Palate Log: Taverna, Tatanka and the sown questioning

Questioning ourselves is difficult, but answering our questions based on studies, analysis, or reflection is even harder. Two months have passed since listening to Andoni Luis Aduriz at Madrid Fusión, and one question keeps circling in my mind: Am I a collector of experiences?

There are individuals whom nature has denied the appreciation of the taste of eating, and there are others whose lack of attention to the plate leads them to saturate their stomach and their phone's memory without ever appreciating the experience of eating.

Here at Bitácora del Paladar (Palate Log), I accumulate experiences that I share with diners who still enjoy reading. Many friends, readers, or simply observers ask me why I don't expand my social media presence with more photos of dishes. To this, I reply that while images are beautiful, I prefer that my flirtatious gastronomic writings allow them to complete the daily story on their palates.

And since life is an endlessly written book and the agenda is usually full of gastronomic activities for enjoyment, I share with you that a couple who were winners in the Best New Chef in 2022, Chris Domit and Emmanuel Prieto, owners of Taverna, invited the chef of Tatanka, Carlos Valdez from La Paz, Baja California Sur, to collaborate on a gastronomic experience, thus provoking the birth of new memories where the dish was the pretext, to delve into the flavors of two cuisines so complex that they house on the palate the most subtle flavors that generate comfort.

Carlos Valdez also cooks with vegetables, however strange that may seem to some who only know him for his seafood. The salad with French green beans, strawberries, feta cheese, and sherry vinaigrette confused several of us at the table, because for a few brief seconds, the uncertainty about the dish's origin allowed us to savor a meal that seemed to have been created by all three chefs. This always happens when there's a close connection between those who share a kitchen.

The abalone Tonnato, a dish Carlos always brings along when he cooks, was served with fried capers, Tonnato sauce, bottarga, and an emulsion of its own juices. It was presented as a sharing dish for two, which led to a subtle issue of fairness regarding the portioning. In my case, someone ate more than I intended, as I was distracted by the conversation. I can't complain now, it's too late, but if this dish ever returns to my table, I'll certainly be more generous in order to enjoy it again.

From the chefs at Taverna came the grilled broccoli, with seaweed sauce, fermented habanero aioli, and almond dukkah, a spice blend used in Middle Eastern and Egyptian cuisine to season salads and pasta, which in this case perfectly rounded out the flavor profile of this dish. The evening of savory cuisine concluded with the red steak topped with a crab, koji, crab cream, and roasted mushrooms.

The final delight of the evening was the Eureka lemon tart, which was accompanied by ricotta cream and white chocolate. Again, due to my distraction from anecdotal conversations with the other guests at the table, I couldn't eat it because it disappeared very quickly.

This dinner showcased impressive technique and a perfect balance of flavors that elevated the experience with every bite. The synergy of taste among the three chefs was remarkable throughout the evening, and the question of the shared experiences echoed in my ears once more, leaving me restless—someone who enjoys questioning the reasons why cuisines, when combined, often create such a positive fusion, where it's difficult to discern who cooked each dish. It seems they are one and the same in the kitchen, thus adding to the writer's collection of culinary experiences.

The night came to an end just as the anecdote was beginning, and the search for gastronomes continues with the questions sown in the days of reflection of that cook who questions everything before reaching the plate.