The Pintxo Purist

Aitor Elizondo

Aitor grew up in the Gros quarter of Donostia, the youngest in a family that ran a standing-room pintxo bar near the Zurriola surf break, where he learned to emulsify bacalao al pil-pil by swirling the pan in slow circles long before he was tall enough to see over the counter. He cooked the txuleta grill at an Errenteria sidrería for eleven years, where the chop rests bone-in over embers and the cook does not flinch. Now he insists the Atlantic coast eats better than anywhere on earth, and the proof is a marmitako built from nothing but tuna, potato, peppers, and patience.

BasqueAtlantic SpanishPintxos

Voice · proud, precise, generous, coastal, a touch fierce

Signature Dishes

The essential curation of Aitor's favorites.

50 MIN

Almond-Crusted Cod Brandade Bites

Golden almond-crusted bites of silky cod brandade — Atlantic cod emulsified with olive oil and potato, shaped into small rounds and pan-fried until crisp outside and unctuous within. Basque in spirit, Provençal in root, fierce in flavor.

30 MIN

Rye Toast with Anchovy, Sweet Pepper, and Garlic

A Basque-style open toast built on crusty bread rubbed with roasted garlic, draped with slow-roasted sweet peppers, and crowned with salty Atlantic anchovy fillets. A drizzle of olive oil ties it all together.

45 MIN

Fennel-Cured Tuna Pintxo with White Vinegar and Olive Oil

Thin-sliced fresh tuna receives a sharp fennel and vinegar cure, resting briefly before being arranged on grilled bread and finished with warm garlic-infused olive oil and fresh herbs.

45 MIN

Pinto Bean and Tuna Skewer with Charred Bell Pepper and White Vinegar

Atlantic tuna threaded alongside hearty pinto beans, charred until smoky, then finished with a bright white vinegar dressing and sweet charred peppers — Basque coastal simplicity at its finest.

50 MIN

Arroz con Miel: Txalotsa Rice Pudding Grilled Until Blistered

A Basque-style rice pudding enriched with honey and finished under the grill until the surface blisters and caramelizes into golden crust. Txalotsa style means the pudding is spread thin to catch fierce heat and form that cracked, burnt-sugar top.

75 MIN

Tarta de Miel y Almendra con Queso Manchego

A rustic Spanish tart where nutty almond filling meets the subtle savory depth of Manchego, bound together with honey and eggs. The cheese creates a tender, slightly salty contrast to the sweet honey that glistens on top.

70 MIN

Tarta de Aceite y Miel con Naranja Asada

A rustic Basque-style tart where a crumbly olive oil crust cradles a rich, golden filling made from Atlantic olive oil and miel of the land, finished with caramelized roasted orange segments that bloom in the oven's heat.

65 MIN

Salt Cod and Eggplant Stew with Tomatoes and Basil

A Basque-style coastal stew where salt cod and eggplant meld together in a rich tomato broth, finished with fresh basil and a sharp vinegar lift. The kind of dish the Gros family would serve on a cold evening after the market.

35 MIN

Charcoal-Grilled Beef Steak with Garlic, Paprika and Rosemary

A bold Basque-style charcoal-grilled steak seasoned with a fragrant rub of garlic, smoked paprika, and fresh rosemary. The embers do the talking here — just good meat, coarse salt, and fire.

50 MIN

White Bean and Sausage Stew with Peppers and Paprika

A hearty Basque-inspired white bean stew with savory sausage, sweet bell peppers, and smoky paprika, finished with a swirl of olive oil.

25 MIN

Seared Scallops with Garlic Butter and Parsley

Golden-crusted Atlantic scallops finished with a proud garlic butter and fresh parsley — Aitor's way, clean and coastal.

75 MIN

Lamb Chops with Roasted Peppers, Rosemary and Thyme

Bone-in lamb chops marinated with fresh herbs, grilled over high heat for proper char, served alongside sweet roasted peppers. A fierce Atlantic approach to a classic.

30 MIN

Spinach and Chickpea Sauté with Cumin and Lemon

A quick Atlantic-inspired sauté where tender chickpeas and wilted spinach meet warm cumin and a bright lemon finish, all bound together in good olive oil.

40 MIN

Baked Cod with Tomato, Basil and Breadcrumb Crust

Perfectly baked cod fillets crowned with a vibrant tomato and basil topping, finished with a golden herby breadcrumb crust. A pride of the Atlantic, done right.

40 MIN

Anchovy-Stuffed Mushrooms with Garlic and Parsley

Proud Basque-style stuffed mushrooms where salty Atlantic anchovies melt into a fragrant breadcrumbs filling with garlic and parsley. The caps roast until tender, the tops turn golden, and every bite tastes of the coast.

45 MIN

Basque Tuna Belly Braised with Onions, Tomatoes and Sweet Peppers

A hearty Atlantic preparation where tuna belly is slowly braised in a rich sofrito of sweet peppers, onions, and tomatoes. The tuna absorbs all that briny depth while staying tender — this is what the coast tastes like.

80 MIN

Octopus a la Plancha with Paprika, Lemon and Garlic

Charred Atlantic octopus finished on a hot plancha, dressed in a bold smear of smoked paprika, bright lemon and fragrant garlic. The proof that simplicity and fire are all a good product needs.

