dfunghi
-
Posts
378 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by dfunghi
-
-
Although Atrapolo lists many hotels we have recieved a string of "Sorry we are full" e-mails. May 8th is race day in BCN and will be very crowded. We have found a room at the Hotel Actual. http://www.hotelactual.com/
Anyone know of this place and have any thoughts?
Thanks,
David
-
Live Prawns from B.C. Canada and from California are in decent supply here in California. It is not uncommon to find live santa barbara spot prawns for sale at our local farmers market several times a year. The tanks in the really excellent Chineese seafood palaces here in California have live shrimp and prawns often on the menu. Sometimes as cheap as $15 per lb ( about 40 euro per kilo) .
Love the photos Doc.
David
-
Doc, My wife and I enjoyed a great meal there in 2000. We had the usuall fare plus a great local white wine. Did not remeber the name of the restaurant but your photos brought me right back . The town was recommended by a waiter in a restaurant in Madrid when we told him we were headed to San Sebastian. One of our favorite expeiences in Spain was sitting by the seaside enjoying great fresh fish and leisurly eating lunch for 2 hours or so. Spending as much $$ as a dinner usually cost's. Was sort of an epiphany meal for us. Not a typical lunch for us, certainly not at home in U.S.. Really enjoyed the whole town and also checked out the fish market. Nice modern and clean. The aroma of grilling fish was everywhere and I can still make my mouth water when I think about it. Thanks for the photos which evoked such great memories.
David
-
Raw Morels! Yuck! Why not serve that with some raw eggplant and boiled cukes.
To clean mushrooms is tricky and all are different. Morels , when fresh and firm will hold up to a little rinsing imediatly befor cooking. I spin dry mine in a lettuce spinner. Chanterelles if they are already a little wet will turn to mush if washed, if they are dry and "solid" they will only absorb water on outer edges and most of the mushroom will stay firm. Black Trompette will hold up to a rinsing under same contiions as Morels. Boletes can be rinsed as well but try not to get the spore mass ( under cap) wet it is highly absorbant. This is true of most all mushrooms , the gills are highly absorbant so try to avoid wetting. Any solid , firm fleshed mushroom that is not porous can be rinsed. Always do this right before cooking and if mushrooms are wet use high heat for first few minutes to coax the water from them. All this being said the best way to clean is patience and a brush and a paring knife if possible. Many variety may be "peeled" as well. I have one customer that uses a high pressure air hose to blow them clean and another that puts them in a net bag and vacumes them. My rule of thumb is if it is not a gritty or sandy dirt and wont crunch when eaten I usually can tolerate a little dirt. Wet, mushy, washed mushrooms can always be turned into soup or rissoto ( or any rice dish) if they are too wet.
Bon Apettite,
David
edit for content DW
-
Hi Russ, Nice to see you. I have not been on the California board for a long time. Planning a trip to Spain next April so have been enjoying this board a great deal. Never see you at the market anymore?? There will be a new stand soon with processed market foods including some mushroom sauces as well as other things. Sorry to intrude on the asparagus topic. Soft white asparagus is so devine and never tastes canned to me. However here in US I find the local California white to lack the flavor of the European as well as being way, way , overpriced. About 15 Eur. per Kilo. Okra, Leafy greens, eggplant, and stewed greenbeans in olive oil and tomato are just a few excellent "soft" veggies.
David
-
Well a new wrinkle has developed. Appearantly may 8th ( sunday) our last night in Spain is the BCN Formula One race. Hotels are filling up and no discounts. We will try to rent the same apt we have in begining of trip for only one night or else it looks as though we will take what we can get. Staying in the city is as easy as by the airport it appears so we are looking at many choices. Some are full already.
David
-
Bux, Pedro,
We fly into BCN from Santiago on Sunday afternoon and leave BCN Monday AM so our thinking was it would be easier to stay near airport and bus or taxi into city for fun and not have to schlep all our bags ( including all the things we bought in the last 3 weeks of being in Spain) back and forth. Our Sunday night choices will be limited I'm sure so we will find out whats open when we are there during first leg of trip.
We are checking out the Trypp and also Minotel Ciutat del Prat near BCN.
Thanks,
David
-
Hi All, We need a hotel for our last night in BCN preferably near or at the BCN Airport. We leave at 0920 on a Monday. Charm not important, but comfort is. Any suggestions?
TIA,
David
-
"A digression here: in general, wild fruits and greens are the best, but for a number of plants it's obvious that pruning and other cultivation techniques devised by man have enormously improved the product: without pruning and cultivation, we wouldn't have any wine or olive oil! (Or, rather, we might have wine and olive oil... but very bad, and very little of it.)"
Wild foods yes , wild wines no! Vinoculture is the worlds most important asset IMHO. Without wine why bother leaving the house. You make an excellent point. As well as proving your prowess as a fungophile. We too have had major problems with the new breed of "pickers", even so much as using gas powered leaf blowers to remove all the mulch and leave the mushrooms standing alone. Of course that will be the last harvest for many, many years. The US Forrest service tries to regulate picking but they seem more interested in how they can make $$ then preserve the hunt.
