Photography by Kevin Yen/Blue Vision Workshop
Before the Paella or the Sangria or the Spicy Garlic
Ajillo ever made it onto Sammy Demiri’s menu, some serious culinary trial and error happened in the kitchen first.
“Basically, all of our recipes were born in my own kitchen at home,” the veteran cook and restaurateur noted recently, describing several painstaking attempts at perfecting a few of his most signature dishes: slices of crisp suckling pig smothered in tomato and broccoli rabe or a spicy tomato Zarzuela—a lush Spanish seafood stew that he serves over black linguine.
“There’s a lot of attention that goes into every dish,” Demiri continues. “We handpick our own vegetables and I choose every ingredient personally. We perfected each of these meals before we added them to the menu, and I think it’s that kind of quality that impresses our clients most.”
Situated on bustling strip of Annadale Road on the South Shore, Espana—Demiri’s six-year-old Spanish-Mediterranean eatery—was born out of an aspiration that came to the business owner when he was learning the ropes and working his way through the massive network that is the New York city restaurant industry.
“I’ve been in the restaurant business for about 22 years,” he says. “I started as a dishwasher and then a busboy until I eventually worked my way up through the ranks in the kitchen.”
After gaining some experience on the Brooklyn dining scene, Demiri took a job in a Manhattan bistro for no pay, just so he could learn more skills. Six months into the project, he earned a place on the payroll. After one year of working in the dining room, he was given the title of general manager.
“Opening a restaurant of my own was always a thought in my mind,” Demiri says. “But I wanted to do something different. Something with an edge. The business is so oversaturated with Italian restaurants; I wanted to make sure my menu was not so traditional; I wanted to open a place that was unlike anything else: a restaurant with food that is unique…meals that had not already been overdone.” In part, that’s why Demiri decided to build a rustic, Castilian-style dining experience with a strong focus on Iberian fare. Dishes like classic Chicken Villeroy and Gazpacho came naturally to the restaurant veteran, and his popular blend of smooth sangria was the ultimate addition.
“He actually created the sangria at my son’s second birthday party,” notes Zoe Demiri, Sammy’s wife and business partner. “I handed him the punch bowl, he mixed a few things together and with that, the sangria was born.”
Today, it’s probably the most requested item on the menu. The recipe includes blending three choice wines with dried fruit and ageing the mixture for at least one month in French oak barrels. The cocktail is so popular that Demiri has decided to host a make-your-own sangria event at the restaurant this fall.
“We have a wine room in our Richmond Road location where customers can help us make a 150-barrel batch of the stuff,” Demiri adds. “Wine-making is something that so many people are interested in now, so I thought it would be a good time to host this event.”
The popularity of both Demiri’s wine and food has created a lot of room for Espana’s expansion. He opened a second location, Espana Royale, in Dongan Hills last year, and has plans to open a third location in Kenilworth, NJ, in 2011.
“The idea of an upscale Spanish/Mediterranean menu has been so well received by our customers,” he concludes. “Our food and wine is unique, and we personally cater to customers’ tastes...we offer a wonderful dining experience, unlike any other.”
España
833 Annadale Rd., S.I., NY
718.966.4040
www.espanasi.com
Cuisine: Spanish/Mediterranean
Hours: Mon.-Thurs.
noon-10 p.m.; Fri. noon-11 p.m.; Sat. 2-11 p.m.;
Sun. 1-8 p.m.
Price: Appetizers $9-$18
Main Courses: $17-$28
Lunch Specials: Mon-Fri. noon-3pm, $11.95
Dinner Specials: NA
Service: Friendly
Bar: Full bar and a vast selection of Chilean, Argentinean and Californian red wines, plus red and white varieties of Sangria
Parking: Street parking
Private Parties: Yes
Credit cards: All major cards accepted
