Rogelio

I'm glad to announce that Cinc Sentits has just been awarded with their second Michelin Star. Congrats Chef Jordi Artal!

The chef from Can Fabes, Santceloni, Evoo and Many other restaurants has died in Singapore today. He was a great and highly opinionated cook. I can not find it right now, but Pedro Espinosa published here on eG a great interview a few years ago. Rest in peace.

More info here

Tickets will be open in February. But 41º (next door to tickets) opens today. This is the new snac-bar by Ferrán Adrià serving some of El Bulli's signature dishes. No reservations allowed so you'd better go early.

And on the last episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations in Madrid tehre are a lot of the usual suspects: DiverXO, Sacha, El Bohio and many remarkable others like Casa Salvador, San Mames... Check it for many other choices.

For the record, I have just had another great meal at Sacha. They are serving now a roasted bone marrow which is to die for.

The Dress code at allmost all Spanish restaurant is casual. Only La Terraza del Casino or zalacaín are still asking to wear a jacquet. I haven't been to La Terraza del casino but it seems to be in a very good shape, the first part of the meal are the usual El Bulli's gimmicks and the main dishes are more traditional cooking. If you're going to La Alquería you'll have similar dishes to La Terraza del Casino. Then if you're going to be in sanlúcar la Mayor, I'd try to go to Alhucemas, one of the temples of andalusian style fried fish. Then in Madrid, Sacha is one our favourite bistrots, El Bohio is a superb crross between the modernity and the tradition and casa Jose or R. de la Calle in Aranjuez are serving superb menus based on the local vegetables. Maybe a fish and seafood feast at Combarro, La Máquina or O Pazo could be a very good alternative to the ultra sofisticated cooking. I'm also very found of Illunbe a basque grill in the outskirts of madrid, serving great grilled fishes and superb steaks.

Diverxo is the hardes restaurant to get a reservation nowadays in Madrid. They serve a chinese/oriental approach to spanish cooking. As a friend defined it: "The food is neither Spanish nor Asian, but a creative interplay of different idioms in a very personal statement" I wrote something here when they opened on their former location.

Rice is only eaten at lunch on the Mediterranean coast. A meal at Paco Gandía would be about 50€ each.

It will always depend on the quality of the ham. A top Notch brand like Joselito, Carrasco, Sanchez romero Carvajal... are about 40-50€ per Kg. Then there are second brands like COVAP, Maximiliano Jabugo... I'd try to find a reliable supplier in order to guaratee the best quality. One of the best shops in Madrid is http://cuenllas.es/ the're not cheap but they serve worldwide.

Then Lizarran is a basque pintxos (tapas) chain, good if you're a budget traveller but not very interesting gastronomically speaking. Nou Manolín or it's cousin Piripi are compulsory visits inAlicante to understand why Robuchon started the La Table restaurant concept after visiting these places. Also Maria José San Román, from Monastrell fame, has created la taberna del Gourmet serving very good tapas and stews at affordable prices. And for a Paella, and if you have a car, make the short trip to Pinoso where Paco Gandía takes this traditional dish to an upper stage. Dársena is OK as they have a wide selection of dufferent rices price is around 30-40€ pp.

If you're looking for an Etxebarry lookalike cuisine Askua, in Valencia is your place.

I wouldn't calify any of these restaurants in the "Molecular Gastronomy" section, only Hacienda Benazuza and being very careful, could be categorized as MG. Sergi Arola Gastro serves classic cooking with a modern approach. Then DiverXO is IMHO the most exciting restaurant in Madrid nowadays, if you manage to get a reservation it is well worth the effort. I don't know how are the things going at La Broche since Sergi Arola left. Maybe you could consider Club Allard, Freixa or if you can get a car El Bohio as other interesting alternatives.

Benito Gomez, the former cook at Tragabuches has created his own tapas restaurant in Ronda, called Tragatapas

Josep Pla's "el que hem menjat" (what we have eaten) would be a great literary/gastronomic starting point, i don't know if it is available in english. Then "El Cuaderno Gris" (the grey notebook) the signature book from the same author should be a compulsory read to understand the people, landscape and leaving from this area. IMHO La Xicra in Palafrugell would be the best terroir restaurant in the area and Pere Bahí, it's owner and cook, has a book "sabor ampurdanes" that would be the milestone cookbook for the region products and technicques. Els Tinars, also would be another fine spot.

