friday and Saturday for the foreseeable. (Friday lunchtime availability subject to delivery.) We apologise for the delay in starting the oyster season this year. During September the only oysters available to us were from Colchester. In view of the bad publicity surrounding this source, (used by a certain well-known Michelin *** establishment,) we felt it best to wait. Having tested this year's offering from Cornwall, we can assure you personally they were well worth waiting for! Available singly or by the half dozen or dozen. If you're planning to come in for an oyster fest please give us a call the day before and we'll try to get in extra stocks. We get deliveries on Friday and Saturday.
If you are an oyster virgin (and there are many around) please make yourself known to Shareen or Phil and we will happily talk you into and through one of the most interesting new food experiences of your life. There are few places where you can try one at a time so don't be afraid...
We've had Cornish mussels and Brittany palourdes clams for a couple of weeks now and they're selling like hot shellfish...
See below re fresh "whitebait".
New Menu
Yes it's ready finally and launching this week, as soon as we can get the menus printed and re-program the till. You'll find some new dishes and some old favourites making a reappearance. As usual we've tried not to take too much away, but we have to keep the menu at a sensible level because everything is freshly cooked in our tiny kitchen and there's a space limitation!
To make up for this we aim to offer you a wider range of "specials" and we are most pleased about getting hold of some fresh Cerdo Iberico. Our suppliers are going to be the first ones to bring it to UK, so we are quite excited.This Iberian pork, from the native Spanish black pig, is acorn fed, has a high portion of polyunsaturated fat acids, so the composition of the fat is more similar to extra virgin olive oil than to animal fat. The animals are free range. The other difference, in terms of flavour, with most British pork is that the males are castrated, and hence the taste is much more delicate. Look out for some very interesting special dishes made with this wonderful meat.
From time to time we'll also be trying out some savoury churros and the bacalao ahumado smoked cod we enjoyed so much on our research trip to Spain this year.
New regular items on the menu are a couple of tapas featuring bacalao - salt cod - in traditional Spanish style of course. We know some customers will welcome the return of Pollo PX (free range chicken cooked on the bone with Pedro Ximinez sweet sherry, pine nuts and raisins) and Garbanzos con Espinacas (creamy Spanish chick peas with fresh spinach and moorish spices. Very moreish too.) We've also been inspired to make a few changes to the way we serve some things, just to keep you awake. We've added a saffron rice dish and an interesting seasonal modern tapa with beetroot and pistachios.
We've been serving up fried little white fish most days for the last couple of weeks. These are a seasonal fresh fish - our supply is caught off Normandy on the winter and spring tides, sometimes described as "fresh whitebait" but more properly called "smelt" or "cucumber fish" (they smell like cucumbers when raw.) They are almost translucent and have a delicate and sweet flavour. In Spain fish of this size are known as "chanquetes" and that's how you'll find them in the fish section of our menu from next week.
Personal Sherry Tastings
A new service from Los Gatos.... Why not find out more about this wonderful wine and broaden your palate at the same time? For £16.50 per head (1 to 4 people) Shareen or Phil will talk you through all 9 sherries on our list and give you a taste (35ml) of each. Allow about 30-40 minutes and don’t plan to drive home! Available by appointment only - we are more likely to be able to accommodate you in the early evening or lunchtime (or midafternoon, for that matter!.) Vouchers available if you would like to give this as a gift experience.
Who's Who at Los Gatos
Regulars will notice some new staff around so maybe it's time for a quick run down of who's who at Los Gatos:
Janua - the Brazilian tornado who manages the bar and the customers with aplomb and charm like nobody else... speaks Portuguese, Spanish and Italian (and even a little English) and can be found in the bar most nights.
Myrelle - another Brazilian beauty looks after things in the bar most days - keeps everything tidy and well dusted in the quiet moments.
Daniela - Myrelle's equally charming sister, most often seen working with Janua in the evenings.
Luciana - on holiday at the moment but back soon to make up the bar team.
Lauren (Saturday days) and Lydia (Tuesday evenings) - two new recruits in the bar who are at college - although they'll probably learn more about life at Los Gatos!
Jose - the longest standing member of the kitchen team, who found his way to us from Peru via Spain (and Paddington) and whose excellent chefing skills have enabled us to have some nights off and the occasional escape. Jose has recently been joined at the hot plate by:
Kim - our new chef who, despite his Danish origins, has taken to Spanish cooking like a duck to water! Like many Scandinavians he not only speaks perfect English but also Swedish, Norwegian and, less obviously but great for us, pretty good Spanish!
