Rogelio

Nimzo, I don't know about Huy Savoy, but according to chemestry teacher and critic Raimundo García del Moral, the idea was developed by Dani and him based on the fritura style from Encarnación Godoy at Casa Joaquín, Almería. The aim is getting the fish skin, with scales, acting as a natural papillotte protecting the meat while it's being cooked at 182ºC in it's own steam without any oil contact.

Since September 2005. You now how picky Michelin is in Spain.

When Michelin spoke a few months ago all the fuss was about Subijana and if he was worth the third star or not. But the most unfair fact about last Michelin guide in Spain was not mentioning Calima, the new joint in Marbella by Dani García, formerly in Tragabuches. After a great meal there, IMHO this should be a well deserved two star. Located in the luxury hotel Meliá Don Pepe, the premises are huge, with a few tables facing the Mediterranean creating the prefect atmosphere for fine dining. The menu is long with the first par with plenty of amuses, aperitifs, starters and all kind of gimmick dishes and the second part is solid as a rock with superb and very thoughtful dishes. The weakest par are the desserts, good but not up to the rest of the meal. First dish arrive with el puchero and its croquette The sublimation of this andalusian stew, it was good but the croquette is one of the best ones that I've had in my life. Next dish was a gold ingot The most gimmicked dish, made with olive oil and gold dust, it had the perfect technique for the weakest flavour. Following was the Urta a la Roteña makis A delicious adaptation of this traditional dish, Urta is a local fish from the Cadiz bay usually cooked ina tomatoes, onion and potatoes stew. This dish had all the essences of the original stew but with a new and refreshing touch. Delicious. Cherry gazpacho with fresh cheese A García’s classic that was surprising when appeared but now is just another fruit gazpacho. Good but somehow out of date. Next was Tuna Tataki with sea urchins As good as it sounds, good tuna belly perfectly cooked Following came two oysters With oloroso sherry air and spicy tomato. The dish was good and well balanced with the sherry giving a nice touch. Next was a foie grass mille feuille with goat cheese. A hommage to Berasategui's dish with green apple and caramel, but not as good as the master's classic dish. Next was a can with clams, sea snails and other mollusques (sp?) I could have a ton of this, concha fina (local clam) and different sea snails with olive oil nitro pop-corn. This dish was both funny and delicious. Ajoblanco with roasted pepper, caramel and litchis sorbet. Though it's weird name the dish really worked, delicious ajoblanco with red pepper caramel. The litchi sorbet was both sweet and refreshing. Iberic pig's meat, fat and ear over manteca colorá. Delicious combination of different pig's fat that was so well executed that wasn't fatty at all. Really good. Lentils with cod A nice adaptation of the traditional Easter potaje (stew), served in a mini Le Creuset casserole the lentils were stunning and the smoked cod was good though the texture wasn't my favourite. Nitro witchcraft Pear nitro-sangría All this nitro show is staring to tire; it is the same in every restaurant, once you've seen it is always the same. There were two kids in the near table that went following the waiter calling him Harry Potter. The waiter was throwing strawberry foam over the liquid nitrogen and building sangria which was nice and refreshing but too alcoholic for my taste. Then a sea bass belly roasted over charcoal with the sea bass own fat burning over the charcoal and giving a smoked flavour to the belly in the tradition of the sardine espetos. Followed by the sea bass itself. The seabass was good but farmed. It comes from a farm in the Guadalquivir river where they grow them in the old estero tradition. Next dish on the menu was a pig's tail, but I changed it for the deep fried whole Dover sole, one of the innovations in the andalusian style fried fish. The sole arrives on a double Decker plate with the meat and the crunchy skin as a side dish. The sole is perfectly fried and the skin adds a salty and snack like taste. Once you eat it the plate is removed and below appears the remaining sole in a light miso stock with potatoes and tomato. Subtle and delicious. Then the desserts Broken tocino de cielo, flan alike. El Torcal de Antequera Chocolate, orange and rum recreating a local rocky landscape. Overall impression is very positive. It is worth to remark that after three hours of eating the meal was very enjoyable now that all menus seem boring and with the same dishes, here's someone with clever ideas and a modern interpretation of the andalusian traditions. There are some reminiscences of Adrià and Berasategui mainly, but Dani García is a name to look in the future.

