The pace of new openings by chef Eugeni de Diego seems to be getting more and more frantic. If at the end of last year he opened Lombo in Barcelona and at the beginning of this the Colmado Wilmot; Now, while he is finalizing the details of his second Jamoteca in Shanghai, he has just disembarked in Menorca with Pintarroja.
Do not expect to find in this establishment, which bears the name of the smallest shark on our coasts and the star of many seafood stews in the past, a well-laid table or the most complex signature cuisine, even though De Diego is among the lucky ones to have served in the kitchen at El Bulli.
Pintarroja is more of a seafood restaurant so casual that it could be considered a beach bar, yes, with a cement floor instead of beach sand. It also shares the dimensions of the space with this type of venue: a terrace with sea views located on the dock of the port of Es Castells with a small kitchen that fits an iron and a pot with water to give some of the shellfish they serve a shot of cooking.
Prawns, canyuts (small razors), scallops or langoustines are some of them, waiting for the affordable menu to be expanded in the coming weeks with espardenyes and barnacles. They are presented with a fairly standard formula, a touch of iron and practically the same citrus sauce (what about those who do not love to season seafood with other flavors?).
There are also sardines, but not large fish due to space issues in the kitchen, says Diego, who assures that if this new business venture goes well next season he will replicate the concept in other places in the Balearic Islands, as he did in the past in Barcelona with his A Pluma restaurants, which passed into other hands some time ago.
Among the dishes to snack on, in addition to refreshing combinations such as the burrata salad with aubergine (one of the most prized vegetables on the island) or a tuna tartare with avocado that is not very Menorcan but perfect for coping with any heat wave, there are some typical Balearic dishes, such as mussels with sobrasada or bikini with sobrasada with honey. The product they use is usually local, although they confess that they are still weaving their network of suppliers and that it is not always easy to get what they are looking for due to the limitations of the island. When it’s time for dessert, don’t forget to try the delicious Wilmot French toast (ensaimada) (quite a spectacle!) and to finish, since this establishment is only open at night, ask for a Menorcan ointment.
Heading the Pintarroja kitchen is chef Jordi Taja, from the Mariano Zakrajsek dining room and running the business, José Andrés Solano, who have been working with De Diego for years.