BERKELEY, Calif. – May 9, 2017 – La Marcha, a beloved Spanish tapas bar located in West Berkeley, is pleased to announce a sherry pairing dinner on May 31, a winemaker’s dinner with Ramon Ayala on June 7, and a cider pairing dinner on June 14, in celebration of the restaurant’s expanded beverage menu. The critically acclaimed restaurant now offers a robust collection of 90 wines, six ciders and seven Spanish beers to complement its flavorful menu of authentic and inventive Spanish cuisine. Additionally, La Marcha is one of a handful of bars in the East Bay with an extensive collection of 30 different fortified wines, sweet wines and sherries (fortified wines originally from Southern Spain) as well as eight sherry flights. “Earlier this year, we traveled extensively throughout Spain, tasting the very best wines, ciders and beers while developing strong relationships with the locals who produce them,” said Chef/Owner Sergio Emilio Monleón of his and co-chef/owner Emily Sarlatte’s culinary adventures. “The trip really inspired us to not only add our favorites to the La Marcha beverage list, but to share the essence of our experiences in Spain with a series of special dinners and menus inspired by our time there.”Sherry Pairing Dinner
Wednesday, May 31, 8 p.m. 

Guests are invited to take their taste buds on a guided tour through six irresistible sherry wines, expertly paired with the fresh flavors of Spanish cuisine.  Both chef and sherry connoisseur, Monléon will personally introduce each sherry and answer guests’ questions throughout the meal. From the bone-dry, biologically-aged Fino del Puerto alongside a bright tuna tartar, all the way to oxidatively-aged Oloroso with rich braised oxtail, six curated courses culminate in the perfect dessert: a simple vanilla bean ice cream with the sweet Pedro Ximenez.

The dinner includes the following sherry pairings:

• Lustau Almacenistas Fino del Puerto, with Tuna Tartar
• Manzanilla Pasada, with Asparagus, Jamón and Manchego
• Alexander Jules Amontillado, with House-made Butifarra Sausage
• Cruz Vieja Palo Cortado en Rama, with Creamy Mushroom Arroz
• Fernando de Castilla Oloroso, with Braised Oxtail
• Pedro Ximenez, with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Tickets are $85, exclusive of tax and gratuity, and can be purchased through Feastly at: http://fst.im/s/bb56660a?rf=email

Starting June 21, La Marcha will offer a sherry pairing menu in addition to the regular dinner menu each Wednesday.

Winemaker’s Dinner with Ramon Ayala
Wednesday, June 7, 8 p.m.

On a recent visit to Rioja, La Marcha owners/chefs Monléon and Sarlatte met winemaker Ramón Ayala and his wife in the small town of Briñas, where they shared an unforgettable afternoon enjoying the local cuisine and tasting inspiring wines together. Now, they bring that experience home to share with guests at La Marcha —including the incredibly rare Deobriga Colección Privada 2010, which makes this a truly once-in-a-lifetime tasting event immersed in the bold flavors of Rioja, on the plate and in the glass.

This special menu highlights the very best of the region’s traditional food, including dishes the chefs sampled that day:

• Viña Santurnia Crianza ’11, with Bacalao-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers
• Deobriga Selección Familiar ’11, with Patatas a la Riojana
• Viña Santurnia Gran Reserva ’04, with Pochas a la Riojana
• Deobriga Colección Privada ’10, with Braised Lamb Paella with Lamb Chops
• Deobriga White Rioja ’16 with White Asparagus Salad

Tickets to the Winemaker Dinner with Ramon Ayala are $120, exclusive of tax and gratuity, and can be purchased at: http://fst.im/s/73f57338?rf=email

Cider Pairing Dinner
Wednesday, June 14, 8 p.m.

Guests are invited to come taste the food and cider of Asturias, Spain, with a five-course pairing menu. Northern Spain may be the ideal apple-growing climate, but it remains “the most underrated…region of the cider world,” according to Cidercraft Magazine. To help correct the record, La Marcha will celebrate the unique qualities of these hidden gems: from the light, crisp variety reminiscent of a dry sparkling wine, to the funky, full-bodied natural sidra, all served alongside traditional Asturian recipes and La Marcha’s famous Paella Tres Cerditos, which features pork cooked with cider. Whether you are a seasoned cider drinker or a curious novice, this unique dinner shouldn’t be missed.

• Poma Áurea, with Frisée Salad and Sous Vide Egg
• Trabanco Natural Cider, with a selection of regional cheeses
• Viuda de Angelón Pear Cider, with Fabada Asturiana
• Basandere Cider, with Paella Tres Cerditos
• Ice Cider, with Cider Churros

Tickets to the cider pairing dinner are $75, exclusive of tax and gratuity, and can be purchased at: http://fst.im/s/e909af19?rf=email

In addition to the special dinners, La Marcha continues to offer two daily happy hours (4 to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.) available at the bar or in the dining room, as well as fifty percent off sangria every Sunday: $5 per glass, $20 per pitcher. During happy hour, sangria is available at $2.50 per glass and served with a free tapa. La Marcha’s popular sangria is made with Tempranillo wine, oloroso sherry, fruit juice, chopped fruit and a splash of Pedro Ximénez.

ABOUT LA MARCHA 

La Marcha is a rustic, neighborhood tapas bar in West Berkeley, Calif., focused on creating delicious and classic Spanish cuisine elevated to the next level in a lively, intimate and warm space. Chef/Owners Sergio Emilio Monleón and Emily Sarlatte have created a menu of tapas and paellas that reflect their passion for Spanish cuisine and desire to bring the tapas bar culture to Berkeley. “La Marcha” is a reference to the typical late-night Spanish bar crawl, where patrons stroll from place to place and enjoy small plates and drinks throughout the evening.

The critically acclaimed East Bay restaurant offers casual tapas-style dining at the bar or main dining room with more than 20 small plate (tapas) options, salads, an array of six distinctive paellas, a variety of Spanish-inspired desserts, and a wine program that showcases nearly 30 different fortified wines, sweet wines and sherries. In addition to eight sherry flights, La Marcha’s wine program also entails a variety of 90 old world Spanish style wines, as well as three wines on tap. Other alcoholic beverages include a rotating selection of Spanish-style ciders, seven Spanish beers and local Bay Area craft beers. La Marcha’s menu is the embellishment and embodiment of Chefs Monleón and Sarlatte’s very successful Ñora Cocina Española, launched in 2012, which specializes in high-end weddings, corporate parties, special events and Bay Area food festivals such as Off the Grid and Eat Real Festival.

With interior architecture and design by Restaurant Design Concepts that includes natural and rustic elements such as wood, bricks and terracotta, the atmosphere at La Marcha reflects an authentic cozy tapas bar set in Spain. Televisions at the bar show soccer games, adding to the ambiance of the neighborhood restaurant. Friendly and knowledgeable staff members are committed to providing professional yet engaging service, providing an inviting and memorable dining experience.

La Marcha is located at 2026 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, Calif. The Spanish tapas bar is open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner in addition to two happy hours. From 4 to 6 p.m., La Marcha hosts an early evening happy hour where guests are offered complimentary tapas with purchased drinks. Dinner is served from 4 to 10 p.m. Just like a traditional tapas bar in Spain, La Marcha continues into the evening with late night happy hour from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., again offering free tapas with purchased drinks.

For additional information and updates, please visit www.lamarchaberkeley.com.

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Media Contact:
Evita Broughton
evita@ellipsespr.com
770-596-2883