45 MIN

Tortilla de Patatas con Boquerones

A classic Spanish tortilla where fluffy eggs cradle tender potatoes, crowned with briny boquerones that add a sharp Atlantic bite. This is simple done right — no cream, no shortcuts, just good product treated with respect.

45 MIN

Bacalao al Pil-Pil del Gros

Aitor's ancestral pil-pil — a glossy emulsification of olive oil, garlic, and gently cooked cod gelatin, wobbling in the pan like liquid silk. The pride of the Gros standing-room bar.

55 MIN

Txuleta a la Brasa con Piperrada

Thick bone-in beef chops charred over live embers, rested and served with a bright piperrada of sautéed peppers, onion, and tomato. The Txuleta keeps its integrity over the coals while the piperrada brings sweetness and bite.

55 MIN

Txuleta a la Brasa con Pimientos y Vinagreta Picante

Basque-style bone-in ribeye charred over live embers, rested over slow-roasted peppers, finished with a sharp, fiery vinaigrette that wakes up every bite of beef.

45 MIN

Bacalao al Pil-Pil con Patatas y Pimientos

Classic Basque pil-pil emulsion with tender cod, golden potatoes, and slow-cooked peppers — the swirl of the pan is the technique, the glossy sauce is the reward.

40 MIN

Esqueixada Salad of Hand-Shredded Salt Cod

Salt cod torn by hand into long fibrous pieces that hold their texture against the tomato and onion without going soft — the desalting must be done right, or the whole salad is too salty to eat. Olive oil and white vinegar dress it with the kind of clean bite that makes good raw ingredients taste like a deliberate choice. No heat, no cooking: just the product.

45 MIN

Piperrada Peppers Folded into Soft Eggs

Bell peppers and tomato cooked down with onion in olive oil until the whole thing becomes a loose, fragrant compote that could stand alone. Eggs are broken in and stirred low, folded rather than scrambled, stopping while they are still barely set and glistening. The piperrada carries the dish — the eggs are there to bind it and add richness, nothing more.

105 MIN

Salt Cod and Chickpea Garlic Potaje

Salt cod desalted slowly and torn into pieces that still hold their flake once they meet the chickpeas, all of it brought together in garlicky olive oil that coats everything rather than pooling at the bottom. Spinach goes in at the end, wilting into the pot and adding a faint green bitterness that balances the richness of the cod. A Friday dish that earns its reputation.

35 MIN

Mussels a la Marinera in Garlic Tomato Broth

Onion and garlic softened in olive oil until sweet, then tomato broken down into a broth that is loose and bright and carries the sea. Mussels go in with the lid on and are pulled the moment every shell opens, because a minute past that and the texture is lost. Parsley across the top, and the broth is worth a piece of bread to chase every drop.

55 MIN

Ember-Grilled Txuleta Steak with Coarse Salt

The cut rests bone-in over real embers at a height that chars the exterior without racing through the center, and the cook does not flinch. Coarse salt goes on before and after, garlic rubbed into the scored fat, olive oil only at the end. Parsley across the board when it is rested and sliced — proof that the Atlantic coast eats better than anywhere on earth.

50 MIN

Lentejas Estofadas with Sausage and Peppers

Carrot, onion, and bell pepper sweated slowly together before the sausage goes in, building the kind of base that gives lentils something to absorb over an unhurried simmer. The sausage fat threads through the pot, and the lentils drink until they are tender but not broken. No flourish required — this is the food that keeps a cook standing at the grill for eleven hours.

35 MIN

Charcoal-Grilled Trout with Lemon and Garlic

Over live coals, the skin goes on first and the fish is left alone long enough to develop a char that releases cleanly — no prying, no tearing. Garlic and olive oil are kept simple, brushed on rather than elaborated, and lemon cuts through the smoke with precision once the trout comes off the heat. Coarse salt, and nothing else is required from a good fish.

45 MIN

Atun Encebollado: Tuna Seared Under Sweet Onions

The onion and bell pepper are cooked long before the tuna appears, collapsing into a golden, yielding bed that smells of olive oil and something almost sweet. A quick sear brings the tuna to the edge of cooked, a splash of white vinegar cuts the richness clean, and then it all rests together in the pan. The onion does the work; the tuna just has to not be overcooked.

From the Pantry

Signature staples

olive-oilgarliccodtunabeef-steakanchovybell-pepperpotatocayennewhite-vinegar

Favorite tools

GrillTongsCastIronSkilletChefKnife

Reaches for

codtunabeef-steakanchovybell-pepperpotatoyellow-oniontomatoegggarlicolive-oil

Steers clear of

soy-sauceheavy-creamketchupbarbecue-saucecheddar-cheese

Flavor Profile

The Loves

briny Atlantic depthcod emulsified into silky olive oilchar from live embersslow-cooked sweet peppersclean vinegar bite

The Defaults

olive oil swirled low until it emulsifiesembers and coarse salt for any good cutpeppers and onion sweated to a basea sharp vinegar accent

The Avoids

overcooked rubbery tunaa broken pil-pilmasking good fish under creamtimid under-salted grillinginsulting the product