Antonio Cosmen
Asturian chef-owner who founded La Cruz Blanca de Vallecas in 2005, a reference for traditional Madrid cuisine.
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Antonio Cosmen Menéndez, an Asturian chef who moved to Madrid at 14, founded La Cruz Blanca de Vallecas in 2005 and became its sole proprietor in 2013. His cocido madrileño and fabada asturiana have won Spain's National Hospitality Prize (2015), Spain's Foods Prize (2016), and first and second place at Madrid's II Ruta de la Fabada (2016, 2017). In 2022 the Comunidad de Madrid awarded him the Cruz de la Orden del Dos de Mayo for his role as a reference for traditional Madrid cuisine.
Biography
Early years
Antonio Cosmen Menéndez was born in Asturias and moved to Madrid at the age of 14.
Career
Before striking out on his own, he worked at La Giralda and Casa Antón. He founded La Cruz Blanca de Vallecas in 2005, the only location of the Cruz Blanca chain with its own kitchen, and became its sole proprietor in 2013. His fabada asturiana took first prize at Madrid's II Ruta de la Fabada in 2016 and second prize in 2017, and in 2021 he won the Academia de las Artes Culinarias de Madrid's First Prize for Best Rabbit with Garlic in the Capital. He has also received Spain's National Hospitality Prize, International Category (2015) and Spain's Foods Prize (2016). In January 2023, Madrid Fusión honoured his cocido madrileño in a tribute to the dish's best interpretations, and later that year the Academia Madrileña de Gastronomía gave La Cruz Blanca de Vallecas its Premio al Plato Castizo for the soldaditos de pavia. On May 9, 2022, the president of the Comunidad de Madrid awarded him the Cruz de la Orden del Dos de Mayo, for his role as a reference for traditional Madrid cuisine and especially for his cocido.
Philosophy
The house motto is "cariño, tradición, esmero y la mejor materia prima" (care, tradition, diligence and the finest ingredients).
Restaurants
Antonio Cosmen in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Antonio Cosmen’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Premio Nacional de Hostelería, Categoría Internacional (2015)
- ·Premio Alimentos de España (2016)
- ·First Prize, II Ruta de la Fabada de Madrid (2016)
- ·Second Prize, II Ruta de la Fabada de Madrid (2017)
- ·First Prize, Best Rabbit with Garlic in the Capital, Academia de las Artes Culinarias de Madrid (2021)
- ·Cruz de la Orden del Dos de Mayo, Comunidad de Madrid (2022)
- ·Honoured at Madrid Fusión's cocido madrileño tribute (2023)
- ·Premio al Plato Castizo, Academia Madrileña de Gastronomía (2023)
Frequently asked
Who is the chef at La Cruz Blanca de Vallecas?
Antonio Cosmen Menéndez, an Asturian chef who founded the restaurant in 2005, is the chef-owner.
What is La Cruz Blanca de Vallecas known for?
Traditional Madrid and Asturian cuisine, above all its cocido madrileño and an award-winning fabada asturiana.
Has Antonio Cosmen won any recognition?
Yes. He has received Spain's National Hospitality Prize (2015), Spain's Foods Prize (2016), and the Cruz de la Orden del Dos de Mayo (2022) from the Madrid regional government, among other awards.
Where is Antonio Cosmen from?
He was born in Asturias and moved to Madrid at the age of 14, where he later worked at La Giralda and Casa Antón before opening his own place.
Where did Antonio Cosmen work before opening his own restaurant?
He worked at La Giralda and Casa Antón before founding La Cruz Blanca de Vallecas in 2005.
Has Antonio Cosmen's fabada won any awards?
Yes. It took first prize at Madrid's II Ruta de la Fabada in 2016 and second prize in 2017.
When did Antonio Cosmen become sole owner of La Cruz Blanca de Vallecas?
He became sole owner in 2013, eight years after founding La Cruz Blanca de Vallecas in 2005 as the only Cruz Blanca location with its own kitchen.