Rogelio

The Week of June 21th, 2004 Joan Merlot signs this week the restaurant critic at Metrópoli and he reviews Piú di prima, the latest trendy italian restaurant in Madrid, he praises the natural and atractive simplicity of the dishes in a very posh ambient where you don’t know if the (Profesional) waiters are models dressed in black or just part of the modern public that fills the place. On the same paper’s magazine Álvaro Lerena presents La Lumbre , a new wine and tapas bar in the Ponzano area. And this week’s Top Metrópoli goes for dishes with Skate that make us remember the cried temple of the skate that was La Gastroteca de Stephane y Arturo. · Chantarella · Sacha · Polenta · Neo · La Taberna de Liria · La Tasquita de enfrente · La dorada El Mundo's Sunday Magazine includes an article about Herbs and Spices and the ways to cook with them. 5 a Taula, the catalonian group discovers this week Sant Pere del Bosc an atractive restaurant placed by the sea in an old benedictine monastey in the outskirts of Lloret de Mar. They praise the atractive, modern and mediterranean style of cooking by the self made cook Harry Wieding, who has being training with Joan Roca and Didac Lopez. And Elena Castells on her section Friday’s market writes this week about the Coca de Chocolate , the traditional pastry filled with chocolate cream eaten on San Juan’s night fires in Catalonia. Rafael García Santos at El Correo Digital writes this week about Taberna Zaharra, a new restaurant in Vergara runned by two couples where the women (Mother and daughter) work in the kitchen while the men serve the tables, as it used to be in the old days. They serve traditional caserio food with pristine products and modern presentations. RGS also reviews Robuchon’s L’Atelier and La Table in paris titled Joël Robuchon,Pret a Porter en París . The always polemic critic says that Robuchon “is, was and will be the number one “ and praises this new adventure of the french genius. Also interesting the particular Decalogueabout the virtues of traditional spanish gastronomy by chef Iñigo Perez (Formerly in Berasategui, El Amparo, and nowadays at Urretxu) where he points ten comandments like not to dress any salad without olive oil, use always ibérico ham and drink a glass of wine with every meal. Asturian paper El Correo digital in it’s Gastronomic Chanel includes a review on the popular bar and restaurant Nalon in Oviedo and the Sidrería Entreviñes in Colunga. And Pedro Moran, chef and owner of the starred Casa Gerardo in Prendes gives cooking tips like adding a few salt to all his desserts. Always teaching, Caius Apicius writes about Rocket , the new sensation in salads is and old friend of ours and he explains all the different herbs that have been used in salads in our history. If you want to discuss this thread, do it Here

Victor, there is a paella seasoning by Carmencita that includes safron, paprika, curcuma...and it is very popular even between the valencianos. I have to confess that I have used it but I'm not proud of it

Great post Eduardo, Sacha is worth a thread. Butifarra sausage with morels stew, Leg bone fleshy part of Valle del Esla's veal, Calocybe gambosa risotto or octopus salad.

