Irrintzi Taberna
Creaking Cod with Tartar of Tomato
Ham Croquette
Sepia Croquette
Peanut Crusted Morcilla with Confit Tomato and Scorched Pepper
Brandade Stuffed Cod Ribs with Mushrooms and Black Sauce
Cod Fritters with Garlic Mayonnaise
Ham and Foie Gras Stuffed Eggplant Slices
Fried Mozzarella, Sardines, Tomato Tartar
Torta with Blistered Pepper
Leek Carpaccio with Jamon Iberico, Octopus, and Spanish Paprika
Chocolate Torta
Pastel Vasco
Getting a much later start than anticipated and thus limiting the first night’s pintxo crawl to only two stops it was with good fortune that Irrintzi Taberna was not only open later than Bar Gatz, but also that the place was packed, and trending far more modern in both décor as well as its cuisine the “new kid” proved more than capable of executing the classics while also offering more than a few of its own unique twists.
At least twice the size of Gatz in length but not width, a graffiti style backdrop and electronic dance sounds drawing a younger crowd than spaces nearby, entry to Irrintzi was at first a rather prolonged task as tables were packed while the bar stood two deep, but eventually gathering a plate and making a path it would not be long before the first four of twelve items were gathered, both croquettas setting a high standard for oilless crust breaking to a creamy center while the blood sausage was crumbly yet smooth beneath a peanut exteror, the fried cod again golden and moist though not quite as memorable as subsequent bites.
Onward to plate two, a trio selected immediately as they emerged hot from the kitchen at the back, it should seem obvious that pintxos served fresh almost universally outshine those sitting out, and whether an simple matter of timing, an indicator that ‘better’ items turn over faster, or a combination of both it was with glee that two preps of salt cod were tucked into, the ‘ribs’ a pure shot of umami while the fritters fared far better than the aioli topped iteration at Gatz, the crispy eggplant stack rich with the smack of duck liver and a delicate slice of scarlet red pork.
Opting for a final round of savories before ending with desserts, plates still emerging from the kitchen as the clock passed 00h30, it was at the recommendation of the barman that a briny sardine atop mozz with tomato was selected alongside two more, and although the complexity of the bite far outperformed the sum of its parts my personal preference was the beautiful stack of octopus, ham, and leeks topped liberally in paprika, the torta unfortunately a bit too dense with potatoes slightly undercooked.
Finishing off the evening with dessert, at this point with crowds finally beginning to thin, the first desserts of many of Spin proved a bit hit and miss for as good as later “cream cakes” called Pastel Vasco would prove to be the Irrintzi version was mostly just gelatinous and meek in flavor, the chocolate torta a far better investment with a moist texture not unlike that of Tres Leches spiked with tons of cocoa beneath a slightly bitter frosting, far less sweet than the ‘American” standard but delicious no less and a steal at €3 for a fairly substantial slice.
Www.irintzi.es