Regards,
David
-
As some may gather by my username Mushrooms are a big part of my life. I work with a network of wild harvesters in the western USA and grow Shiitake's. I work several days a week year round at Markets in Califrornia selling. I have been welcomed into Truffle hunters homes in Peidmonte and a Porcini hunters "lair" in Tuscany because I carry photos of myself picking or selling mushrooms. Mushroomers are alike the world around. I have been following this thread with great interest and look forward to next Spring in Spain. Here in US we are waist deep in Chanterelles and some other's are starting up. Boletes, Cauliflower, Black Trompette, Matsutake plus many lesser varieties. We just finished a big bowel of Chanties saute` with shallots tossed over spinach until just wilted. I also dabble in wild Huckelberries, although this year has been a dissapointment. My "client " list includes several well known restaurants and sevreral really well known Hollywood celebs, and many foodies. Wild foods , mushrooms, berries, greens, etc. are the best foods in the world IMHO. Beyond Bio dynamic / Organic , nature determins the size and quality of the crop. The thrill of looking all day for that special patch, then hitting a great spot where you can return for weeks to pick is a joy. It is also a lot of work. Very rewarding work on many levels including financialy.
Happy Hunting,
David
-
Just like to add a little here to the topic.
Perhaps what Spain has is a national "Eating" style. No where else do you find Tapas / Pinxtos and these you find in every corner of Spain. However varied the dishes may be they are all consumed the same way. Also perhaps the vast regionality of the food is its national identity. No place I have been ( Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, UK, USA, Mexico) have I ever seen such abrupt and definitive changes in landscape, food, dialect as I have in Spain. To us this was a unique charecteristic of Spain. A quite enjoyable one at that. There is a Spanish sensability to enjoying food that seems nationwide.
In addition let me add to the second part of the topic. Forget France, Greece has the most single identifiable and nationwide cuisine I have seen. From the Cyclades to Macedonia it is all very similar with almost no regionality. A village salad is the same all the country over as are Dolmades or Pastitsio to name a few. Just my 2 cents.
David
-
This all sounds so good! Im in the right area and have found the right restaurants. Nice wine pairings at cinc. If Jordi reads this let me offer to bring some real old German wines that just love to go with Fois. '64 Finst Auslese ( Karthauserhoff) '71 Von Simmern BA, too name a couple. I have to see i think I have some '67 Von Shubert as well. BCN sounds like a great city. I cant wait.
David
-
Hi all
First I would like to say that this is by far the best of the egullet forums I have used. Such elobarate descriptions and updated information.
I have a couple of requests.
Besides all the amazing creative chefs in and around BCN we are looking for older more traditional type places too, with more basic foods. Great Polpo, roast baby lamb or piglet, terrific steaks. That type of food plus Catalan cookiing I know nothing about. Such as stews and soups, etc. I know very little about the cooking of this part of the world and wish to learn. My maternal grandfather was Catalen (how they spelled it) French. Sadly, I barely knew him. Ambience of the restaurant is less important than the execution of the kitchen. Price is not an issue although about 30 euros per person is ideal.
Secondly I see so many people go to El Buli, yet we were told by E.B. that our reservation request for April would have to be rerequested in Oct. and probably will go unfilled. Due to high demand for 2005. So what is the secret to getting a table for 2 at E.B.? Of course we will try again in Oct. with a 5 day range of dates we could go. We have been told by a couple of places we tried via E-Mail that it is too soon to reserve for next April so I ask you all how far in advance will work?
I also have questions about BYOB in BCN. I have a decent cellar here in USA and would love to drink older red's and really old Germans with the great food in BCN at the really great places written about here. Is it possible to BYOB in BCN? Or do I leave the old Burgs and TBA's home? I would happily share these great wines with the restaurant since my wife and I drink very little.
I was told about a restaurant that specialized in mushrooms ( setas) in the Pyrenees area but can not remeber the name. Does anyone have a clue about this? Is April a good time for mushrooms in Spain? We get a nice Bolete ( cepes, porcini ) crop in the western US in May and June as well as a nice Morel crop. Does this hold true for Spain as well? Nothing like Asparagus and Morels with other spring delights.
We are only in BCN for 6 nights so we need to choose carefully. I know we want to go to Cinque ( sp ? )The restaurant of the family that posts here. It sounds wonderful and Egulleters like Slow Foodies are never a disappointment.
I lok forward to the advice and to passing the next 7 months whetting my appetite and anticipating BCN.
We spend the next 2 weeks after BCN traveling to Galicia via Roses area for a couple of great meals, San Sebastian for a return visit ( Arzak first trip MB this one ) to my favorite beach city in Europe, followed by a couple of days in Picos De Europa ( Sotres, Cain area) and off to the last few days in Galicia. We could use some rec's for Galicia as well. Probably set up in Santiago for 3 nights and have 2 or 3 to stay elswhere. We have 15 days total after BCN.
