Spanish Michelin Chef Albert Adrià's Favorite American Foods - Exclusive
Albert Adriá, the current chef-owner of the Michelin-starred Enigma in Barcelona, loves all kinds of cuisine. While he's well-known for experimental, futuristic cooking, he also once ran a gastrobar serving traditional Spanish food called Inopia Classic Bar. During an exclusive interview with Adriá, Tasting Table questioned this master technician and Spanish legend about what foods he likes to eat when he visits the U.S.
Adriá, who will soon be in South Florida for a tribute dinner for Massimo Bottura at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, is looking forward to returning to Miami. "It's a city that I really like, and it's also one of the reasons I also said yes [to the tribute dinner], was the opportunity to come back to Miami." The foods he likes to eat in Miami are a little more humble than you might expect from a man who once was the pastry chef at El Bulli, which was ranked as the number-one restaurant in the world multiple times. "One of the things I enjoy is the sandwiches," he revealed. "In Miami, the Cubano sandwich ... [And] I made good friends [with a Venezuelan man] in Miami last time because he invited me to eat Miami Slice Pizza."
Albert Adriá has wide-ranging tastes
If you'd like to try Miami Slice Pizza's inventive pies like the Leeks on Bacon with garlic confit cream or the La Salsera with three kinds of sauce — pesto, tomato, and vodka — you'll have to be prepared to wait. Adriá told us the pizzeria is always full with a line to get in. "Closed at nine o'clock, and is full, completely full, the queues every day," he shared.
In addition to Cubanos and pizza, Adriá has an appreciation for classic American comfort foods like wings and burgers. He enjoys eating Asian and Italian food as well, which he praises as being very high-quality in the U.S. But he is at heart a fine-dining chef, and he has some picks for favorite fancy restaurants in America too. "I've been to, also, La Mar in Mandarin Oriental from Gastón Acurio. I really love the work of [La Mar's chef] Diego Oka. And also, I've been to a Cote, a Korean restaurant with one Michelin star," he explained.
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival runs from February 22-25. Tickets for the tribute dinner for Massimo Bottura and Luca Garavoglia can be purchased here.