And finally, Esther, Tom, and Jander, recently joined by students Ben and Stuart, make the wash-up team - without whom the whole operation would grind to a sticky halt. Although they are rarely seen, we appreciate their hard, unglamorous labour very much.
On the subject of appreciation, we'd like to mention that Los Gatos is a signatory to the Fair Tips Charter, and that ALL tips (cash or card) have always gone directly to the staff who share them between them. Tips do not make any part of their wages, and never have.
Sunday Lunches - Paella and more...
Our November 1st Paella lunch is already fully booked, so due to popular demand we will be fitting in a couple of extra Paella Sunday Lunches on November 15th and December 20th, in addition to December 6th but they are filling up quickly. Booking for paella is essential so book now to avoid disappointment. Phone us 01793 488450 or just send us an email.
We are also working on a special roast suckling pig lunch or dinner some time in November or December, dependent on availability of the pig! If you'd be interested in this, please let us know - no dates fixed yet, but given some encouragement, we'll sort it out.
Return of the Oysters!
Finally the Cornish oysters are back in season and featuring fresh on the specials board every Friday and Saturday for the foreseeable. (Friday lunchtime availability subject to delivery.) We apologise for the delay in starting the oyster season this year. During September the only oysters available to us were from Colchester. In view of the bad publicity surrounding this source, (used by a certain well-known Michelin *** establishment,) we felt it best to wait. Having tested this year's offering from Cornwall, we can assure you personally they were well worth waiting for! Available singly or by the half dozen or dozen. If you're planning to come in for an oyster fest please give us a call the day before and we'll try to get in extra stocks. We get deliveries on Friday and Saturday.
If you are an oyster virgin (and there are many around) please make yourself known to Shareen or Phil and we will happily talk you into and through one of the most interesting new food experiences of your life. There are few places where you can try one at a time so don't be afraid...
We've had Cornish mussels and Brittany palourdes clams for a couple of weeks now and they're selling like hot shellfish...
See below re fresh "whitebait".
New Menu
Yes it's ready finally and launching this week, as soon as we can get the menus printed and re-program the till. You'll find some new dishes and some old favourites making a reappearance. As usual we've tried not to take too much away, but we have to keep the menu at a sensible level because everything is freshly cooked in our tiny kitchen and there's a space limitation!
To make up for this we aim to offer you a wider range of "specials" and we are most pleased about getting hold of some fresh Cerdo Iberico. Our suppliers are going to be the first ones to bring it to UK, so we are quite excited.This Iberian pork, from the native Spanish black pig, is acorn fed, has a high portion of polyunsaturated fat acids, so the composition of the fat is more similar to extra virgin olive oil than to animal fat. The animals are free range. The other difference, in terms of flavour, with most British pork is that the males are castrated, and hence the taste is much more delicate. Look out for some very interesting special dishes made with this wonderful meat.
From time to time we'll also be trying out some savoury churros and the bacalao ahumado smoked cod we enjoyed so much on our research trip to Spain this year.
New regular items on the menu are a couple of tapas featuring bacalao - salt cod - in traditional Spanish style of course. We know some customers will welcome the return of Pollo PX (free range chicken cooked on the bone with Pedro Ximinez sweet sherry, pine nuts and raisins) and Garbanzos con Espinacas (creamy Spanish chick peas with fresh spinach and moorish spices. Very moreish too.) We've also been inspired to make a few changes to the way we serve some things, just to keep you awake. We've added a saffron rice dish and an interesting seasonal modern tapa with beetroot and pistachios.
We've been serving up fried little white fish most days for the last couple of weeks. These are a seasonal fresh fish - our supply is caught off Normandy on the winter and spring tides, sometimes described as "fresh whitebait" but more properly called "smelt" or "cucumber fish" (they smell like cucumbers when raw.) They are almost translucent and have a delicate and sweet flavour. In Spain fish of this size are known as "chanquetes" and that's how you'll find them in the fish section of our menu from next week.
Personal Sherry Tastings
A new service from Los Gatos.... Why not find out more about this wonderful wine and broaden your palate at the same time? For £16.50 per head (1 to 4 people) Shareen or Phil will talk you through all 9 sherries on our list and give you a taste (35ml) of each. Allow about 30-40 minutes and don’t plan to drive home! Available by appointment only - we are more likely to be able to accommodate you in the early evening or lunchtime (or midafternoon, for that matter!.) Vouchers available if you would like to give this as a gift experience.
Who's Who at Los Gatos
Regulars will notice some new staff around so maybe it's time for a quick run down of who's who at Los Gatos:
Janua - the Brazilian tornado who manages the bar and the customers with aplomb and charm like nobody else... speaks Portuguese, Spanish and Italian (and even a little English) and can be found in the bar most nights.
