Celebrated Rocas ready to delight BBVA Compass clients in Phoenix, San Francisco
The Roca brothers of Spain’s celebrated El Celler de Can Roca are headed to the lands of blazing sun and foggy mornings, bringing their brand of culinary genius to BBVA Compass clients in two western U.S. cities this summer on their BBVA-sponsored global tour, which started on August 1 in London.
The three — Chef Joan, Sommelier Josep and Pastry Chef Jordi — are known in the world of haute cuisine for their wildly inventive gastronomy, which has landed El Celler de Can Roca atop the World's 50 Best Restaurants list twice, in 2013 and 2015. The brothers will shutter the restaurant for five weeks this summer for the BBVA tour. For the U.S. leg, they’ll serve multicourse dinners to BBVA Compass clients in Phoenix (Aug. 17-19) and San Francisco (Aug. 22-26).
“Each of the brothers has a thirst for innovation that's apparently quenchless, and it's been a marvel to see these three forces come together and create one beautifully cohesive experience after another.
“We couldn't be more proud to partner with three of the most accomplished — and endearingly humble and gracious — figures in the world of gastronomy,” said BBVA Compass Chairman and CEO Manolo Sánchez. “Each of the brothers has a thirst for innovation that's apparently quenchless, and it's been a marvel to see these three forces come together and create one beautifully cohesive experience after another.”
In San Francisco, a city known for both its gastronomy and its innovators, the brothers will fill the menu with ingredients emblematic to the city by the bay — clams, crab, sourdough bread, olives and, of course, wine. Josep and Jordi Roca both visited the city early in the year to source the ingredients. Guests will dine at the storied Julia Morgan Ballroom atop the landmark Merchants Exchange building in the city’s Financial District.
In Phoenix, the brothers will serve guests at the Four Seasons Scottsdale and rely on fruits,vegetables, a flower and a particularly prickly plant. Clients and guests will dine on dishes made with cactus, citrus, lime leaf, cantaloupe, watermelon, sunflower and peppers — all ingredients Jordi Roca discovered on his trip to Sun City in March.
Jordi Roca visited Phoenix to discover the culture and local products
“I’ve had the honor of attending the Roca dinners in four cities across the U.S. — Miami, Birmingham, Houston and Dallas — and I can tell you that our guests are in for an amazing experience,” Sánchez said. “It’s a complete thrill to see and taste the first dish, and the thrills don’t let up the rest of the night. The experience offers valuable lessons for any business, or for any individual who's trying to do something meaningful and lasting.”
In addition to the client dinners, and as part of the bank’s three-year sponsorship of the tour, the Rocas will also award two culinary students in each city a four-month apprenticeship at El Celler de Can Roca in Spain. The chosen students will study under the brothers and their staff with all travel, food and lodging costs paid for by BBVA. The students are chosen from those volunteering to help prepare the dinners for BBVA Compass clients.