Indeed that's a proper Paella Valenciana, I don't know if it's the best because I haven't tried it, but it's for sure an authentic one. People claim that the best of the proper paellas valecianas are the ones from Levante in Benisanó. I for myself have had the best ones in private houses. But if I'm being asked what's the best rice on paella (not the best paella), arroz con cosas, as Bittman points, it is the arroz con conejo y caracoles (with rabbit and snails) over vine branches in Casa Paco in Pinoso, that's the rice upgraded to delicatessen. You have to try it to believe it.

Nice report, thanks for sharing with us. After reading all your reports my impression is that you have been more focused on the preparations than in the ingredients. I for myself think that preparations and technique are important but nothing without first quality products and have missed a wider description on the different quality of ingredients in the different restaurants an countries.

You're my hero, having tripe for breakfast after six days of eating. I take my hat off.

Thre's some hypocresy on this BK statements. The producers can feed the animals with GM food and use clembuterol and other hormones to increase the weight but in the end they can not use electric shocks during the slaughtering. Why don't they worry about serving good quality food with no trans fats instead of making such marketing advertising about how ethical they are. In Spain the health authorities has demanded them for advertising hypercaloric food and breaking their compromise against obesity.

I'd go for the traditional and product based dishes. There are different options in the menu, so you can choose and always ask for an extra dish.

Go to any Club del Gourmet at El Corte Inglés and ask them to hand slice the ham thet you choose and they'll cryovac it for you.

Cánido, sadly, is a shadow of what it was. Duque on the other hand is IMHO the best option in Segovia nowadays. But I find Las Cubas a notch over for the cochinillo. A good option for cochinillo (so small that they almost look like rabbits) outside Segovia is A Trancas y Barrancas, in the little village of Tizneros, on the road from Segovia to Torrecaballeros. And the for lechazo (rasted lamb) you can try Figón Zute el Mayor (tinin) in Sepúlveda. I haven't tried the others that you mention.

In Sanlúcar, up in the Cabildo square Balbino is a must, one of the best tapas bars in Spain and their tortillitas de camarones are the finest in the world. Barbiana is also a favourite unpretentious but with superb papas aliñás con melva. Down in the Bajo de guía Bigote is a sure bet for fish stews and seafood, Mirador de Doñana is also worth a visit. In Cádiz El Balandro with it's long bar is always satisfaying and very cheap also Doña Pepa and Aurelio for seafood. Re Jerez, Casa Juanito for traditional stews and El Gallo Azul for modern and affordable tapas. Enjoy it.

It will probably be open till 8 pm, but it's always better to go during the mornings and tuesday to Saturday. As there is no fish on mondays. But this is a neighbourhood market, nothing to do with Mercado Central which is closer in style to La Boquería.

That's Casa Montaña, a nice tavern in a funky location but with a superb wine list and some good tapas, their anchoives are great. It's close to El Cabanyal Market, one of my favourites in Valencia along with the beatiful central market. So make sure to visit it if you're going to Casa Montaña.

After a few months living with this regulation I haven't find any different in the main seafood restaurants. Other thing can be in the low end bars serving boquerones en vinagre (marinated anchoives) and cheap japanese restaurants. I was last weekend dining in La Sirena, a superb seafood restaurant in Petrer, near Alicante, and asked Mari Carmen Vélez, the chef, about the subject. She's an expert as she was a fishmonger before being a cook and still has their own fishing boat and stall in the local market. As per her comments none is freezing their fish but are very cautious when cleaning the pieces. Other cook told me that everyone has a few pieces in the freezer just in case an inspector arrives, but I have been to Ca Sento, Las Rejas, El Bohio, FM... in the last two months and in none of them I've been served a frozen fish.

Me too, his chocolate 7 textures is a must.