Myrelle - another Brazilian beauty looks after things in the bar most days - keeps everything tidy and well dusted in the quiet moments.
Daniela - Myrelle's equally charming sister, most often seen working with Janua in the evenings.
Luciana - on holiday at the moment but back soon to make up the bar team.
Lauren (Saturday days) and Lydia (Tuesday evenings) - two new recruits in the bar who are at college - although they'll probably learn more about life at Los Gatos!
Jose - the longest standing member of the kitchen team, who found his way to us from Peru via Spain (and Paddington) and whose excellent chefing skills have enabled us to have some nights off and the occasional escape. Jose has recently been joined at the hot plate by:
Kim - our new chef who, despite his Danish origins, has taken to Spanish cooking like a duck to water! Like many Scandinavians he not only speaks perfect English but also Swedish, Norwegian and, less obviously but great for us, pretty good Spanish!
And finally, Esther, Tom, and Jander, recently joined by students Ben and Stuart, make the wash-up team - without whom the whole operation would grind to a sticky halt. Although they are rarely seen, we appreciate their hard, unglamorous labour very much.
On the subject of appreciation, we'd like to mention that Los Gatos is a signatory to the Fair Tips Charter, and that ALL tips (cash or card) have always gone directly to the staff who share them between them. Tips do not make any part of their wages, and never have.
Sunday Lunches - Paella and more...
Our November 1st Paella lunch is already fully booked, so due to popular demand we will be fitting in a couple of extra Paella Sunday Lunches on November 15th and December 20th, in addition to December 6th but they are filling up quickly. Booking for paella is essential so book now to avoid disappointment. Phone us 01793 488450 or just send us an email.
We are also working on a special roast suckling pig lunch or dinner some time in November or December, dependent on availability of the pig! If you'd be interested in this, please let us know - no dates fixed yet, but given some encouragement, we'll sort it out.
The lost blogs......
Back from Spain for almost 3 months and we haven't found time to update the blog with our last few days there. Excuses , excuses.... Busiest summer since we opened, staff holidays, cook on maternity leave etc. etc.....
We did have a great end to our holiday with the last night in Oviedo where we found a great restaurant thanks to the help of a chap we found on the net with a great wine blog who happened to live in Oviedo.
The restaurant, run by 2 brothers Vicente and Iván, served us some of the best food we had in Spain. Well worth a visit if you are in Oviedo, which is a really interesting city that we will try to spend more time in.
Check out their website http://www.ca-suso.com/
Will try to make more effort with the blog and at least post our customer news letters, but also try to add more...........................
We did have a great end to our holiday with the last night in Oviedo where we found a great restaurant thanks to the help of a chap we found on the net with a great wine blog who happened to live in Oviedo.
The restaurant, run by 2 brothers Vicente and Iván, served us some of the best food we had in Spain. Well worth a visit if you are in Oviedo, which is a really interesting city that we will try to spend more time in.
Check out their website http://www.ca-suso.com/
Will try to make more effort with the blog and at least post our customer news letters, but also try to add more...........................
Sunday 12 July 2009
The road to León - where the wild thyme grows and the economy shrinks
Wednesday morning we head off towards Leon, vowing to take a light lunch, stopping at a supermarket on the outskirts of Zamora for a spot of picnic shopping and to fill up the car with milk(see earlier posts). Armed with a loaf of bread, a piece of award-wining Zamora cheese (as seen on the menu at Los Gatos), a tin of anchovies, a couple of tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper and a bottle of wine, we are planning to stay clear of the motorway and find a picnic spot near some water which appears to be abundant on the map.
We head off the road in the direction of the Embalse de Ricobayo but don't seem to be able to get anywhere near it - our luck has failed. We do come across the exraordinary sight of an abandoned urban development: neatly laid out roads and tar-mac driveways, all leading to barren plots, overgrown with the wild dreams and withered hopes of a lakeside idyll - the lake having shrunk to a now-distant pond. According to our Tom Tom we have driven across several fields before we reach a small village - clearly a local village for local people... There is one bar, but it's closed, and about as much life as Wood Street on a Monday night. Probably just as well, given (a) our earlier promise to restrain ourselves today and (b) the hostile looks of the local lurking lads - not well travelled, and perhaps not well travelled for several generations.
Heading out of the village again we find a clearing by the road, if only there was a litle shade it would be the perfect picnic spot. Our thirst has been tickled by the sight of a closed bar, so we decide to make do with the raised boot of the car and a couple of towels for shade. Our lunch is superb. Take the above listed ingredients, add a little wild thyme, eat. We've said it before, but we'll say it again - simple is, undeniably, best.
