Lavedan ditches the tasting menu to fly

At least the thought is there. Looking to the future, are long tasting menus the right approach and the only alternative to a table at these restaurants?

Should diners be given more leeway to decide? Is it important to evolve towards more flexible approaches with menus designed so that each table can find its own rhythm? These and similar questions have recently been asked by Sergio Sainz and Carla Frigolé in Tramacastilla de Tena (Huesca), where they opened the Lavedán restaurant four years ago.

They traveled to this location with a wealth of experience, aiming to revive the culinary culture of the Aragonese Pyrenees and championing an innovative vision of the region. To be more precise, they didn't want to sell anything they weren't skilled at, and when it came to putting their plan into practice, they devised various ways to enhance the experience, and above all, a tasting menu.

This is precisely what Sergio, who has worked in the kitchens of Tatau, Ca l'Enric, and El Celler de Can Roca, was supposed to do. And he did.

In his own way, he translated his learning into a highly structured proposal. He is satisfied with the result, even though it meant looking outward more than inward and, perhaps, becoming too narrowly focused. Today, this couple has seriously considered whether that was the right path and has decided that perhaps it wasn't, that the time has come to begin a new chapter by offering clear answers to the questions mentioned earlier.

These are the same things that other colleagues in the profession are doing today.

Reach out to the neighbors

Sergio and Carla are working on this. They want to feel freer, more informal, and closer to the villagers who are the first people the new Lavedan intends to serve.

They are beginning to break free from the constraints that had been squeezing them. However, they are clear that their change of direction is personal and difficult to transfer to other business models: due to their location in a small village in the Aragonese Pyrenees, the difficulties in accessing certain raw materials, and the fluctuating activity levels that so clearly define periods of peak and trough activity.

Since they were already changing things, they've even gone so far as to change the name that accompanies the term Lavedán. Now it's a village bar or a restaurant. They like these concepts.

Around it all unfolds a concept where the menu takes center stage, the bar pulsates as a space for informal enjoyment, and the terrace, weather permitting, becomes an essential element. This is the path this new era is taking, with Sergio cooking with the best ingredients he can source at any given time.

In his own way, mastering the technique, the stocks and his love for French cuisine, where he feels so comfortable.

Unique ingredients

In this rethinking of the formula and the format, Sergio and Carla are committed to showcasing products that almost no one has, such as goat's milk butter that accompanies an anchovy, Piritaurus beef jerky, Joselito chorizo ​​or a non-gilda of cured bonito and smoked piparra pepper.

As I said, pure enjoyment to have on the terrace with a glass of wine, and if you're so inclined, stay for lunch. Their version of classic squid in onion sauce, with lamb liver, onion, lard, aged wine, and the squid's tentacles, is sublime.

And from the sea, why not take the humble mackerel and transform it into a delicate seasonal delicacy? That's what they do, presenting it boneless and with a freshly prepared marinade.

Sergio looks to chefs like Sacha Hormaechea, an expert at maximizing the potential of ingredients. He transforms Hormaechea's luxurious lobster salad into a luxurious pipirrana.

And so, with red prawns, bonito belly, and the finest tomatoes, he offers a top-notch pipirrana. Now, Lavedán's cuisine is more direct, recognizable, and flexible.

The menu features a mix of bar snacks, preserves, grilled dishes, sharing plates, classic recipes, and dishes that change depending on market availability, the fish market, or the season. Of course, there are nods to offal, such as sweetbread ragout or a version of Pierre Koffmann's pig's trotters.

Reaching the end, what a pleasure it is to enjoy such a well-selected cheese board or finish with a choux pastry, chocolate tart, or sheep's milk flan. "We believe that Lavedán doesn't have to be experienced in just one way; we want to open the door wider, so you can come and share, have a drink, or enjoy a leisurely meal and let yourself be carried away," says Carla, the head of service and sommelier. "The restaurant itself remains the same," she continues, "we just want to make it easier to enjoy." With this statement of intent, the restaurant in the Tena Valley unveils its new chapter.

Lavedán is transformed into a dynamic and constantly evolving space, conceived as a place where local produce reigns supreme, the table decides, and each visit has its own rhythm.