Paul Canales cooked at Oakland’s Italian mecca Oliveto for 15 years before leaving to put together a place of his own. The result, Duende, found a home in a cavernous, rough-hewn space in Oakland’s burgeoning Uptown neighborhood. Here, he focuses his attention on Spanish cuisine—dishes like paella with rabbit and pork belly—and wines to match. The list, by Gerard Maristany, formerly a wine buyer at the Spanish Table, hits both the classics and the newer arrivals, like mineral whites from the Canary Islands. It also sports what’s likely the largest selection of Sherries in the East Bay—around 15, all available by the glass, plus some intriguing dry and sweet moscatels hailing from beyond the Jerez region proper. As if you needed more convincing to visit, there’s also an attached bodega with a solid retail selection, and a performance space that hosts the occasional jazz show.
468 19th St., Oakland, California
Spanish
510-893-0174
Longtime senior editor at Wine & Spirits magazine, Luke now works for the Stanford Technology Ventures Program.
This story appears in the print issue of October 2013.
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