Michael Bauer Snubs Spanish Import Teleféric, But Upgrades Lord Stanley

The easy-to-spot Michael Bauer has his faults, but he is perhaps at his best when being truly critical. And so reading this week’s review of Teleféric, the dim sum-style tapas joint imported from Barcelona to Walnut Creek, was more tolerable than normal. It’s safe to say Bauer does not approve of the new restaurant, writing:

While Teleferic has captured the spirit of the tapas restaurant, the food seems timid and unsure of itself … Many of [the] small bites didn’t taste all that fresh, almost reminding me of food left over at the end of a cocktail party. The bread was slightly stale. Ham was as dry as parchment. Seared tuna slices had lost their gloss. The whipped yolks of the deviled eggs had developed a discolored skin, although they tasted fine. While the cart is designed as a integral part of the experience, on two visits it took 25 minutes or more to appear at our table.

It goes on this way, insulting the meatballs, grilled octopus, pa amb tomaquet and more. Dishes he did manage to enjoy included the gambas, bacon-wrapped salmon fillets and churros, because “what’s not to like about fried, sugar-dusted dough?”

But, beyond the food, Bauer called out the atmosphere and welcoming service as reason alone to try the restaurant, where owner Xavi Padrosa walks around pouring porron shots into patrons’ mouths. 2 stars. [The Chron]

--

The Elsewhere: Bauer also returned — rather quickly — to Lord Stanley to up it from 2 ½ stars to 3 ½ stars. Wowza! Meanwhile, Peter Kane partied at David Kinch's The Bywater in Los Gatos, which is as “worth-it as worth-it gets;” Anna Roth got down with Hawaiian-style rotisserie chicken at Bayview's Hulu Hulu Hawaiian Grill; and Luke Tsai put himself into a carb coma at Belotti Ristorante, which, according to him, “serves the best pasta in Oakland.”