“Our Bar”, the flagship of the gastronomy of La Mancha

An establishment that dates back to 1967

In 1967, while working as a waiter Useros Fernando Martinez, owner of the restaurant Our Bar, with his brother at a restaurant in Albacete, reached his ears that a house of beer helped with a loan of 350,000 pesetas for those who want to open your establishment. Taking advantage of that at the time his father owned a local who was hired as a dance hall, where Ferdinand was part of the musicians playing drums, the brothers decided Martínez Useros open his own restaurant with the support of their wives and the loan offered by the house beers.

The restaurant’s name, Our Bar, the brainchild of Ferdinand, was the first thing soon enjoyed great popularity by the misunderstanding which was provided: “It occurred to me to put the restaurant” Our Bar ‘thinking in the business, I thought it would a success because they comment among the people and indeed it was. Even today, people from outside and ask the taxi drivers who take them to a good place to eat, fall into the mistake of thinking it might name the taxi drivers have a bar in co-op, so they immediately ask, is that you have a bar? “said Fernando, adding that after the enormous popularity which soon acquired the name, tried not to let the food they served, so that each day more crammed into the room.

Seven years later, Manolo Martinez, Fernando’s brother and his wife decided to open the café La Fuente, Fernando and his wife staying at the forefront of the business that were expanded with successive reforms to the current local setting: a restaurant with five dining rooms, but from the street, the small length of its facade, it appears that little restaurant that opened in the ’60s, and the day to day work this entrepreneur married with three children.

Genuine Manchego cuisine

Our Bar offers its guests the most typical cuisine of La Mancha: daggerboard back, partridge Our Bar, atascaburras, fried cheese, garlic mataero, gazpacho with hunting, ruleras crumbs grapes and chorizo, lamb, ratatouille manchego, wet, icing on the cake , Easter rolls, pan de calatrava … In addition, the letter of our Bar every town in the province of Albacete has represented a dish that you just have to apply 24 hours in advance.

As indicated by the owner of Our Bar, Fernando Martinez Useros, increased demand is inclined, no doubt, to “the gazpacho manchego, plural, which is not the same as the gazpacho, the singular” he explains, to point out that summer include in the “Duel of gazpacho, which is to take Andalusian gazpacho as a starter, as a salad, and second, as the main course, the gazpacho manchego,” that not everyone knows them and the people loves when tested, “he says.

Since its inception, Our Bar has offered its guests the most typical cuisine from La Mancha: “Initially it was our wives who laid the foundation stone for the kitchen. Later publication of the cookbook Useros Carmina reinforced our desire to make known the kitchen of our land, “he says, praising the work done by Carmina, who with her husband, Manuel Belmonte, traveled throughout the province of Albacete , village by village, to capture in his books the most traditional recipes.

Proceed to the roots

As for cutting-edge line is emerging in recent times in the world of gastronomy, but Fernando is very important to innovate and not get stuck, “for the progress of our Bar has always been to the roots” he says. Fernando states the importance of today care of the presentation, citing the difference between the utensils that were used before and which is now used, and occasionally “the most expensive dish on the food itself it is served, “he says, adding that there are still those who prefer certain dishes taste as they have been eaten traditionally in earthenware.

In recent times, it is common to find restaurants that serve small tastings at the large plates, with which Fernando believes that diners are hungry, and although there will be places where this trend prevails, “I have advised my own customers continue without straying from the usual line, which attempt to have the best presentation, but certainly because we feed ourselves is what are customers, “he says.

“The wines of Castilla-La Mancha are unbeatable”

In the cellar of our Bar, Castilian-La Mancha wines occupy a prominent place and there is a letter annotated guide diners in their choice. Apart from the wines of La Mancha, “we have to have other designations of origin,” says Fernando.

According to the restorer says sometimes he is hard to hide his displeasure when the customer opts for a Rioja or Ribera del Duero, rather than one of “the great wines we have in Castilla-La Mancha, which already enjoy a special prestige” means, to clarify that there is great demand for wines of the region, “even come from the Rioja and ask for wines from La Mancha come to know our cuisine,” he reveals.

According to Fernando, “wines of Castilla-La Mancha are excellent, the best thing in the world” believes, indicating that the main problem that has occurred in Castilla-La Mancha in the wine sector is that for a long time our wines bottled elsewhere under different names but now the situation is very different thanks to the commitment of institutions to help the vines, which are achieving extraordinary things, “wines ever imagined that we would have and that customers demand every day, with a predominance of red on white, since most of our dishes require the red “apart.

Beautiful decoration Mancha

Since the inauguration of Our Bar, in 1967, to date, there have been four expansions, so that currently has five local dining (The Porch, The Gate, Comrade, La Bodega and the first dining room is the smoking ), decorated with manchego style: white walls with the blue manchego are adorned with traditional dishes from the city of Toledo Talavera de la Reina, antique farm tools and kitchen, doors and tables with references to Don Quixote.

Over these 30 years, the staff of Our Bar has grown in line with the dimensions which has gained local, so that now consists of 24 persons, of whom “some have more than 30 years, people very confident and knows both the customers who choose the food for them, “says Fernando, to underscore the importance for the customer to enter a restaurant that has placed all his confidence,” which also makes us strive to not disappoint, “he says.