The Week of June 14th, 2004 Fernado Point, El Mundo’s critic revisites Sacha this week at Metrópoli, the traditional bistro is still alive and kicking as always with new and traditional dishes. Among the latter, we can find the anglerfish and king prawn brochette, or what Fernando Point considers “one of the best steak tartars in the city ”. As an example of the new additions to the menu, Fernando Point mentions “an exquisite and tasteful asian roll stuffed with salmon eggs”. The entrées could be seen as “deceitfully simple” according to Point, but he remarks the quality and cooking point of a merluza al horno (hake cooked in the oven). This week’s Top Metropoli goes for creative dishes with sardines (follow the link to get details about preparations): La Taberna de Liria Balzac La Broche Casa Manolo Rianxo Soroa Chantarella El Olivo On the same magazine there is a review of one of our favourite wine and tapas bar La Taberna de Laredo a must go for quality tapas and all the brand new wine labels. Rafael García Santos at El Correo Digital praises this week the seafood products served at Restaurant Joan Gatell in touristy Cambrils (Tarragona). The fish stock used to cook the zarzuelas and calderetas is remarkable, according to RGS. He writes that the best dishes are the old dishes: “it’s a must to soak some bread in a hand made mayonnaise and in a genuine and primary romescu sauce”. The fried fish is something “you shouldn’t forget”, according to RGS. Itsaso Alvarez talks about the different Sausages and hams from different DOs. León’s botillo and cecina, Vic’s salchichón and Mallorca’s sobrassada are the sausages reviewed. On the Barcelona’s Forum website apears an interview with Ferran Adrià where he answers the same questions that had been asked to him for years. More interesting is this two months old interview where Adrià talks about his view of the future of the food at the hotels, ie breakfasts, hotel restaurants, catering... And the Weekend Magazine of the internet paper El Confidencial includes an interview with La Broche's chef Sergi Arola where he talks about everything including the future and past of the gastronomy and gives an interesting idea: Sponsorizing restaurants! 5 a Taula, the gastronomic group, writes at La vanguardia about Ámbar “a secret direction for connoisseurs” as they define this new and modest restaurant in the outskirts of Barcelona runned by a promising young disciple of Adrià. They write about the “rare perfection achieved by the desserts (in a such modest proposal)”, with the chocolate cold soup or almonds horchata with red fruits. Also at La Vanguardia, Elena Castells on her Friday section called Los viernes, mercado (Fridays’ market) writes this week about the small size eggs ,the best for the summer acording to her article. Caius Apicius writes this week about the delicious White prawns (Gambas blancas) from Sanlúcar de Barrameda comparing them with the more famous king prawns (Langostinos) and gives the recipe to cook them with rice noodles the way Elena Arzak does. One last addition, Finantial Times' critic, Nicolas Lander, writes about Eating out in Marbella and Ronda on his wife's page (Jancis Robinson). And this is in English If you want to discuss this thread, do it here

The Week of June 7th, 2004 Metrópoli, El Mundo’s supplement for Madrid includes a review of El Placer de Comer, a new and promising restaurant in the heart of Malasaña. Fernando Point’s review remarks the inspirative dishes with a touch of fussion and a very correct wine list. On the same magazine this week’s Top Metrópoli is dedicated to Roasted Sardines and liste their top ten places to eat them in Madrid. Unfortunately, the contents of Metropoli for other cities are not available on line. Also, in El Mundo Sunday's Magazine there’s an interesting Vinegar tasting made by Viridiana’s Chef Abraham García which includes a few recipes on vinaigrettes by Hespen and Suarez. El Correo Digital, the Basque paper includes a gastronomic section where the always polemic Rafael García Santos writes this week on Tubal, the wonderful restaurant of Atxen Jimenez and her son Nicolas Ramirez in Tafalla (Navarra). He also writes an interesting article praising the new dishes with melon as main ingredientcreated by top Spanish chefs. On the same paper there’s a frozen crème recipe and this week’s seasonal product article is for the verdel (Atlantic mackerel, scomber scombrus) also known as chicharro. Barcelona’s paper La Vanguardia includes a monthly supplement made by the group 5 a taula with a restaurant review that praises the new wine bar and restaurant Enoteca Bombaci at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. 5 a taula, which in English means five at the table, is a group formed by Miguel Espinet, Sergi Ferrer-Salat, Josep Vilella, Miguel Gay y Josep Maria Sanclimens. This group publishes a homonym column in the newspaper. And also an interesting article where Santi Santamaría starts the inauguration of the renewed Can Fabes. Asturia’s paper El Comercio take’s a view on el Mesón Restaurante Don Sancho, a popular restaurant with superb fresh seafood at reasonable prices in Avilés, and the centenarian Casa Zabala in Gijón. This week’s recipes are for Red Mullets and an interview with Alejandro Urrutia, owner of the restaurant Paladares. La Libertad digital, the internet newspaper always include a gastronomic article signed by the veteran critic Caius Apicius, this week is dedicated to the tapas served on the Royal wedding by Arzak, Adrià, Roncero and Jockey. Please notice that to read some of the articles you need to be registered. If you want to discuss this article there is a thread for that here.

There isn't much to add, Bux has got the point. But let me add that going out for tapas is more than a way of eating, it is a way of socialize, yes, you eat small portions or small plates, but something that is probably lost outside Spain is to go from one bar to another having their different specialities, ie having tortilla at this one and bravas at the other... Every region has it's own specialities and every city has it's own rute of tapas. And also let me make a difference between tapas and pinchos (Pintxos in vasque), even if both are from the same family, a pincho is something that you can eat with your hand, and of course you can have pinchos as tapas. As a curiosity, in last month spanish royal wedding, different tapas representing every spanish region were served as apperitive for all the guests before they took their seats for the lunch.