Botin is an asador, touristic, but an asador specially famous for their roasted kid. If ou're looking for red meat, Ansorena, Pelotari and Imanol are my current favourites. And if you're looking for roasted lamb, Asador Tierra Aranda is a good address.

Indeed! I have just came back from the press conference at Madrid Fusión where Ferrán has announced the closing for 2012 and 2013 and will be back in 2014. The format is jet to be developed but El Bulli will probably be opened the whole year from 2014 onwards, at least until 2020. Only time will tell how will it be after these two years dedicated to creativity and reflexion.

Indeed!, I have just came back from the press conference where he has announced the closing for 2012 and 2013 and will be back in 2014. The format is jet to be developed but El Bulli will probably be opened the whole year from 2014 onwards, at least until 2020. Only time will tell how will it be after these two years dedicated to creativity and reflexion.

Penélope Casas's is a good starting point, also worth buying is Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres. In a more sofisticated style you can check also The New Spanish Table by Anya Von Bremzen.

Villena for a modern approach and Cándido or Jose María for traditional cooking, obviously for the infamous cochinillo are the best options. Don't know about Salamanca, I'd guess that Victor Gutierrez is the best choice. In Burgos and for some nice tapas El 22 and El 24 are the two splited restaurants that were the former restaurant El Angel and now are a tapas and a modern restaurant, both at Paloma St, near the Cathedral, serving nice dishes and a good wine selection by the glass. Casa Pancho in 15, San Lorenzo St, near the Plaza Mayor is also a nice tapas place. Same as Bar Mayoral Hijo At 41 Avda. del Cid. For traditional cooking I'd go to Casa Avelino, in the outskirts at 58 Emperador St. Instead of going to La Solana, I'd take the car and go to Casa Gerardo, just a few miles away from Gijón and have a feast mixing both modern and traditional cooking.

Went here yesterday night after reading Pablo's praises, and must say that I'm not that enthusiastic about this place. We went early to try some tapas before the cinema (The weak and boring Inglorious Bastards, if you ask), the location is great, in the middle of one of the most crowded bar areas of Madrid. Wine by the glass was just two anonymous Rioja and a Ribera and after asking for their names we chose a caipirinha, also nothing to write home about, and order a few dishes: Mussels with chick peas and chorizo was a surprisingly good combination but sadly the execution was poor with some of the mussels closed and the sauce lacking of any depth, same as the Patatas Doña with fried onion and two (over)fried eggs. Last dish, pork ribs in tomato sauce was the best of the night, ordered half a portion whch was a good piece of meat, tender and perfectly cooked with a great tomato sauce and roasted potatoes. I wish the former dishes were as good as the latter. All this was 40€ for two which is a good price and the service was friendly and nice but seemed exhausted after their first brunch that they will be serving from now on every Saturday and Sunday. If looking for this style of gastro-bar I rather go to La Cantamora or Arzabal, two of the best bars opened last year, maybe bit more upscale than this, but much more interesting from a gastronomic (and wine friendly) point of view.

In fact the proper name is Patatas Mixtas, served with bouth sauces, brava and aioli. Patatas Bravas are served only with the spicy "salsa brava".

Hi Faine, I've been enjoying your posts a lot, and would like to add a few comments: These are not crab claws but langoustine (cigala) claws. And also have noticed that you mention the use of butter for a lot of pan fried fish dishes. I don't know about the dishes that you have had, but the use of butter in Spain is very rare, specially for pan fried fishes and I would say that almost all of them uses olive oil. keep posting!

Pollença is a shadow of what it was, in the port Na Rusia and Los Faroles are a must for local fishes and La Fonda in the old town for traditional and hearty mallorquian dishes are the best choices.

I'm afraid there's no cheese on those eggs, just french fries, egg yolks and egg whites (this could look like cheese but it isn't).