Spanish ‘snackies,’ sandwiches will dominate tapas menu at new Optimist Hall stall
The team behind Customshop will open Marina’s Tapas in Optimist Hall this summer, paying homage to chef Andres Kaifer’s great-grandmother and offering a no-frills menu of traditional Spanish bites, ranging from $9-$15.
Kaifer, the culinary force behind Customshop and now co-owner of Marina’s Tapas, puts it simply: “This is going to be paper plates and good food … simple, straightforward, honest.”
For Kaifer and co-owner Alex Bridges, “good food” looks like a set menu of bonafide Spanish tapas that could be found at any tapería in the streets of Barcelona, Madrid or maybe even in Asturias, Spain, where Kaifer’s great-grandmother, Marina, ran the kitchen of a now nearly 100-year-old tapería.
Kaifer, with a “life’s worth of travels” visiting his family in Spain, will infuse Spanish ingredients and techniques into the stall formerly occupied by Velvet Taco.
“It’s really an homage to what I grew up eating when I was a kid,” Kaifer said.
Bridges, who will head up operations at Marina’s Tapas, said: “We kept going back to this idea of classic Spanish tapería, old school ‘50s, no-frills … the food is not meant to be overtly complicated.”
As for locking down the location at Optimist Hall, “We wanted an accessible space,” Bridges said, which they’ve crafted to reflect “traditional Spanish culture … light, bright and open.”
It’ll be open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. -10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Menu details
The menu is an all-day affair, offering the same small list of sandwiches, light bites and tapas for both lunch and dinner. “Snackies,” is what Kaifer lovingly calls the imported cheeses and meats.
Patatas bravas, roasted piquillo peppers, albondigas — meatballs in a lightly spiced tomato sauce — and bocadillos — baguette sandwiches with cheese, meat and simple aioli — will be staple items.
The bocadillos will come in three combinations:
chorizo and asiago
salchichon and idiazabal
manchego and serrano
Like any proper Spanish joint, seafood is a star player. Expect fried calamari, a potato and tuna salad called ensaladilla rusa, garlicky sauteed shrimp and a salty, pickled pintxos gilda dish with anchovies and olives.
While Customshop has a rotating menu that requires a bit of fine dining flair, the Marina’s team is taking pride in a set menu of what Bridges called “run-of-the-mill” yet thoughtfully sourced food, mirroring Spain’s streetside cafes.
“Really great food doesn’t have to be expensive,” Bridges said. “It can be really accessible, and it can be really fun, and there’s a lot of really wonderful food in the world that is no-frills with proper care and preparation.”
Kaifer said, “You can’t hide behind it.” The classic dishes require very few ingredients — just good ones.
[TRY MORE TAPAS: Now, you can sip, nosh and dance like you’re in Spain in South End Charlotte.]
Because of that, the team will “import all of our charcuterie,” Kaifer said. “Spanish ham will be genuine Spanish ham … cheeses will be Spanish cheeses … we will probably import other specialty items like olives and olive oil.”
These meats and cheeses won’t merely be separate “snackies” on the menu, but will join forces — the power duo of jamon serrano and manchego for example — and be wrapped inside crispy croquetas or between two slices of bread for the bocadillos.
The manchego may also be perched atop grilled bread and a tomato spread on the Pan con Tomate.
Kaifer plans to offer a “plato del día,” an alternating daily special that matches the weather and the season — a common thing seen in Spain’s taperías.
For anyone that has been to a bar or tapería in Spain, they’ll know that water comes second to Spanish wine, beer and sangrias. Marina’s Tapas knows it, too. The stall will import Spanish beer like Estrella, have some punchy sangria and potentially a few Spanish wines and non-alcoholic beverages like Kas — a citrusy, slightly bitter aperitivo-style drink popular in Spain.
Kaifer trusts chef Dre Cavazos with executing the creative care, technique and preparation to make those simple ingredients shine, as she takes the helm as chef de cuisine at Marina’s and transitions from her position at Customshop.
Expanding from Customshop
Charlotteans are probably familiar with Customshop for its consistent rankings in Charlotte’s best restaurant lists, and likely for its famed flan — a recipe passed down to Kaifer by his mom and grandmother.
Don’t worry — this caramel custard flan, alongside a basque cheesecake, will have its rightful place on Marina’s Tapas menu, too.
[READ NEXT: Learn how to make flan with this recipe and video from Charlotte restaurant Customshop.]
Although Customshop and Marina’s Tapas will differ in price point and formality, there’s one thing that connects the two: an ode to the matriarchy that is his mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
This maternal line has helped lay the foundation for Kaifer’s culinary success. In a press release, Kaifer said, “My earliest food memory is cooking with my mother, and it’s such an honor to celebrate the legacy of the strong women in my life.”
With a legacy to honor, Bridges and Kaifer hope this new tapas stall introduces Charlotte to bonafide, yet relaxed Spanish cuisine. They believe they have a unique footing in the Queen City because of Kaifer’s lifelong connection to simple, authentic dishes in Spain.
“It’s something near and dear to me to bring that to a city that I think needs it and will appreciate it,” Kaifer said.
Marina’s Tapas
Location: Optimist Hall, 1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Cuisine: Spanish tapas
Instagram: @marinastapas
