Overview
Paddington's favourite tapas and wine bar Caness is turning one, and it's throwing a party that doubles as a bit of a give-back.
On Sunday, May 24, the Oxford Street spot is handing over the kitchen to a crew of chefs for an afternoon of $15 bocadillos. From 12–4pm, Vinicius Oliveira (ex-Bar Vincent and Estela in New York), Diego Duarte from Shaffa, Damir Mujanic of Refettorio and OzHarvest, plus Caness head chef Jorge Alcala, will each be serving their own take on the fabled Spanish sandwich.
Mujanic's version leans into his work with OzHarvest. He's stacking house-made ricotta with charred eggplant and cauliflower, ajvar, fermented pickles and green salsa, with a focus on using every part of the ingredient. One dollar from each of his bocadillos, and from every non-alc Conscious Drink sold, will go to OzHarvest, where each dollar helps deliver two meals to people who need them.
The rest of the lineup covers a bit of ground. Oliveira's "The Samba" is built around black pudding, fried egg and pepper salsa, drawing on his time working across South America. Duarte's "The Levant" brings in pulled lamb, herbs, and sumac, onion and amba aioli, while the house-made "El Clásico" keeps things closer to Spain with butifarra sausage, dijon, salsa criolla and pickled piparras.
There'll be wines by the glass pouring all afternoon, alongside gin and tonics, $12 Spanish beers and a live jazz duo. If you're sticking around for something sweet, the halva Basque cheesecake is making an appearance too.
It's free to get in and walk-ins only. The first 50 people to grab a bocadillo will score a glass of sparkling, and there'll be a few dining vouchers up for grabs while you're there. Everybody wins. For more information head to the Caness website here.
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Imagery: Joana Sousa