History of Tasca de Plata
Tasca de Plata’s menu is comprised of traditional family recipes of the Montes family. Business owner José Montes is of Spanish decent. His father Eugenio Montes emigrated from Obregón, a quaint town in Santander (northern Spanish region of Cantabria) when he was just seven years old. José’s late mother, Maria del Carmen Montes de Perez, was a native New Yorker, whose parents also emigrated from Spain. Del Carmen’s mother was from Galicia, and her father, Murcia.
José Montes- Owner | The fare served at Tasca de Plata isn’t the only thing steeped in family tradition; Spanish dance has been a centerpiece for generations. José’s mother, Maria del Carmen, was a Spanish dancer of legendary status. Two of José’s daughters, Mari and Lisa, studied under their grandmother since nearly their first steps. Every weekend Tasca de Plata patrons can enjoy a flamenco performance featuring Mari and Lisa, as well as other talented artists who were members del Carmen’s professional Spanish dance company, Grupo España. It is also worth noting that Montes was a former co-owner of Alegrias Restaurant and Banquet Center, a renowned Spanish restaurant in Farmington Hills, Michigan. |
A Brief Word About José’s Mother, Maria del Carmen . . .
Maria del CarmenMaria del Carmen was one of the flamenco legends who graced the state of Michigan. While living in New York, she was a contemporary of many of the “flamenco greats”-- José Greco, Carmen Amaya, and La Argentinita, to name a few. She also worked with several famous flamenco and classical Spanish guitarists such as Carlos Montoya, Pépe Romero and Juan Serrano. While on tour throughout the United States, she met her husband, Eugenio. They fell in love and married, settling in the Dearborn, Michigan area. In between raising four children (José’s sister Carmen Montes is a manager at Tasca) and teaching her love of the Spanish dance form, del Carmen was also largely responsible for establishing the “roots” of flamenco in Michigan. In 1981, she founded Grupo España, a company whose strength resided not only in flamenco, but also in the regional and classical dances of Spain. In the early 1990s Maria del Carmen was recognized by King Juan Carlos of Spain for all of her efforts in preserving Spanish culture outside of Spain. As such, she was awarded “el lazo de dama,” or medal of the dame, the equivalent of being “knighted” (title of Dame). 
It is with such tradition and love for Spain that Tasca de Plata aspires to serve its customers. Our mission is to deliver authentic Spanish food and traditional entertainment at service levels that are unmatched in the restaurant business.