A box of matches
He's from Madrid, but he's much better known in Barcelona than in Madrid. For two decades, Quique Valentí, a restless chef who also works as an entrepreneur, has been making his mark in Barcelona, where he moved from the capital to work alongside the great Fermí Puig at the legendary Drolma in the Majestic Hotel.
Throughout all this time, he never lost sight of his native Madrid. In fact, five years ago, together with his brother Carlos, he launched Hermanos Vinagre, a chain of bars that recapture the essence of traditional Madrid bars and have achieved well-deserved success, to the point that three more establishments have been added to the original location on Narváez Street.
Now, having turned fifty, Quique Valentí is moving permanently to Madrid. He's doing so to launch his own project, a small eatery with which he hopes to carve out a niche amidst the swarm of mega-projects flooding the capital. There's a touch of romanticism in his venture, but like any good businessman, he doesn't forget that a restaurant is a business that, to survive, must make money. This new venture is called Caja de Cerillas (Matchbox), a reference to the small size of the establishment, which seats just over twenty diners. Tastefully decorated, in keeping with everything he's undertaken so far, Valentí can be seen happily in the kitchen, which is what he truly loves.
The menu at Caja de Cerillas moves away from prevailing clichés and combines rediscovered classics, stews, grilled dishes, and remarkable desserts with Madrid tradition as a common denominator.
From fried cod fillets or tuna empanadas to fried pig's ear with spicy sauce or fried eggs with garlic prawns, and the sweet finish of anise fritters, there is a lot of good cuisine in this house, one of the best openings in recent times in the capital.
