Foodie Chap With Brett & Elan Emerson Of Contigo In San Francisco
(credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)
KCBS radio "Foodie Chap" and KPIX 5 television "Eye On The Bay" host Liam Mayclem introduces us to the culinary stars behind the food and wine loved by so many in the Bay Area.
Contigo is Brett and Elan Emerson's love letter to Spain. We opened the restaurant in March of 2009 in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. Brett is the Executive Chef and Elan is the General Manager.
It is safe to say that Brett fell in love with Barcelona many years ago. As a chef, Brett was drawn to the covered markets, the pristine seafood and the pride home cooks had in simple meals executed with fresh ingredients. Of course, jamÛn iberico de bellota hanging just out of reach in the markets just might have sealed the deal.
Their menu features rustic dishes inspired by the vivid flavors of Barcelona. They cook everything from scratch using the products from local farmers, ranchers and fishmongers. Tuesday is the one night a week they offer their enormously popular Paella, a paella pan filled with Calasparra Rice, seafood, chicken or duck and seasonal vegetables. Dining at Contigo is not just about the food. It's about sharing many dishes, Spanish wine and sherry, and good conversation and laughs with friends and the people you love.
Brett began his culinary career in San Francisco. After attending the California Culinary Academy he cooked at the Greens. He then cooked at smaller chef-owned restaurants, most of which are now closed, like Bizou and Zax in San Francisco, L'Amie Donia in Palo Alto and Eccolo in Berkeley. He was drawn to boldly flavored, rustic, seasonal foods that held a sense of authenticity. He fell in love with the rustic simplicity, bold flavors and convivial style of eating he experienced a dozen years ago on his first of many trips to Spain. He and Elan opened Contigo to bring those tastes and the fun, communal style of dining to San Francisco.
The Contigo team will be paired with a local farmer and will be serving up a dinner course at the upcoming Cuesa Sunday Supper. I will be on hand as EMCEE on the night – Sunday October 5th. For more information on Sunday Supper and on Contigo, visit the websites below.
Enjoy the recipe and my tasty chat with this convivial husband & wife team who for 5 years have been running Contigo, one of San Francisco's favorite restaurants.
Cheers!
(credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)
Contigo's Cojondongo (aka Gazpacho Salad)
For the vinagreta:
1/4t cumin
1 clove garlic
1/2t salt
3T aged sherry vinegar
2/3c extra virgin olive oil
For the salad:
1/2 sweet baguette
1T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin into half rings
3c cucumber, cut 3/4-inch in size
2c small ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch wedges
1/2c cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1c grapes, cut in half
2c frisee, torn into bite-sized pieces and washed
1/2c mint or basil, torn or chiffonaded
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
To make the cumin-garlic vinagreta: Toast the cumin in a pan until aromatic. Place garlic in mortar and pestle. Add the salt and cumin and mash to a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and add the vinegar. Let sit 10 minutes, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.
To make the croutons: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Cut the crust off of the half baguette and discard. Use your fingers to tear bread into bite-sized pieces. Should yield about 1 Ω cups. Place in bowl and toss with olive oil and salt. Spread croutons out onto a baking sheet, place in oven and toast until golden and crunchy, about 10 minutes.
Soak the red onion slices in a bowl of ice water for at least 30 minutes to remove some of the heat. Drain.
Place the croutons, onions, cucumbers, both kinds of tomatoes, grapes and frisee in a large bowl. Pour vinagreta over, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Place in a large bowl or platter.
Enjoy!
Contigo
San Francisco, CA 94114