Last meal in Ca Sento has left me with a bittersweet aftertaste. This was the first time that I visit it since Sento left and Raul, his son, has taken the ride of it. Product is still the same, but Raul is taking the restaurant into a more modern style of cooking and he doesn't always succed. The decoration has also changed and even if it's comfortable I don't find it specially beautiful. As I had phoned Raul previously to be sure they had some products when we arrived he informed us that he had made an special menu for us. This is what we had: Starters: Anchoive over roasted vegetables (escalibada) aubergine, red pepper and zucchini. Delicious pairing of the smokiness of the aubergine and the saltiness of the anchovies. Cod buñuelo, light and tastier deep fried puff cod. Foie grass with pine nuts cookie, good quality foiegrass and surprisingly good pairing with the pine nuts. Following came a whole plate of sea dates, this was one of the products that I had specially ordered as they're not easily found as their caught is forbidden. This were delicious with this taste between a razor clam and a mussel. Then a perfectly fried little tiny chipirones (little squid) appear, plenty of flavours and with some terriffic onion rings with squid's ink. They told us that this squids were in the sea five hours ago. One of the highlights of the dinner were this red prawns from Denia, amazing prawns just steamed to keep all the essences of this delicacies. Then some cigalas (langoustines) over sea salt crust that I failed to picture as I was more concentrated in the stunning flavours than in capturing the meal in pictires. This was the end of the starters and just-product based dishes. Next was an oyster with dry seaweed and chicken soup. The overall tastes were good but the seaweed was a bit dry on the mouth even if it quickly dissapears on your mouth. Following dish was a beautiful egg and Iranian caviar dish with jabugo jelly and a butter layer. The dish was beatiful and the flavours good, but somehow more pretty than delicious. The meal took over again with this tuna belly over roasted aubergine and ginger sauce. Tuna and ginger are great and the smokiness of the aubergine puree was a nice contrast to the fatty tuna. Great. The worst dish of the dinner then appeared and was this gorgonzola ravioli with truffles and crudities. Sadly the truffles were not very good and the dish was lacking of some balance. The main course was this roasted Mediterranean turbot with an outstanding crustacean that they called "cigala de fuerza", the companion was a pine nuts puree and a spring onion pickle that was a very nice contrast. They were on the verge to bring the desserts when we ordered a fideuá, a noodle paella that Raul ends on the plancha being the best version of this dish. Stunning. Dessert were some strawberries a la plancha with pineapple ice cream, refreshing and well balanced to build a great dinner with some low points on the creative dishes. My guess is that Raul is trying to fly from the traditional restaurant that his parents leave even though he was cooking there during their last years. The wine list is good and there are out of the menu some really good choices like the 2001 Burklin Wolf Tonel 71 that was a perfect paring with the seafood. Bill, ouch, is according with the quality of the product.

On the way to Zahara de los Atunes there's a place named Venta Antonio which used to be very good. In Bolonia beach, there's a chamizo quite nice, close to the Roman ruins. They use to have fish just out of the trasmallo (fishing apparel). Sole, gilthead, grouper, chipirones (baby squid). If you're heading to Cádiz, Sanlúcar or El Puerto there are lots of places to visit. Just ask.

Lamb needs to be feeded in dry areas, that's why lamb from Castilla is better than somewhere else. And that's where it's best cooked. We could discuss if it's better in Avila, Segovia or Burgos. But the basque country is not a lamb destination. So safe place for the seafood and why not, red meat. Re: Lamb temples, my favourites are Mannix in Campaspero (Valladolid), Nazareno in Roa (Burgos/Aranda surroundings) and Tinin in Sepúlveda (Segovia). Other highlights are Casa Cesar in Quintadueñas (Burgos), El Pastor and El Ciprés in Aranda (Burgos) and La Acreditada Fonda Los Caracoles in Lerma (Burgos).

Alameda in Fuenmayor is the best restaurant (classic) in the Laguardia area. Take a look at this thread In Axpe, the same little village as Etxebarri there is a lovely rural hotel with a very good restaurant serving fine traditional basque dishes, the name speaks for itself, where the silence is heard: Mendi Goikoa Barrio San Juan 33 48291 Axpe-Atxondo Vizcay tel: 94 6820833 fax: 94 6821136 E-mail: mendigoikoa@interbook.net Also in San Sebastián, the not to miss tapas bar is Bergara, in the Gros area.

It's not that bad, but at the end of the meal and mainly in the lower floor dining room there will be some people lighting big cigars. Just go and leave earlier.

Don't worry for your daughter restaurants in Spain are children friendly. Regarding, Sunday night in Madrid the best options are Casa Lucio (book well in advance), Rafa (Very good seafood restaurant) and Asturianos (Wine bar/Tavern).

Just another wanderful meal at Sacha. Escabeche oyster. Vapoonde cooked cockles with olive oil and ground pepper. Skate with vinagrette. Changurro (crab meat stew) with sea urchin. Lobster with little octopus stewed. Old style cooked potatoes with marrow and leek cream and truffles. Pigeon and mushrooms rice. Steak tartare. Black and white. Ice cream with coffee sorbet. Pictures talk by themselves.

Guitián is a wine from Valdeorras in Galicia, the winery is called La Tapada and Godello is the name of the grape. I don't know if this will be available in the States.

Adrià's been interested in asian cuisines for a long time now, thai, chinese, japanese... Even moroquian cuisinne has been present on previous years menus also. But Middle Eastern is the first time that I heard it. We'll have to see this year's menu.

Sanghay