The day after he was born in Madrid, 49 years ago, his parents took him to Sigüenza, where he has lived ever since. Enrique Pérez runs, together with his brother Eduardo, the head of the room, the family restaurant El Doncel, one of the gastronomic references of Guadalajara, distinguished with a Michelin star. He studied cooking at the Higher School of Hospitality and Tourism of Teruel, where he was first in his class, did internships at Zalacaín under the orders of Benjamín Urdiain, and at the Rodero restaurant in Pamplona. In 1997, after finishing his studies, he joined as a teacher at the aforementioned school. In 2001, he returned to Sigüenza to take charge of the family restaurant to which the two brothers have given a new life. They have two menus: Essence and flavor, for 78 euros, and the Gastronomic, for 128 euros.
Where to have breackfast
1. I like to go to Gustos de Antes, with a great coffee, churros and very good pastries, and a wonderful bread. It always smells good, like freshly baked bread. It is run by the sisters Irene and Rebeca Gómez and it is a place to give yourself a good treat. Address: Alfonso VI, 1, Sigüenza (Guadalajara). Phone: 949 39 17 17
2. Without leaving Sigüenza, the bar restaurant Sánchez, a classic, where we used to go as children to have delicious tuna empanadas, which they still make with the same recipe. Or a perdigacho (toast of bread, alioli and anchovy), one of the typical dishes of the city. It is the memory of my childhood. Address: Humilladero, 11, Sigüenza (Guadalajara). Phone: 949 39 05 45
Where to have lunch
3. I recommend going to the Mesón Sabory, in Hiendelaencina, near Cogolludo, where they prepare traditional roasts from their own livestock. The specialty is the kid, which they prepare to cry and it is advisable to reserve it. On the menu there are torreznos, picadillo, blood sausage, asadurilla, soup or stewed potatoes. Address: Pl. Mayor, 9, Hiendelaencina, Guadalajara. Phone: 949 89 90 19.
A coffee or sweet in the middle of the afternoon
4. Marus Pan & Café, in Guadalajara, a cafeteria that has been opened by the fifth generation of the bakery of Jadraque, which has been open for more than 130 years and is known for its bread rings. Address: Av. de Francia, 10, Guadalajara. Phone: 949 05 44 68.
Where to have a drink
5. In the pub Nerea. A classic, Jorge Zamarreño prepares the best gin and tonic in all of Sigüenza, and they have good music. Address: Vicente Moñux, 16, 18, Sigüenza (Guadalajara). Phone: 949 34 72 27.
6. In summer I recommend the Kiosco El Triunfo, in the Alameda Park, where Javier and Nacho Álvarez make brutal combinations. Address: Paseo de la Alameda, Sigüenza (Guadalajara). Phone: 687 62 18 40.
Where to dine
7. In La Duquesa, in the historic center of Guadalajara. It belongs to the Lino restaurant group, and has an informal area, with fun and casual dishes, where the cook Mario de Lucas touches the Japanese cuisine, with international cuisine dishes and a very good product. Address: Vizcondesa del Jorbalán, 10, Guadalajara. Phone: 949 25 38 45.
A product to buy in the market or in a store
8. Truffle and its derivatives. They sell it at TrufaZero, a company specialized in truffle cultivation and dedicated to the cultivation of truffles in their plantations. They make truffled products, such as cheeses, honey, whiskey or chocolates. Address: Pl. Mayor, 11, 20 Cifuentes (Guadalajara). Phone: 619 27 87 77.
A gastronomic ‘souvenir’
9. I advise buying beef jerky from the ‘angus’ cattle breed, under the GuadAngus brand, which the Angus Las Suertes del Monte livestock farm raises in semi-freedom in Mohernando, in Guadalajara. They also sell fresh meat. It can be found in the three stores that the Provincial Association of Farmers and Ranchers of Guadalajara (APAG) has in Guadalajara, Sigüenza and Molina de Aragón. Or in the online store of Alimentos de Guadalajara.
