Rogelio

I shouldn't say that hollandaise and salsa española are the same thing.

I was planning a trip in that area last year which was frustrated in the end, but here's the recomendations that I got from local friends around La Garrotxa, a volcanic area with strombolian mountains and beatiful landscapes: - In Santa Pau, a beatiful midle age village is Cal Sastre and don't forget to try the monjetes de Santa Pau, a local pastry. - In Olot, Les Cols is the creative place to go, but La Deu is what you are looking for. - Vall de Vianya is got Ca la Nasia, terroir food at reasonable prices. Hope this helps as a starting point.

The week of April the 18th, 2004 Pedro Espinosa, our Forum Host, was in Granada eating and drinking in a conference called Jerez/ Alta Cocina/ Sherry and writes about the food and wine pairings and everything that happened those days. Fernando Point visits the new Hiden Japanese restaurants in Madrid, sushi bars like Nagoya or Sushi Olé. Álvaro Lerena discovers Taberna el Sitio, a tapas bar with a flamenco inspiration. Top Metrópoli goes for the best restaurants serving Feijoada, the typical brasileñian dish. 5 a taula discovers Can Xapes a select restaurant in Cornellà de Terri. Elena castells writes about Tripe. Rafael García Santos visitsEls Tinars in Llagostera (Gerona) where Eduard and Maribel keep the catalonian traditionas and Marc, their son, is in the new and modern direction in the same way that Echaurren. RGS also gives a quick view to the Madrileñian culinary scene, and in his opinion there are no big raising stars on the Spanish capital. Sadly la Seu de Miquel in Denia has closed, as it’s said in RGS's site Enrique Bellver writes about Garum, an eclectic restaurant in Marbella. Caius Apicius visits Martín Berasategui and is fascinated with the chef.

Great report Vedat. I hope that you'll get some time to post some pictures. I'm flattered to see my name mentioned as a reliable source for such a conoisseur like you. It was a great meal that one in Arce, with Iñaki serving the last becada of the season with a month old faisandage specially reserved for Pedro.

The week of April the 11th, 2005 Fernando Point writes about the new Per Bacco! a panitalian restaurant with quality ingredients opened by well known Boccondivino’s Ignazio Deias. Álvaro Lerena discovers the new Tasaca La Churra devoted to the roasted churra lamb and other castillian recipes. Joan Merlot writes about the Gastronomic Cervantesand the food references in his masterpiece Don Quijote. The actualization of old recipes by new chefs and where to sample this old dishes. Top Metrópoli goes for the best restaurants serving Mackerel. 5 a Taula discovers El Racó de la Cinconya a new restaurant in the Penedés wine area that combine old traditions with moden touches. Ramón Francàs writes about the comming of the Red Gold when talking about the Vilanova Red Prawns . Rafael García Santos visits the renewed Tahití in Logroño, the old bar has changed into a restaurant serving confort food as it’s best being the highlight their Tortilla and has moved to the popular Laurel street. RGS has been visiting Paris and recomends three growing stars. Airén is the new restaurant just oponed i Benalmádena by El Café de Paris’ Jose Carlos García and Roger Sánchez and praised by Enrique Bellver. Caius Apicius is very found of being in April and taste all the goods that the spring serves. Nick Lander was visiting Bilbao (See previous digests) and San Sebastián and was stuuning about the high concentration of top notch restaurants in the area like Martín Berasateguiand Arzak. (And this two reviews are in english!)

Just one note: Pazo means "Grand House" in galician dialect. Galicia is about 1000 miles away from Catalonia in the Atlantic coast, not the Mediterranean. Thats where the octopus with paprika and potatoes comes from.

Just one note: Pazo means "Grand House" in galician dialect Galicia is about 1000 miles away from Catalonia in the Atlantic coast, not the Mediterranean. Thats where the octopus with paprika and potatoes comes from.

Indeed he is. And here is an article (in english and spanish) about the art of eating tapas in seville.

On the email confirming the reservation Luis García asks when was your last visit in order not to repeat any dish that you have had before. You can notify about the subject in your confirmation email .

The week of April the 4th, 2005 Fernando Point vists the long time expected Europa Decó the new destination of Chef Joaquín Felipe does not dissapoint. Álvaro Lerena travels to northern Madrid to Cervecería Barrilón, a traditional tapas bar in a not that new area. Top Metrópoli goes for the best restaurants serving Pineaple. 5 a taula revisits Pekin, this classic barcelonian chinese restaurant is still doing good. Elena castells writes about Horse Meat showing that it can be both, healthy and tasty. Caius Apicius writes about an spanish whim Hake.

If you eat all this three dishes you will have no room for the rest of the trip.

I've had a very good experience at La Fonda Emilio in Les Borges del Camp, close to Reus, and also heard very good reviews of the new aq in Tarragona. Other options are La Morera de Pablo y Esther in Salou and Rincón de Diego in Cambrills, heven't been there but heard good reviews. And there is always the classics Can Bosch and Joan Gatell in Cambrills. Don't forget to report if you visit any of them.

