Espetos en Salobreña

Nuestra historia

Esta casa fue fundada en el año 1954, cuando los pescadores de Salobreña y la Caleta faenaban cerca de la playa con pequeñas embarcaciones y vendían el pescado en la misma orilla. Cuando terminaban se hacían unos espetos en la playa para comer, y en ese momento fue cuando mi abuelo, Antonio Gómez Pineda, conocido como el “Azules” se le ocurrió la idea de montar un pequeño “chambao” para vender bebidas frías. Pasados unos años mi abuela, Adriana Gómez Villaescusa, empezó a convertir el pequeño “chambao” de madera en un negocio que fue prosperando cuando los primeros visitantes de Granada y Jaén fueron apareciendo por nuestras costas, en aquellos míticos autobuses de la época.

Estos primeros visitantes (para nosotros forasteros) venían con la comida preparada. Se les alquilaba la mesa y les vendíamos las bebidas, entre las más demandadas estaba el Sanitex. Trascurrió poco tiempo cuando Adriana empezó a elaborar paella, que se convirtió en el plato estrella. Los clientes no la llamaban paella mixta o de marisco, la pedían como “la paella de Adriana”, que todavía sigue manteniendo la elaboración tradicional. Otro plato que empezó a tener mucha demanda fue el espeto de sardinas, aquí el especialista era “Azules”. El fuego se hacía en la misma arena, en un pequeño bancal. En el centro se colocaba la leña a ser posible de almendro, porque “quema mejor y hace muy buena ascua” decía mi abuelo. En los lados del bancal se colocaban los espetos.

This establishment was founded back in 1954, when the fishermen from Salobreña and La Caleta worked from the beaches in small boats and sold their catch right there, on the beach. After selling their catch, they would grill espetos (fish skewers) on the beach, to eat. This was the time that my grandfather, Antonio Gómez Pineda "Azules" had the idea of setting up a small chambao (bamboo-covered bar) to sell cold drinks. Some years later, my grandmother, Adriana Gómez Villaescusa, began to turn the small wooden chambao into a fully fledged business; a business that prospered when the first visitors from Granada city and Jaén began to arrive on those, almost legendary, buses of the time.

These first visitors (for us 'strangers') came with their packed lunches and we hired out tables and sold them cold drinks; amongst the most popular being Sanitex. Time went by and Adriana began to cook paellas, which became very popular dishes. The customers didn't call it Paella Mixta or de Marisco, but Paella Adriana, which even today is still prepared in the same traditional fashion. Another dish which soon became very popular was the Espetos de Sardinas, prepared by Azules. The charcoal fire was prepared on the sand, in a dip, using almond wood, because it burns so well, leaving long-lasting glowing embers. On the side of the dip were set the fish skewers. 

Then the tourists began to arrive. The majority were from Germany, Great Britain, Belgium and France. Despite a lack of language ability, we soon realised how much interest there was in our local cuisine. It was around this time that the small, lean-to chambao grew into a chiringuito (beach bar), increasing the range of food on offer to include pescaito frito (fried fish dishes) seafood and tropical fruit.
In 1980, the last big change to the establishment took place, turning the building into the restaurant that it is today, run by the sons of Adriana and Azules: Adriana, Antonio & Jesus Gómez Villaescusa. It is they who are managing the new course of the restaurant, giving it a touch of modernity, in the cuisine as well as the service.

Adriana Gómez Villaescusa retires this year, leaving the way for the third generation, which is where I come in. My name is Francisco Pérez Gómez and it is an honour for me to be a part of this family and forming a part of its great history.