That's the galician speling, but also the name of the dish that is usually sold by the pulpeiras(the women who cook it in big barrels) at the ferias in Galicia interior.

Thanks Bux, great notes and wonderful pictures. I've always wondered how do foreign people aproximate to the deconstruction of traditional dishes if they haven't had the originals (well, I bet that you have had pulpo a feira before). Because it seems like a game where you play with the rememberings of the guest, and this doesn't exist in the visitor's case.

Bux, thanks for the links. The adresses are right, but don't know how often yhey are updated. The only amendment is that saying that El Garabatu has an aparcacoches ie car parking service keeps me laughing. It is just a bar with a few tables and a restaurant at the back, placed in a very popular and narrow street.

Even being a fan of Asturianos, this wouldnt be my first choice for sidra. I rather go first for El Garabatu in Echegaray, an old traditional asturian bar and restaurant with good asturian cider and specialities like carne gobernada, pimientos verdes rellenos de carne or cebollas rellenas de bonito that bring me mouthwatering back to my student years. For Chocolate con churros my first choice is Chocolatería San Gines near Arenal. And there is a new brand of Chocolatería Valor in Postigo de San Martín, also very centric.

Just one more thing, 2004 is a Xacobeo year, this means that Galicia and the Camino de Santiago is going to be plenty of pilgrims and tourists. This is good if you want to meet foreign people or want to go to festivals, but it's going to be hard to find albergues or B&Bs in that area. I would sugest going to Asturias and Cantabria rather than Galicia this year.

Bux, Thanks for the correction. That was exactly what I mean.

I am not local, but my Butifarra dealer has given me a list of Charcuterías and Colmados in Barcelona worth the visit: La Botifarreria de Santa Maria Carrer Santa Maria 4, next to the church of Santa Maria, sells excellent butifarras raw and cooked (With mushrooms, with rokefort, with foie), cheeses, hams, pbtes, and homemade sobrassadas (pork pbte with paprika). Look for the Can Pistraques brand (The black one is amazing) Charcutería Casa Pepe: Balmes, 377 Tf. 93 4171176 or Pza. Bonanova, 4 Tf. 93 4180087. They even have tables where you can taste the goods they sell. Charcutería Semon: Ganduxer, 31. Tf. 93 2016508. A bit posh, but an institution in Barcelona. It has a restaurant at the back. Charcutería Tivoli: Muntaner, 361 Tf. 93 2091980. For french cheeses and iberico ham. Charcuteria Murria: Roger de Lluria, 85. Tf. 93 2155789. Like going back a hudred years. The original Colmado. Mantequería Ravell : Aragó 313 Tf. 93 4575114. For duck related products. With tables where you can have a pair of fried eggs with foie. You are welcome

I gess the name is John Dory

It says that the olive oil for the french fries(?) is changed daily, and the fruit salad (Macedonia) has it's dressing apart.

Hey Jesús, glad to see you over here. And thanks for the Sevilla info, I'll add it to my guide.

Been there yesterday, and eventhoug it wasn't dissapointing not worth a visit. The place is what it says, a good quality fast food place, a cross between Pret a Manger (And it's spanish copy, Delina's) and a Burguer King. Oriented to the executives and business people who work in that area. Very modern, with screens showing Fashion TV and Travel Chanel, all very relaxing. Good and original sandwiches, Marinated Tuna with Romescu sauce, Mozzarella and ruccola. Soup of the day, dish of the day (Yestarday fried egs and chips), and really good hamburgers, with amazing french fries made with olive oil. Drinks like very good fresh made juices (peach and azahar) and half bottles of Cava and wine. Surprisingly good coffe. Good if you want a fast bussines meal, but far away from Adriá's innovative food.

