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Basque Studies Program Newsletter · Issue
55, 1997
For the bookshelf
By William A. Douglass
For fifty-nine years “Alustiza’s” was
a landmark Basque restaurant in Stockton, California. I
remember a most enjoyable evening there in the early 1979s
when Jon Bilbao and I were researching our book Amerikanuak.
As I recall, Alustiza’s was a precursor of today’s
much more common Basque restaurant as opposed to Basque
hotel. That is, Alustiza’s was a fine eating
establishment with an upscale decor. It did not have rooms
for boarders so each party was seated individually rather
than together at a common table. The cuisine included much
of the Basque-American fare found at the Basque hotel, but
also incorporated more unusual dishes drawn from Old World
Basque fare.
Mary Alustiza, married to Alfonso, son of the
restaurant’s founding couple, took more than a passing
interest in the enterprise. In her book The Basque Table. A
Cookbook, she fashions a treasure trove of recipes,
anecdotes, stories, Basque lore and personalities that
together constitute Alustiza’s rich heritage. The book
is liberally illustrated with Mary’s own charming
drawings.
The Basque Table is an open invitation to spend the
afternoon at Mary’s side while she stirs her soups,
balances her ingredients, and imparts her culinary secrets
while sharing her understanding of a unique family legacy.
It is an extraordinary experience.
The Basque Table costs $24.95 (plus $3.00 for
shipping and handling) and may be ordered from Azitsula
Books, 2494 Camino Tassajara Road, Suite 403, Danville, CA
94506. Further information can be obtained by calling
1-800-531-7419.
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