PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIAAnada may only be a few months old, but already Fitzroy has sat up and taken notice. Every evening this small space is packed to the rafters and buzzing with people enjoying food designed for sharing. The timing was perfect here – this street was ready for an eatery that works with its unpretentious, yet stylish vibe, and Anada fits the bill. So here’s the pedigree – chef and co-owner Jesse Gerner worked at London’s Moro and The River Cafe, before travelling through Spain to carry out a stint at MoVida. Comparisons to MoVida are inevitable, but Gerner has more of a traditional approach than Frank Camorra, embracing the concept of simple, unfussy food that has style and substance.
Tapas start at $2.50 so a few dollars will get you tasty little gems such as salt cod and garlic shoot croquetas. It’s all too easy to sit at the bar and while away the time with a glass of wine or fine sherry and some Spanish snacks. The bulk of the menu is devoted to raciones, more substantial plates that lend themselves to the shared eating experience. Moorish influences, shown in dishes such as the beetroot with nigella seeds and labneh (house-made hung yoghurt), za’tar (sesame and oregano) green eggs on saffron chickpeas and char-grilled mackerel in vine leaves with pistachio and orange blossom sauce. Paella is also on offer for $28, or make things easy and opt for the banquet ($48 per head) allowing the chefs to choose 10 of the day’s best offerings. Desserts are simple but good such as the slow roasted quince with labneh, home-made Pedro Ximinez and muscatel ice-cream or the ubiquitous but universally loved churros with chocolate.
Angela Costanzo, May 2008