We reach León in the late afternoon and find our good luck restored with the hotel. Firstly, the grandly named Luis de León is bang opposite El Corte Ingles - the John Lewis of Spain - which has a 50% off sale. (Shareen has missed a bit of shopping and the food hall is always worth a serious browse.) Secondly, we are awarded an upgrade to an "executive room" - bigger and more comfortable and with a "pillow menu" no less! When we booked this the day before, we had had a discussion about whether we should pay the extra €30 for a better room as we were going to stay 2 nights and wanted to unpack and settle in a bit, but had decided to spend the difference on dinner instead... Ha! So now we could have our cake and eat it (or any pillows from the menu) and all for €60.
We head off the road in the direction of the Embalse de Ricobayo but don't seem to be able to get anywhere near it - our luck has failed. We do come across the exraordinary sight of an abandoned urban development: neatly laid out roads and tar-mac driveways, all leading to barren plots, overgrown with the wild dreams and withered hopes of a lakeside idyll - the lake having shrunk to a now-distant pond. According to our Tom Tom we have driven across several fields before we reach a small village - clearly a local village for local people... There is one bar, but it's closed, and about as much life as Wood Street on a Monday night. Probably just as well, given (a) our earlier promise to restrain ourselves today and (b) the hostile looks of the local lurking lads - not well travelled, and perhaps not well travelled for several generations.
Heading out of the village again we find a clearing by the road, if only there was a litle shade it would be the perfect picnic spot. Our thirst has been tickled by the sight of a closed bar, so we decide to make do with the raised boot of the car and a couple of towels for shade. Our lunch is superb. Take the above listed ingredients, add a little wild thyme, eat. We've said it before, but we'll say it again - simple is, undeniably, best.
We reach León in the late afternoon and find our good luck restored with the hotel. Firstly, the grandly named Luis de León is bang opposite El Corte Ingles - the John Lewis of Spain - which has a 50% off sale. (Shareen has missed a bit of shopping and the food hall is always worth a serious browse.) Secondly, we are awarded an upgrade to an "executive room" - bigger and more comfortable and with a "pillow menu" no less! When we booked this the day before, we had had a discussion about whether we should pay the extra €30 for a better room as we were going to stay 2 nights and wanted to unpack and settle in a bit, but had decided to spend the difference on dinner instead... Ha! So now we could have our cake and eat it (or any pillows from the menu) and all for €60.León's magnificent cathedral (above) is currently being restored and we spent a fascinating half hour watching as some skilled and brave stone masons/antique restoration experts carefully removed a statue from a plinth on the front of the building, wrapped it up and took it away for repair.
That evening, we are on the search for a small bar we visited (several times) two years ago, when we passed through León on the Camino de Santiago, the old pilgrim route which runs through the town on its trail from the south of France to the cathedral city of Santiago de Compostela. León is not only at the crossing point of this roue and the Ruta del Plata, which we have been following south to north, it is also at the centre of the universe of embutidos. The bar we were looking for made its own cecina - cured beef - as well as a range of rich and dark cured sausages and salamis of other kinds. After our deliberately light lunch we felt ready for a litle meaty snack... sadly when we eventually found what we thought might have been the place we remembered, it was closed.
León was, in fact, the first place where we had really been struck by how hard the global recession has hit Spain. We found many bars and restaurants closed, and not just for the holidays, and those that were open quieter than usual. Although Spain's banks have remained strong (historically very tight regulation resulting in them having been required to maintain far higher reserves than many other countries,) the country is now bracing itself for up to 20% unemployment by next year - much of this due to a dramatic drop in tourism. We read in our Rough Guide that, although the population of Spain is only around 46 million, (including almost 1 million ex-pat Brits) they welcome over 60 million visitors a year from all over the world. Maybe some of us are guilty of thinking of Spain as a slightly backward country with an overdeveloped holiday coastline, but, other than Columbus sailing the ocean blue, our standard UK history lessons didn't teach us a lot about the heyday of Iberian imperialism, when the conquistadores of Spain and Portugal between them dominated both sides of the Atlantic, parts of India and the far east as well. (As an Irishwoman, imperialism is bread and butter to Shareen...) Anyway, the fatal combination of the weak pound (buys about 30% less in euros than a year ago) and rising unemployment abroad, has hit the tourist industry hard and is expected to hit even harder. So if our story hasn't tempted you so far - perhaps this will encourage you to do your bit for Spain and pay it a visit this year!
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