Papa Cenar

 

 

 

I really liked Twain, and was sad when it closed.  When the space reopened a few months later as Papa Cenar, I was surprised that the space remained largely the same.  I mentioned it to my server and she said that the ownership remained the same and most of the employees remained.  The major change was that the Chef and his wife, who was in charge of the wine program, left.  Instead of doing a memorial to Mark Twain the restaurant now takes as it's theme, the time that Ernest Hemingway (Papa) spent in Spain.  Cenar is the Spanish verb meaning "to eat", so the restaurant focuses on those things that Ernest Hemingway may have had for dinner in Spain.  When the restaurant was known as Twain, the outer wall was baby blue.  It has now been painted to a dark orange.  Inside, the space remained, largely the same.  The murals on the walls, the wooden tables, and the decorative hanging lights remain as does the bar with the decorative copper etching on the wall behind the bar.  There is a new chalkboard behind the bar where the Happy Hour Menu is written.  The bar features a lot of Spanish Wines as well as some classic cocktails like a Daiquiri and the Papa's G&T which is what I ordered.  Papa's G&T contained Mahon's Spanish Gin, House Made Tonic with Quinine, Lavender, and Grains of Paradise, and a Lime slice.  This was clean, crisp, a little peppery, and very nice.

Just after I put in my food order, I received something that I will call a cross between an Amuse Bouche and a Bread Course.  It was a nice and thick slice of Toasted Bread served with Crushed Tomatoes and grated Manchego Cheese.  If the Tomatoes had been served on the bread, I might have called it a Bruschetta.  In any case, it was still nice and fresh and made for a very nice introduction.

For the start of the food that I ordered myself, I had Smoked Whitefish Dip with Olive Oil Crackers, and Fermented Chili.  Everything about this was great.  The fish was whipped and held together well enough to spread on the crisp and flavorful crackers.  The fermented chilies were a sauce served with the whitefish that gave a sour bite.  It was a nice addition to the flavors of the whitefish and crackers.

My second appetizer was a Farmer Squash Pisto.  A Pisto is a vegetable dish that, when done traditionally, looks similar to Ratatouille, containing Tomatoes, Eggplant, Onions, and Red Peppers.  This took a decidedly Midwestern Fall twist, using Roasted Farmer's Squash, Frisee, Spiced Pepitas, and Goat Cheese.  It was still a vegetable dish that focused on the flavors and textures of local vegetables, despite being completely different from a Spanish Pisto and it was a favorite.

 

 

And then came my entree, Bone Marrow.  The Bone Marrow, served in long bones sliced lengthwise, of course, was served with Lamb Bacon, Onion Jam, Fresno Chili Peppers, a Pickle Salad, and Toast.  In the past, I had learned that the proper way to eat bone marrow was to spoon it out of the bones and spread it on the bread.  You would then top it with any accompaniments that you might have and top all of that with your greens, which helps to cut the fattiness of the marrow.  I did all of this and it was good, but then I was told about another thing that could be done to clean the bones and finish things.  called a Bone Marrow Luge, it involves pouring an Apertif down the bone channel and into your mouth.  The Apertif that was recommended was called Bonal, a Wine-based Gentiane-Quina drink.  I poured the Banal down the bone and into my mouth.  It was sweet and spicy with a definite meaty aftertaste.  It was a lot of fun, very flavorful, and a great way to finish the savory side of things.

While it was wrapped in Spanish clothing, dessert was definitely Midwestern.  I was served a Couple of Apple Empnadas with Fall Spices, Chocolate, and Persimmon Sorbet.  The empanadas tasted like Apple Pies and the Persimmon Sorbet added a sweetness similar to peach or apricot.  The chocolate was sweet with the bitter aftertaste that chocolate tends to have, which tied things together.  For a digestif, I finished with a very dry Amontillado Sherry.

The food and service was very good here and while I was a little disappointed about the closure of Twain, they made a good transition with Papa Cenar.  I will be happy to return and to introduce friends.