La Xerna del Mar restaurant, led by Óscar Marí and with Belén Escrivá as chef, is closing the Casa Meua series season with a tribute to the Marí Salort family, a key saga in the evolution of cuisine and hospitality in the Marina Alta. The special menu, named Fernando, recreates the essence of the original restaurant founded by Fernando Marí and Pepa Salort.
Óscar Marí recalls how his grandmother Rosa "La Coronela" and his mother Pepa transitioned from home cooking to leading the kitchens of the nascent "llandetes de peix" bar and later the family restaurant. This transition, marked by the courage and wisdom of these women, is considered fundamental to the region's gastronomic success.
The Fernando restaurant, opened in 1974, was a meeting point for locals and family celebrations. Its cuisine, based on seasonal produce and fresh fish, reflected the "product-focused cuisine" valued today. Fernando Marí, Óscar's father, had various roles before opening the restaurant, including his time as a fisherman with the boat "La Campeón".
La Xerna del Mar represents the natural evolution of Fernando, maintaining respect for product and traditional techniques while incorporating innovations like the award-winning "donut de gamba roja". Óscar Marí highlights the importance of having Belén Escrivá, who masters traditional cuisine and cooks with the necessary patience for dishes like fumets and broths.
The "Fernando" menu will fuse offerings from both establishments, including starters like Russian salad, grilled capellà, and tiger mussels, followed by esgarraet, dried octopus, and monkfish stew as the main course. The dessert will be a festive reinterpretation of the classic "pijama".
Óscar Marí thanks the generosity of the Cervera family and their role in uniting restaurateurs and preserving the family stories of the Marina Alta's gastronomy, considering these families the "territory of authentic flavor".
