Lamb Fries

Lamb fries

Sunday lunch at Noriega Hotel Basque Restaurant is a really fun time.  The weekday lunches and dinners have a fixed menu.  For example, Friday lunch is always Red Snapper and Tri-Tip.  And dinner on Wednesday is always Lamb Stew and Prime Rib.  Lunch and dinner on weekends always varies.  In reserving Sunday lunch for a birthday celebration Betty asked, “What is on the menu for Sunday lunch?” 

They replied, “Lamb Fries and Spare Ribs”. 

“What are Lamb Fries?” 

“Well, it’s hard to explain”.

“Are they French fries with lamb?  Or, fried bits of lamb?”

“Maybe you should google it”. 

So I googled it…to quote Wikipedia, “Lamb fries are lamb testicles used as food. One popular dish in the United States serves them breaded and fried. Lamb testicles are served in a variety of ...”

What the hell, I feel adventurous.  And Lia doesn’t eat meat anyway.  And they are also having spare ribs, which are really good.

We got to Noriega’s a little early to enjoy the atmosphere at the bar.  Some of us tried the famous Basque drink that is Vodka, a special bottled Ginger Beer and lime wedge, called a Moscow Mule.  It’s served in a hand hammered copper cup reserved especially for this drink.   The Bloody Mary’s looked great and I always love the Gin and Tonics like we just had last Thursday before for dinner.  But as I am still counting points, and I know there is wine on the table, I resisted the extra drinks.

Lunch that Sunday included a soup of broth and thin noodles instead of the cabbage soup.  Beans and salsa is always standard.  The salad was served with blue cheese and the fresh bread is always great.  The red wine on the table that is included with all meals (even breakfast) is fruity and cold and is enjoyable with the food. 

The first entrée that was brought to the table was ox tail stew.  “What about the lamb fries?” I asked.  The ox tail stew is for those that do not want lamb fries.  I love this stew, the ox tails are rich and tender and fall off the star shaped tail bones.  A bowl of lamb fries were passed around and most of us tried them.  They were indeed lamb testicles with no attempt to disguise what we were eating.  They are just sautéed.  I thought they might be breaded and fried, hence, “Lamb Fries”.  This was an Andrew Zimmern moment.  They were oval shaped and in different sizes.  The large ones were the size of the end of my thumb and the  smaller ones were the size of a small pea.  The texture and taste was that of a chicken liver in a hot-dog casing.  I did eat my share as well as my share of the roasted spare ribs that were served next, along with the best French fries.  It was a memorable lunch.  The food was good as always and we met some nice people seated next to us.  If you haven’t been to Noriega’s Basque Restaurant, you should go for the historic experience and the great food and company.