cuisine

You Can Almost Hear
the Bulls Thundering By

Pamplona brings a touch of Spain to Lafayette.
Story and photos by Jan Risher
Chef William Annesley, owner of Pamplona.
Located in the heart of all things Cajun and Lafayette’s thriving nightlife, Pamplona doesn’t serve traditional Cajun fare.

The chic and sophisticated Lafayette hot spot—a striking blend of dark woods, crisp linens, plenty of red accents and a touch of wrought iron Moorish detail—serves Spanish staples including paella, suckling pig, angulas (baby eel) and more. Even customers who have never been to Spain appreciate that Pamplona is what a restaurant tucked alongside the street of the great bull race must look and feel like.

Chef William Annesley, owner of Pamplona, is a native of London. He relocated to Lafayette, his wife, Karina’s hometown, after spending twenty years in Los Angeles working in the food and entertainment industries.

After spending many years keeping up with the latest in-thing in the food world of Southern California, Annesley was ready for a change of pace and to put some roots down. As an avid hunter, he appreciated Louisiana as a Sportsman’s Paradise. He enjoys combining hunting, fishing and cooking. In fact, he invites other fishermen and hunters to bring him their fresh game or fish, and he’ll prepare it as a meal 24 hours later (for the private party of the sportsman only).

“I like living in Lafayette. I like the hunting down here. I like the crawfish – the Best Stop boudin,” he said. “There’s a whole lot Lafayette has to offer. If I want to go back to a big city, I can fly home to London for a few days.”

“In Los Angeles, after two years, a restaurant isn’t trendy any more,” Annesley said. “I wanted to do something that would last. …I came down here for a wedding. I realized no one was doing what I do—and that Lafayette was a cosmopolitan city growing like Austin, Texas. You know, you can smell a boomtown.”

Annesley set out to create a restaurant he believed would fill a niche in Lafayette’s thriving market. He wanted to create something different, but something local folk would embrace.

“It’s tapas modified to complement Lafayette,” said Annesley. “I understood the Cajun palate. There needs to be an explosion in your mouth.”

Annesley is aiming high with his Cajun-modified tapas, but he wants the restaurant and concept to be accessible for the region.

“I really want to get away from the perception of being a hoity-toity dining establishment,” he said.

Thus far, the restaurant is getting rave reviews.

“Pamplona adds to the international flair of downtown Lafayette,” said Dana Canedo, executive director of Lafayette’s Festival International.

“It’s different, and I think Lafayette needs something different,” said Lafayette resident Debbie Ardoin, a frequent Pamplona diner. “You can broaden your Epicurean horizon there. You can’t understand the experience until you go.”

Dawn Cole, another Lafayette diner and foodie, was impressed with the restaurant’s wine list and knowledgeable staff, as well as the way the Annesley husband and wife team brought the entire dining experience together.

“They did a phenomenal job remodeling the building and giving it a Spanish flair. They incorporated the cuisine with the design with the architecture,” said Cole.

What are tapas?

Tapa comes from the Spanish word tapar, which means “to cover.” According to Chef William Annesley, the contemporary tapas culinary experience is born from the practice of covering one’s glass of wine with a slice of bread between sips in the taverns of Spain. The utilitarian bread was garnished with cheese, sausage or other toppings and evolved into the small plates or appetizers served as an ideal accompaniment to a glass of Spanish wine.

Jan Risher is a freelance writer based in Acadiana.

DETAILS.details.DETAILS
Pamplona
 631 Jefferson Street
 Lafayette, La.
 (337) 232-0070
www.pamplonatapas.com