2010 Michelin Spain Restaurants Awards
Catalan cusine was the most awarded of the night at the 2010 Michelin Star Awards with Celler de Can Roca, Lasarte, Les Cols, Enoteca, La Fonda Xesc, Bo.Tic, El Torreó de l’Indià as the big 2010 winners.
The big announcement was made public last night before an impatient crowd of chefs, politicians, journalists and friends at the San Miguel market in Madrid. Guests were able to savor the cuisine of Santi Santamarina, Oscar Velasco, Paco Roncero and Sergi Arola, among others.
After several years of disappointment in the gastronomic field, which claimed the highest recognition to what is considered to be one of the best restaurants in the world, yesterday chefs and critics could deservedly say “at last!”.
Michelin finally granted 3 stars to Girona´s Celler de Can Roca, run by the Roca brothers, Joan, Josep and Jordi and favorite of Gourmand Breaks clients.
Joan Roca, who during the days prior to the awards was intensely active was constantly being congratulated in advance. Finally he was able to breath deep: Celler de Can Roca is now a three starred Michelin restaurant. “This award is given to us in an unforgettable year”
Joan is confident that Celler de Can Roca won’t change too much with its new status “but we do think that there are many eyes watching and expecting a lot from us. We feel particularly protected and appreciated, but having so much attention causes a bit of dizziness”.
Josep Roca, referred to last night’s event as “an award to our customers, our team and specially to my brothers, Joan and Jordi, who are two very important chefs”.
As for Jordi, he had a few words for his older brother, Joan. “He is the boss, the wisdom, the serenity. He is fourteen years older than me and I am twelve years older than Josep, and not only lately I had no business in the kitchen, but now we talk on the same level and I know that between the three of us we make a good job”.
Awarding the Roca brothers is awarding one if the most appreciated families in the gastronomic field. “I don’t know how we are, -said Joan- but I do know that people are fond of us, probably because we grew up in a working class suburb, in a humble house in the outskirts of Girona and we have never forgotten who we are and where we come from”.
With the newly given highest score to Celler de Can Roca, Spain has now seven three Michelin starred restaurants, four Catalan and three Basque:
· El Bulli (Rosas), by Ferrán Adriá, restaurant
· Celler de Can Roca (Girona), by the Roca brothers
· El Racò de Can Fabes (San Celoni), by Santi Santamaría
· Sant Pau, (Sant Pau), by Carme Ruscalleda
· Arzak, (San Sebastián), by Juan Maria Arzak
· Martín Berasategui (Lasarte), by Martín Berasategui
· Akelarre, (San Sebastián), by Pedro Subijana
2 Catalan restaurants climbed one knot, now being 2 stars:
· Lasarte in the Hotel Condes de Barcelona, managed by chef Martin Berasategui. The new man in charge is knowledgable Antonio Sáez.
· Les Cols in Olot (Girona) – with a design-like atmosphere and slow-food cooking of la Garrotxa by chef Fina Puigdeval
The other 2 star winners are:
· La Terraza de Casino by Paco Roncero in Madrid.
· Casa Marcial in Arriondas (Asturias), chef Nacho Manzano
Restaurants maintaining 2 stars:
· Mugaritz (Errentería), where Adúriz cooking still shines in the fourth position on the Pellegrino list
· The exhuberant imagination of Quique Dacosta in El Poblet (Dénia);
· The Madrid based Sant Celoni (Óscar Velasco, under guidance of Santi Santamaría) which was the protagonist of 2009 edition when it was awarded two stars at the same time.
· Sergi Arola´s Gastro
· Barcelona based Àbac by Xavier Pellicer. The luxurious restaurant is in full working condition
· Atrio (Cáceres) by Toño Pérez;
· And the Sevillian Alquería by Rafa Morales, gastronomic restaurant of the exclusive Hotel Benazuza of Sanlúcar la Mayor, managed by master Adrià.
New 1 star incorporations:
· Enoteca (Hotel Arts, Barcelona), managed by Paco Pérez (also awarded one star at Miramar in Llançà);
· La Fonda Xesc (Gombrèn, Girona)
· Empordan cookin of Bo.Tic (Corçà Girona)
· El Torreó de l’Indià (Xerta, Tarragona)
· Freixa in Madrid obtained 1 ½ stars (which he already have at El Racó d’en Freixa in Barcelona;
· La Broche (Madrid) by Ángel Palacios, gains back one of the two stars it lost when Arola left
· Asador Etxebarri (Axpe),
· Berasategui, is awarded one star for MB Guía de Isora (Tenerife) and loses one for Kursaal (San Sebastián);
· Justice was done to Julio in Fontanar dels Aforins (Valencia),
· Cocinandos (León);
· Kabuki Wellington
· DiverXo with spectacular results in Madrid
· Etxebarri
· A Estación (Cambre, A Coruña) y
· As Garzas (Malpica, A Coruña),
· and the most creative Almería based place managed by Alejandro (Roquetas de Mar);
· La Cabaña
Our Luxury Celebration Tours are perfect if you are looking for something extra special- including visits to some of Spain´s top Michelin restaurants such as Celler de Can Roca, hot air balloon rides over vineyards and sailing around the coast of the Costa Brava.
