MERAKI Hotels & Fine Dining
MAGOGA So it tastes Magoga, so it tastes Cartagena Visual Stories by Carla Branco | Story #6
MAGOGA So it tastes Magoga, so it tastes Cartagena What used to be a food house in Cartagena has now become one of the Spanish gastronomic references with a Michelin star and two Repsol suns.
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María Gómez and Adrián de Marcos are convinced that their success is due to the balance between their cuisine, contemporary and re ned, and the work of excellence that they execute in the service, alongside with an excellent wine cellar and a careful selection of cheeses with more than 50 local, national and imported pieces. In Magoga, the home of their dreams, both put the soul into every detail.
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When María and Adrián met, it became clear to them: they wanted to start a common life project and open their own restaurant together. Thus, Magoga opened its doors in 2014 as a modest food house with pinchos, tapas and breakfasts that, little by little, has evolved into what it is today: one of the greatest gastronomic references in our country, with two Repsol Suns, Michelin star and several personal recognitions both for María, nalist for the 2019 Madrid Fusión Revelation Chef Award, and for Adrián, Best Murcia Sommelier Award 2018.
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Aesthetics, sensitivity and professionalism María's dishes are full of avor and dazzle an aesthetic beauty, the result of the sensitivity of this woman born in Fuente Álamo de Murcia. In her work, one observes how some of the greatest, such as Juan Mari Arzak or Ferran Adrià, in uenced her, in addition to her visit to the Basque Culinary Center and the Aiala de Karlos Arguiñano School in Zarautz. It was precisely at this school, during the formation of Gastronomy Technician, that Adrián met María. It was a passion that still lingers on and allows them to share life around work, in addition to bringing a child.
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The beginnings of Magoga were marked by a practical and easy to execute cuisine, but the gastronomy is so powerful that it gradually reached what it has today: a great temple of haute cuisine. This has certainly been a dizzying career, as in just two years it became a restaurant and, in another three years, it received the rst Michelin star. And the awards continue, because just a few weeks ago they received their second Sol Repsol.
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Landscapes on the plate With the Mediterranean Sea and the Mar Menor in its province (and also in its DNA) in this restaurant, the role of sh and seafood is absolute. The typical meats of the area, such as the at pig, an indigenous breed from Murcia that was disappearing, are not lacking on the menu; The fruits and vegetables that grow on the banks of the Segura River and the plantations of the Campo de Cartagena occupy a special place: carob trees, marconan almonds - from the centennial almond farm of the family of María - Monastrell grape, whose vinegar is used in several of its dishes, or elephant garlic - mild and re ned avor. As it should be, the rst Spanish rice with a designation of origin, Calasparra, or chickpeas, which entered Europe through Cartagena, are also present.
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All ingredients enter the Magoga's door at its best moment of consumption, so the menu varies according to the seasons, surprising the diner with its freshness and contemporaneity. The winery has more than 300 labels, including some old vintages, numbered bottles from di erent parts of the world and, within national wines, a wide selection of forti ed and proximity wines (appellations of origin Bullas, Yecla and Jumilla).
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MERAKI Hotels & Fine Dining
CEO/Editor CARLA BRANCO Photos MAGOGA Story #6 September 2020 www.restaurantemagoga.com
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