In addition, all staff of the restaurant takes about 15 years making a journey with all families in early July, which, according to Fernando, he is joining a long and a few days before embarking on the journey and can appreciate the joy and bustle of all the staff at Our Bar

Great customer service

Fernando Martinez admits having two favorite books that have helped him much in his profession, the Bible, which has learned how to try to be a good Christian, and “The Cuisine of Albacete” Carmina Useros.

A reading of the Bible, Fernando has come to the conviction that every man in his profession should be honest and kind, understanding that the people who come to their local hunger actually has more of kindness than of food, as well provide food, to Fernando, it is very important to make customers feel good, have peace and care properly, “to feel at home” qualifies.

This concern for the welfare of others has led them to keep a room of children in Peru, “an initiative in which workers are also involved and through which more than 70 children can eat, just with a little effort on our part as a euro four children eat every day, “he says, adding partnerships with other organizations dedicated to helping the needy.

Holder of the “Q” Quality Tourism

A few years ago, the owner of Our Bar decided to apply for certification “Q” quality mark Spanish tourist recently obtained and plaque notes contained on the front of the room.

To obtain them, according to Fernando, has required greater effort necessary paperwork, which has lasted for years and who has taken his son, who adapted the restaurant to the requirements of this certification, as our bar serving since years the great majority of the conditions required, among which hygiene and cleanliness, with extreme care in food, so that only the camera can be passed to those who wear the right shoes, the quality of products and expiration date thereof, as well as everything related to dealing with customers: friendliness, promptness, etc..

To comply with all requirements of the quality mark is necessary in day for all staff, each playing its role under the supervision of Fernando and his son, who are aware that the granting of certification does not help nothing if the commitments they have no continuity over time, as with regular reviews as it is granted may be withdrawn.

Fernando Martinez did not hesitate to say that the “Q” for quality gives prestige to the restaurant to get it but “favors the client in an absolute way, giving you the assurance that you’re in a place where regular inspections are conducted exhaustive” he says.

Precisely because of its undeniable quality and care in all aspects, Our Bar has received several prestigious prizes (First and Second Prize of Gastronomy of Castilla-La Mancha and the Golden Plate of Gastronomy in Spain) and contained in all the guides from many years ago (Michelin, Gourmet Tour, CAMPSA …).

Despite all these accolades, including those who are in cash, the best prize that has received Fernando was to an anonymous client who wrote in the guest book “Are You a La Mancha who honors his land.”

A pioneer in the development of Manchego cuisine

As indicated by the owner of Our Bar, weekdays most of the customers who frequent the restaurant are people outside Albacete is located in the city for work, but usually accompanied by some Albacete. However, on weekends there is a predominance of people from Albacete, not to mention those who come with family who have come to visit them and bring them to the bar to return to enjoy the dishes they ate as a child.

In reality, Fernando, the space is filled in all seasons of the year because “what goes down in summer rises Albacete public tourism”, weighs Fernando, confessing that when they had the option out of Albacete feared that customers come down but his surprise was that people deviated from the approach road to eat at Our Bar, which he considers to be welcomed and “has done that every day we are more focused on an audience that demands more everyday cuisine and wines from our land, “he says.

In fact, Our Bar, since its opening, always enjoyed wide acceptance, “setting a precedent because now in many restaurants you can eat typical dishes of La Mancha but there was a time when the trend was to offer other things, for example grilled shrimp, and we at that time we focus on enhancing the Castilian-Manchego cuisine, highlighted by thanking loyalty to our customers through these 40 years still come and celebrate in Our Bar their family events. However, Ferdinand believes it is a profession very devoted, especially to combine it with family relations, which under his view is the most important thing in life. However, it shows his great satisfaction in saying that his three sons will continue the same line as our Bar has always had.

Internationalization of Manchego cuisine

Albacete has been experiencing a steady population growth, according to Fernando, has positively affected the hospitality sector, which adds to the increasing influx of outsiders, “with a significant increase following the conclusion of the IV Centenary with which the institutions have managed to give a big boost to our tourism, “he says, confirming this assertion by the amount of photos taken aliens with pictures of Don Quixote in the background.

In this sense, Fernando admits feeling very proud to be able to bring Don Quixote and cuisine to other parts of the world through gastronomic events: some, with other local restaurants such as those held in the restaurant Alabardero of Washington, which also attended the restaurant Emilio de Hellin, Pincelin Álvarez de Almansa and Albacete, or on other occasions by personal contacts, as the invitation to Locarno via a Swiss customers to develop a chain restaurant a tasting Mövenpick Manchego cuisine, a success that Fernando said to be very satisfied. In addition, a close relationship with a family of Jerez de la Frontera and El Puerto de Santa Maria, currently based in the Philippines, which have great interest in conducting a seminar there.

Under the terms of Fernando, all these initiatives has contributed to “Albacete is no longer the great unknown, even at times his name was mentioned with contempt and ourselves seemed like we were ashamed of our origin, from to take the place we deserve all that today we are proud to be Mancha, “says Fernando Martinez Useros.