The Week of March the 28th, 2005 Fernando Point finds El Patio de Leo , a promising restaurant in the competitive Madrileñian scene. Top Metrópoli goes for the best restaurants serving the sweet Pestiños. 5 a Taula recomends I Buoni Amici, an interesting Frulian restaurant in Barcelona. Elena Castells writes about the Catalonian Take Away Rafael García Santos visites Zaldiaran, and tastes it’s delicious truffle dishes. RGS Wonders about the Identity of the gastronomy and where is it going. Enrique Bellver discovers Antoxo a galician restaurant with pristine products placed in Torremolinos. Caius Apicius writes about the recent visit of the spanish chefs to Japan

The week of March the 21st, 2004 Hiden in El Mundo’s travel magazine., near the bottom of the article you will find very interesting tips on Santander. Lúa is a new and interesting restaurant with a daily changing menu as the only choice, in the same line as Casa Marcelo or Clarke’s reviewed by Fernando Point. Álvaro Lerena discovers Cherry, a mand stylish tapas bar in Salamanca area. Top Metrópoli goes for the best restaurants serving Seafood with vegetables. 5 a Taula discovers in L'Estanyol much more than a golf club restaurant. Esteve Giralt writes about the cheaper Oysters from the river Ebro’s delta, finding them with more meat and with a stronger flavour. Rafael García Santos writes about Roxario, in Astigarraga to find the best cod omelette. RGS also complains about the old mistakes that the restaurants keep doing. And on his website discovers the new Tragabuches. Enrique Bellver finds dissapointment at the well located La Restinga. Caius apicius writes about the war of Albarinho. And the differences between two galician D.O’s Rias Baixas and Ribeiro.

Gosh, that's alarming...I was last there late last year as well...and loved it. What did you have? ← If my memory doesn't fails, it was back in November, I had the Satay (fried noodles) with king prawns in a coconut sauce that I found more effectist than interesting and a tasteless rock fish (Mediterranean fish with asparagus, baby broad-beans and tender garlic shoots). OTOH the 2003 Naia from Rueda that we drunk was very enjoyable. Edited to amend the name of the dishes as I found the Website

Seu Xerea, IMHO was one of last year's big disappointments, tasteless and pretentious dishes , it could have been a bad day, but I'm not willing to repeat. In a minor league but still interesting: - El Tossal (Quart 6) Interesting and unexpensive lunch menu including superb meloso rice. Not that good for dinners. - Casa Montaña (José Benllure 69 Tel 96.367 23 14). This ancient bodega placed in the old fishermen area serves excellent tapas and one of the best wine lists in Valencia, It's got a cosy restaurant at the back.

The Week of March the 14th, 2004 Fernando Point goes argentinian visiting Two restaurants: Palermo Viejo and Trenque-Lauquen keeps the essence of the Old Buenos Aires in Madrid. Álvaro Lerena discovers the new Marisquería la Toledana a seafood tapas bar with few but good dishes. Top Metrópoli goes for the best restaurants serving Oriental Ribs. 5 a Taula discover the very sensible Uri, runned by tje young but experienced Oriol Calm at the Maresme. Antonia de la Fuente is annoyed by the high price of Peas, on the Friday’s Market Section. Rafael García Santos revisits El Portal de EchaurrenProving that Francis Paniego is on the right way. RGS also praises the role of the Gastronomic Guides probably because he writes one of them. Enrique Bellver presents the very suggesting Bistro Félix in Estepona where higly experienced chef Eric Guilbert coks two different menus, french and oriental. Caius Apicius is worried about the loss of a very simple luxury French Fries. New York Times included an article by Eric Asimov about Priorat Wines

The week of March the 7th, 2005 Fernando Point visits the modern Citra, a new restaurant where Elías Murciano shows mediterranean flavours with a few oriental touches. Álvaro Lerena discovers El Figón de Ribera, a tapas bar in the new and olimpic Madrid. Top Metrópoli goes for the best restaurants cooking Leche Frita(Literally Fried Milk) 5 a Taula visits Hostal Verdolet, to discover familiar traditions transformed in wonderful local dishes. Elena Castell complains about the High Prices reached by the vegetables due to this year’s cold weather. Rafael García Santos revisits Alameda, the wonderful restaurant in Fuenmayor (La Rioja) thet keeps all the regional traditions. García Santos also praises Sole as a delicious fish. Enrique Bellver writes about the new Timpanali a new tapas restaurant in downtownMalaga. Nick Lander writes on the Financial Times and on his wife's website about eating out in Bilbao (And this is in english) Caius Apicius writes about the little pleasures of Tartufo.

Hi I have just found this web showing a few tips about Jamón: http://www.aquisabemosvivir.com/

The Week of February the 28th, 2005 Fellow eGulleter Jesus Barquín along with Alvaro Girón have been writing about sherry for a while but now they have listed their favourite bars and restaurants in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz). Fernando Point pays a visit to the new Olsen, the spanish branch of this succesfull argentinian restaurant. Álvaro Lerena visits La Taberna Fantástica, a very literarial tapas bar in the popular area of la Concepción. Top Metrópoli goes this week for the best restaurants using Honey in their desserts 5 a Taula visits El Buffi in Solsona, a restaurant runned by four cooks very academicists. Rafael García Santos travels to North Barcelona to eat at El Casals a family runned restaurant and hotel where the Rovira family cook the products that they grow. Enrique Bellver praises the growing Alabardero Resort in Benahavís. Caius Apicius writes this week about Chicken.

