"Came here for a dinner party of 30 in their private room the setting was cellar reminiscent, wood decor, wood tables with one wall showcasing their spanish wines. Service is top notch and Chef Gerard came out to tell us about the authentic basque meal. Roasted beet salad Tart and tangy, great pairing with Cava Pacific calamari 'a la plancha ', garlic, lemon confit Simply yet expertly prepared, no typical batter to navigate, just the squid... this one is a plate licker... Stuffed piquillo peppers Such a striking difference with the first two starters, the goat cheese, raisings, pistachios and sweet pepper made for a wonderful combination. Both the calamari and peppers paired well with traditional spritzy, refreshing white called 'Txakolina ' Mushroom tartlett Cornered mushrooms on triangles of phyllo dough, thyme, and a dab of creme fraiche. So crispy yet so chewy on the inside one of the clear favorites on the menu. Cheese and ham terrine Sheep 's milk cheese and curled up ham certainly a sight to behold... however, I did think it was oversalty, or there needed to be a better balance with the cheese. This dish was probably the only one that fell short. Bizkaiko Shellfish stew in red pepper sauce Soooo warm, rich and savory. Tomato heaven. The small piece of fish I sampled was tender and fresh. Braised Pork Cheeks Plus plums, cipollini onions, fingerling potatoes and carrots. Very tender and juicy and paired very well with flagship Clos Pissarra wine 'El Mont ', a grenache from 2012. Lamb Chops With merguez, fennel, roasted bread, pecan, cumin and date relish. This was like at Chef 's backyard barbeque with the very respectable portions, you felt like you wanted to gnaw the lamb to the bone if you were alone. Very well prepared, medium rare and super juicy. Finally, we did sample four different desserts, my favorite being the Warm Dark Chocolate Cake 'Amatxi ', which presented a sultry ending to a beautiful evening."
