Spain’s legendary Enrique Tomás restaurant and store opening Feb. 12 in Dallas

This is the first U.S. outpost of the jamon ibérico specialty restaurant.

Enrique Tomás, the largest purveyor of Spain’s legendary jamón ibérico (curedWhen we talk about curing in gastronomy we are talking about... Iberian hamIberian ham (jamón ibérico) is a culinary tradition in Spa... More) will open its much-anticipated restaurant, lounge and storefront in Dallas on Feb. 12. It will be the first U.S. outpost in the Barcelona-based company’s empire, which includes 50 locations outside of Spain.

The reception area of the Henderson Avenue restaurant will serve as a tiny storefront, selling a variety of Spanish cured hamsHam is one of the star products of the Spanish gastronomy, a... and other products, to-go. Jamoneros (skilled ham slicers) from Enrique Tomás’ Barcelona headquarters will be on site for months, teaching the staff how to thinly sliceIn the premises of Enrique Tomás when someone says the word... the ham to maximize its melt-in-the-mouth sensation.

The 80-seat restaurant will offer lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. In addition to Spanish cheeseCheese is a foodstuff obtained by ripening the curd from the... and jamónThe head of the ham is the front part where the hoof is loca... More tasting platters, the restaurant will serve traditional and contemporary Spanish cuisine. Starters include croquettes, tortilla Española, ibérico secreto carpaccio (a premium cut from the prized Bellota pigs), and gazpacho Andaluz. Heartier fare includes: asturian fabada (a famous white bean stew) topped with shaved ham; solomillo ibérico (Bellota porkThe pig is a wonderful animal that is part of the famous Med... fillet); and an ibérico secreto burger. Seafood fans will have many options, including two different paellas, Galician octopus, stuffed calamari, and trout baked in a saltSalt is an essential ingredient in the curing of jamón, as ... More crust.

Upstairs from the dining room, a 75-seat bar and lounge will feature a Spanish charcuterieCharcuterie is a term that refers to the production and elab... More and tapas menu. The full bar will feature a selection of Spanish gin, rum, brandy and sherry brands, as well as a wide range of agave-based spirits, says Ricardo Sieveking, a Dallas businessman who co-manages Enrique Tomas’ North American expansion. Expect lots of craft cocktails and Spanish gin and tonics.

“On weekends, we will have house lounge music, with guest DJs and guitarists,” he says. Although the restaurant kitchen stops taking orders at 10 p.m., the lounge menu is available until closing time, which is 2 a.m. on Saturdays.

Jamon Iberico from Enrique Tomas, Spain’s most famous store selling the high-quality ham. Enrique Tomas, the largest purveyor of cured jamón ibérico (Iberian ham), will open a two-story restaurant, bar and store on Henderson Avenue this fall. The 37-year-old Barcelona-based company has more than 150 shops, mostly in Spain. The Dallas location will be its first in the U.S., joining London, Paris, Rome and Mexico City among 50 international outposts.

The storefront will sell vacuum-sealed 3-ounce packages of jamon serrano gran reserva (cured for 18 months), jamon cebo de campoRecebo is the name given previously to the ham produced by p... (a fattier, delicately flavored jamon ibérico variety) and jamón ibérico de Bellota (the richest jamon variety, from an Iberian pig that’s pastured and fed mostly acorns during its last four months of life). Package prices range from $12 to $30, but you can also request larger amounts of jamón cut to order.

You can even buy a whole leg for party, Sieveking says. Spring for the big leg, and at no extra charge, the company will send a jamonero to your home to slice it for your event, he says.

“If you don’t cut the jamón properly, there’s a lot of waste; and if you cut it too thick, you lose the buttery feeling in your mouth,” Sieveking says. Included in the jamonero service is slicingThe cutting of ham is a skill that requires a lot of dexteri... More and vacuum-sealing leftovers in small packages. Sieveking suggests consuming the packaged ham within three months, for maximum flavor.

Jamón leg prices range from $17.84 per pound to $60 per pound for the prized jamón ibérico de Bellota. Legs range in size from 16 to 18 pounds for jamón serrano or jamón ibérico cebo de campo, but jump to 18 to 21 pounds for jamón ibérico de Bellota.

Jamón ibérico, Spain’s highest qualityThe assessment of the quality of Iberian ham/jamón is based... More of cured ham, is produced from the native Iberian black pig, also known as pata negra. The ham is prized for its buttery richness, thanks to the breed’s diet and tendency toward obesity. Jamón ibérico boasts its own D.O. (denominación de origen), and is distinct from jamón serrano, a Spanish cured ham made from white pigs.

Sieveking says that the restaurant plans to hold occasional wine and spirit pairingPairing ham with wine is a very interesting subject for love... More dinners and jamón-cutting classes. A series of special events are being planned for March 10-15, when Enrique Tomás ― who founded his eponymous company 38 years ago ― comes to Dallas with his two sons.

Enrique Tomás is located at 2822 N. Henderson Ave.

Tina Danze is a Dallas freelance writer.

https://www.dallasnews.com/food/restaurant-news/2020/02/07/spains-legendary-enrique-tomas-restaurant-and-store-opening-feb-12-in-dallas/