Imagine eating your way through Spain. Sound fun? What if that’s possible without having to leave Charlotte? Marina’s Tapas is taking over their neighboring bar Substrate to serve tapas and a curated Spanish wine list.
“Both me and Alex — my business partner — love Substrate and we had been several times and they don’t serve any food,” Chef Andres Kaifer, owner of Marina’s Tapas and Customshop, explained to CLTtoday. “They’re like a stone’s throw away from Optimist Hall, so it just kind of made sense to do something with them.”
Spanish food celebrates family and community — something this takeover will bring to the literal table at Optimist Park.
“I feel like a lot of people are familiar with Mexican food and other Hispanic food. I think Spanish food, particularly in Charlotte, isn’t really very prevalent,” explained Kaifer. “A lot of the recipes that we’re making are recipes that were handed down to me, like the tortilla recipe is a carbon copy recipe of my mom’s. That’s the one that she makes often and I grew up eating it.”
The takeover is the first of its kind for Marina’s since opening its food counter at Optimist Hall in December. The takeover menu will boast items like croquettas (fritters), a tapa platter (with ham, cheese, and pan con tomate), flan, and cheesecake.
Editor’s note: Chef Kaifer will also be carving a ham on-site for the event.
Mark your calendar. The one day takeover will be Friday, Feb. 28 from 5 to 8 p.m.