Is not exactly the guide, but the same reviewer (Rafael García Santos). http://canales.elcorreodigital.com/gastronomia/

Bux, this is a tough topic. I have been lookig for a good proper Paella, (I mean the real Paella Valenciana, with vegetables, garrafos, rabit, chicken, snails...) for years. (And I go to Valencia every fortnight). I have fond excelent rices: - Rice with rabit and snails in Casa Paco in Pinoso (Alicante); - Mariner's rice with squid and prowns in Ca Sento (Valencia); - Abanda at Albacar (Valencia) and at Rafael (Castellon) - Rice with beans and turnip (This is not a dry rice, is more like a cocido) at Casa Carmina in El Saler (Valencia) - Rice Meloso with chicken and wild mushroms at El Tossal (Valencia) - Rice Calabuig in Casa Jaime in Peñíscola (Castellon) But I haven't fond a proper paella Valenciana but in particular homes. I have heard very good reviews from: Casa Pepa, El Poblet, Piripi, La Sirena y El Racó del Plá (All of them in Alicante) but I haven't visited them yet. As a funny thing someone was telling me the other day that he have heard about from a well known people who form a gastronomic society that dedicates every sunday to look for the worst Paella in Spain, and this is really a hard job , there are thousands of owful Paellas out there. The only gap I find in your route is Tragabuches in Ronda (Málaga), maybe you should make a change in your itinerary.

Go for Casa da Troya then (There is a review from Nick Lander below), it is the best galician restaurant in Madrid and apart from the fishes they have great seafood, always depending on the market. The hake and skate are superb. And you will be around 50-60 € with a moderate wine.

I used to go quite often to Rianxo 10 or 15 years ago (It was a favourite of my father) but the last times I have been there (2-3 year now) it seemed that the seafod had lost quality, and also the prices had turned stratospheric. It is also an uncomfortable place, always full with businessmen trying to impress their clients.

In madrid: Asturianos, Paulino (Both locations), El quinto vino, Entrevinos, El ventorrillo Murciano (Great rices), Montepríncipe, La taberna de Bilbao, Viuda de vacas, La tasca suprema... Even if the restaurant scene in Granada is very poor, but not the tapas, Chiquito or Mariquilla are a good option for dinner. Pedraza: El Yantar de Pedraza for suckling pig; and Codex Calistinus in Cañicosa (4Km away) for modern food in the Berasategui way Avila: El Almacén for innovativa food with great views, and Hostería de Bracamonte for roasted lamb.

Mallorca is one of the nicest and taughest holidays destinations in Spain, there are as meny tourists then hiden nice places to visit. The most beatiful part of the island is the Sierra de Tramuntana in the North west, where Fornalutx, Valldemosa, Soller and Deia are worth a visit. Restaurants: The best place for authentic renewed Majorquian food is Celler Can Amer, C/ de la pau, in Inca. For modern mediterranean style: Bens d'Avalls, Urbanización Costa Deià, ctra. Sóller-Deia 07100 Sóller 971632381 Koldo Royo,Paseo Marítimo in Palma, good vasque-mediterranean food with good views of the Palma bay For good international/mediterranean restaurants: Hotel Restaurante Read's, Ca'n Moragues 971140261 Road E-07320 in Santa María. Tristan, Puerto Portals, local 1. 07081 Portal Nous. Mallorca 971675547. Email: tristan.portals@mail.cinet.es Ca's Puers in Soller is a good option if you have a big wallet. El Olivo in Deia, a Relais and Chateux in the most beautiful village of the island. Wines: Finca Son Bordils, specially Son Bordils Negre, with the autocton variety manto negro AN(Anima negra) and Son Negre, The best Majorcan wines. Wines of Miquel Gelabert, a wide range of interesting wines. Typical Products: Sobrasada: Kind of pork saussage done with the whole pork and lots of pimenton (Paprika) Ensaimada: Sweet puff-pastry done with pork fat. Very nice but also hard to find a good one. Dishes: Sopas Mallorquinas (Vegetable and bread soup), Meat Filled Aubergines, cocas (The local vegetable pizzas?), Tumbet (Fried vegetables with tomato), Trempó (Vegetable salad), escalduns (Chicken with potatoes), arros brut (rice dish) and the mediterranean fishes (red mullet, llampuga)...

Hi Parisse, I have been looking for your askings and this is the info yhat I have got. There is a brand new Hotel&SPA in the surroundings of Gijón: Hotel Palacio de La LLorea (4*). It is by a 18holes golf course (La Llorea Golf) and has some hydrotherapy facilities. More information on this and other SPAs in Asturias (site in Spanish): http://www.grupoalessa.com/nextel/balneari...as/asturias.htm As far as I know, there is not any remarkable Thai restaurant in Asturias.

And what about the Cordero Agridulce (Sweetand sour lamb) which has chocolate in it's recipe.