I love a good sandwich.
It could be something as simple as an Italian sub sandwich or possibly a French Dip. One of the keys to elevating a good sandwich to an excellent sandwich is to start out with a really good bread.
My interest in sandwiches expands internationally. It could be a Mexican torta, Cuban cubano, Vietnamese banh mi, French croque monsieur. Most recently, I discovered a delicious lonche at Primera Taza in Boyle Heights.
Today A Basq Kitchen launched their line of bocadillos. Since it was a picture perfect postcard kind of day and I was available, I made a beeline for the International Boardwalk next to the Redondo Beach pier.
Their bocadillos is a collaboration between John Baptiste Garacochea of Etxea Bakery and themselves. Reading the menu, I was impressed to see traditional Basque ingredients like: Txistorra sausage and espelette aioli.
I had a nice chat with John. He grew up in a small Basque town in France. After the family moved to the US, his father baked bread for a living. This talent was passed down to his son, John, and together they have baked bread for over 120 years!
The Boardwalk Special consists of grilled Txistorra sausage, arugula, fresh tomatoes and espelette aioli on bocadillo bread. I added a fried egg to it.
The Boardwalk Special was absolutely delicious. The fresh toasted bread had a slightly crisp exterior and was soft inside. The Txistorra sausage was slightly sweet and juicy with overtones of paprika. What made this sandwich outstanding was their choice of espelette aioli. Made from a Basque pepper, it gave it nice flavor and a little bit of heat.
The traditional Tortilla Vasca is made from a very thick plain omelette, potatoes, onions, arugula, fresh tomatoes and espelette aioli. While I enjoyed the sandwich, I think I will order it with the Txistorra sausage.
Of course I had to order a kalimotxo If nothing else, I enjoy watching them make the drink by pouring it from a Spanish porron, ringing a cowbell and saying “kalimotxo, kalimotxo”. This is the Basque version of a sangria. If you are shy about people looking at you, don’t order this drink.
Bocadillos are available in small and large and range from $5.50 to $10.50.
In addition to their bocadillos, A Basq Kitchen has a full tapas menu. One of these days, I’ll drop by for Paella Thursday where they rotate different types of paella.
The bocadillo sandwiches are available daily from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- http://www.abasqkitchen.com/
- 136 N. International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach, CA 90277; (310) 376-9215
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abkredondobeach
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/abasqkitchen