To preserve it from dryness.

Jamón is perfectly matched with Fino Sherry or Manzanilla.

The Week of February the 21st, 2004 Fernando Point reviews the reborn Yuan that is the good and promising chinese restaurant replacing the decepcionating Xian. Alvaro Lerena discovers La Taberna de Pedro is a new tapas bar runned by the very gastronomic family García de la Navarra. Top Metrópoli goes for the best restaurants serving roasted pork Ribs. 5 a Taula revisits the classic Boccatti wich has been serving for 26 years the best seafood and vegetables in Vic. Fridays market is dedicated to possibly the best bean in Spain, the Ganxet Beans. Rafael García Santos Agorregui, the best budget settled menu in san Sebastián. And writes about Berza, the local cabagge on his weekly article. Caius Apicius writes in his ironic style about Food Traceability and it’s incongruencies.

Spending half of my life in Valencia, I had always delay to pay a visit to Ca Sento because it was so close that I could go anytime and in the end I was never finding the time to go. So last week we took the decission to have lunch there. Since Raul Alexandre (Just awarded with the national gastronomy prize) has taken the place his mother in the kitchen the restaurant has turned from a local house specialized in seafood, rices and fideuas to a product devoted top modern cuisinne restaurant. The location is unasuming and the place is small with just nine tables and an open to the room kitchen where you can see Raul surrounded by his staff including a japanese chef, working between the pots. The menu offers several settled menus to choose, two aperitive menus based on seafood, a tasting menu and a la carte where you can have the seafood by weight, rices and fideuas. We chose the tasting menu as we thought that this was the best way to sample Ca sento's style. Sento, Raul's father is the maitre d' and acts like a captain in a boat, comanding the waiters and dealing with the costumers about what have arrived today, told us that we had to wait 20 minutes to be served because everybody seemd to have arrived at the same time. We had no hurry so didn't care and asked for a glass of cava, sadly there was no cava or champagne by the glass and offered vermouth or manzanilla that we had while we chose between a very good but overpriced wine list a Ribeiro Viña Mein 2002. Maybe because we were easy going or whatever Sento told us that he had placed our table next in the line so we hadn't had to wait those 20 minutes and started the meal. The tasting menu is composed of three aperitives, eight dishes and two desserts. The aperitives started with a tasty buñuelo de bacalao (codfish fritter), a soft and tender ancohive with spring onion and a red Denia prawn boiled to a point that it looked rew but was cooked to perfection; really delicious. (This beauties where 90€ a kilo at the local market the same morning) The main courses started with a scallop with vegetables and a sauce of it's male part, simple and delicious. followed by a deep fried foie grass flan presented on a spoon with maldon salt and cucumber, tasty and well realized but... why does all the spanish chefs have to include foie gras in all their menus? The next dish was a potato creppe containing chopped lobster and served with a lobster broth that was both tasty and reconforting showing a great technique devoted to the best product. Like the pan fried tuna belly with soy sauce that followed, so simple, so well cooked, so delicious. Next came the best dish of the meal, sea date mussels (Lithophaga lithophaga) with a jelly envelope made with their inner water and surrounded by a deliciously contrasting garlic soup. Really amazing, they didn't taste like the sea, thew were the sea. The only thing to regret is that I'm afraid that this is a protected specie. Then came a sea bass with a vainilla foam that turned to be a disapointment, the sea bass was almost tasteless and the vainilla foam was overpowering the sutile flavour of the fish. Fortunately the next course, a baby squid and prawns imaginatively pan fried fideuá was another highlight with a deep seafood flavour and a soft burned taste. The last main dish was a very good rumpsteak that seemed a bit out of place in that menu, it was a very good piece of meat cooked perfectly rare but strange in a seafood festival like that. I guess that all the menus need to include a meat dish. The desserts were both delicious, a clementine soup with icecream was a refreshing wink to the local fruit followed by an original and delicious deconstructed tiramisu. The overall impresion is of a very good and serious restaurant offering a cutting edge cuisine with a superb and almost impossible to find product at a severe prices (that I was very happy to pay), but next time I will chose one of those aperitive menus and a rice or a fideuá that I think that will show better the spirit of the restaurant.

Hi, I have just seen this thread,and would like to add a few things about this subject: - Paella is not a dish but a pan (Paella means pan in catalan lenguage) - The real name of the dish is Paella Valenciana (obviously valencian paella) pronounce it Pie ay yah as FornoBravo said. - There are three important things about cooking a paella: 1) The Fire (should be open wood fire, but it's not always possible) 2) The Rice (Round grain, the bomba rice is very convenient) 3) The Water (The harder, ie the most calcium carbonated, the best to allow a proper rice cooking point) And please try to make the paella as a thin layered rice so all of it is cooked on the same point. This issue has been disscused here on the spanish forum: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=16984&st=360