WHEN JAVIER CANTERAS envisioned his first restaurant, he pitched a Spanish sandwich shop called Bocadillo. On CNBC. To celebrity restaurateur and human resting bitch face Joe Bastianich. He won $150,000.
As Canteras told Eater Portland, after staging in a few top Spanish restaurants and consulting with Bastianich, he pivoted when it came time to open his NE Alberta eatery Urdaneta. Named after his mother’s surname, it’s a mix of rustic Basque traditions and modern techniques, which Canteras has honed during his $95-a-head pop-ups.
It’s buzzy and intimate, has the requisite Edison light bulbs and a fun-to-watch open kitchen. The plates are very small and very pricey; two people will need at least five plates and won’t make it out for under $100 with drinks. That’d be fine if this Spanish food were executed at the heights of similarly expensive tapas spots like Chesa. Instead, most of Canteras’ dishes seem made for the TV cameras—lots of flashy plating and buzzwords, but not much in the way of harmony.
To be sure, Canteras is an up-and-coming name in town, and when his ideas and ingredients meld, it’s a gorgeous result. A plate of two perfectly seared scallops—and I mean the “super crispy on the outside, tender and rich on the inside” kind of perfect—with foie gras glaze, avocado aioli, sweet fermented peach, and salty fried cauliflower ($22), is one I’d pop in for anytime I’m in the neighborhood. A rare culotte steak with a leek marmalade, tart romesco, and a creamy Spanish cheese foam ($15) was decadent and innovative.
Yet there’s also much editing that needs to go into this place…