BUX, I am in California now but born and raised in NYC so I look forward to exchanging thoughts on food with you. We can compare notes on NY and you obviously know much about Spain. My last restaurant Job in NY was with Brendan Walsh at Arizona 206 . I left for west coast in '88
Thank You All,
David West,
AKA "The Mushroom Man"
California USA
Edited for content DW
-
Apples and Oranges. Different pallets will "taste " foods differently. Each country has its own wonderful cuisine and it is hard to declare that ones haute is better than anothers centuries old and vice versa. As to wine '78 G Contrno Borolo was divine but no more so than th '61 Gran Reserva I had ( producer eludes me at the moment) which was equally stunning. Iberico gran reserva ham is one of the finest things I have ever eaten as was borolo cured homemade salumi in Liguria. The baby lamb in Spain , so tiny, so yummie. The large whole Cuttlefish with sepia in Amalfi equally yummie. I could go on forever. BTW Robert Parker and his followers may not be the best judge of anything, specially food and wine IMHO
Of course National Pride wil always make things taste better.
Happy Eating ,
David
-
Disregard prior post please. I found the list as well as a sept 2004 update. April 2005 is so far away how will I ever wait??
THanks all for your deligence in finding and sourcing all the info. Was last in S.S. sept 2000 and loved it.
David
-
I'll follow this up with a compendium of recommendations from others with my comments.
I saw this post from Bux from a year ago and wndered if said list was ever posted??
David
-
Wow this is a great thread!! My wife and I wil be in BCN April 2005 for our 10th anniversary. We are staying just 2 blocks off Plazza Cataluna ( good choice?) in an apartment
http://www.gobcn.com/PASEO_DE_GRACIA/Paseo_de_Gracia.htm
for 95 euros a night. Six nights. One block from P. Gracia . We will not have a car until we leave and head for Figueres. We will probably go to Colibri for sure and would like one other top shelf reccomendation that is in town. What we really need are Rec's for little special places that are much more affordable. A friend said to try La Sopeta Una, but I couldnt find anything on the web. Any help? Any thoughts on this place? I know it is 7 months away but we like to plan, and the planning helps whet the appetite for all this travel.
We will be going to the Pyerenes after BCN so we are open to suggestions. Then it is off to San Sebastian for a return visit, we were there in 2000 and loved it. Then we were going to go into the Picos De Europa: Cain, Sotres, Valdeon, anyone know if it will be snowy then. We were there in Sept last time and it was glorious weather. From there it is off to Santiago and Galicia. We have about 2 weeks after we leave BCN. Any Galicia rec's for fresh seafood?
Thank you all ,
David
I am in Los Angeles USA if anyone needs advice.
-
Thanks Andrea. We will be on our way to a camping trip so nothing quite so heavy as a 7 course maybe. Plus we will be driving alot before and after the meal. Any other recs? Unless of course you are saying this is a "do not miss" type place in which case we can do it. As to Westminster it is great but about an hour form me so I dont get there often enough.
Thanks
David
-
In regards to cheese there is a great place I never pass up when in East bay. On San Pablo just off University. It is called something like the Country Cheese Store. It has an amazing selection and great prices and is family owned and operated. No politics, just food. A small meat counter in the rear as well with real, impoted from France, french salumi. You who live in Bay area are soooo lucky. Here in LA we have very little that compares to the food shops of B.A. and they are spread over many miles and hours of traffic. I would like to add a great burrito joint as well ( if it is still there) not far from the old Spengers the name eludes ( Il Piquante maybe) me but when I went there the first time and ordered the steak burrito they asked how I wanted my steak done. I was floored!
David
-
Hi all , I will be passing through S.J. next Tuesday (17th) and would like to get some lunch at a great Viet restaurant. We have good pho here in So.Cal but I am looking for more diverse menu. Like the wonderful pancake type things and duck salad, etc. I have been to a place on Santa Clara ave years ago near the great BBQ ( william something is his name) place. Like 6th and S.C. But do not remeber name of place or if it is still any good or even still there. Any suggestions ? We are adventurous eaters. The whole reason for the stop is to get some ducks and ribs from the BBq place for our camping trip to Big Basin that week. It will be around lunch time though so hope to eat as well. Decor or service not important to us , food, cleanliness is.
TIA
David
-
I have always liked Hang-Ah in chinatown. No ambeince, in a basement, but really fresh good food.
D
My Bay area freinds swear by a place in Oakland but I do not remeber the name. Maybe someone else will know the place. It is huge and crowded. Golden something maybe?
-
We live in LA but whenever we are in SF we goto Chapaeu. The onion soup, casoulet,duck, are all very traditional french. Service is always good and the price is fair. If you go early they have a $19 pre fix. I highly recommend. I do not know the other place.
D
-
I think it was March 2003 and Gourmet is SOLD OUT. I lost mine. It was an excellent guide. Try to find it.
D
-
Ditto on Joes. Probably closest really good place to LAX. Make sure cabbie takes Lincoln Blvd to Venice and NOT THE 10 FWY. Cab should be $15 or so each way. There is a place my wife and I like alot since we can getr there easy and fasy from home and is very chef driven, but out of the way for most Angelinos. It is in Playa and I eat there at least once a month.
http://www.chloerestaurant.com/
If you read chef bios you get an idea of the place.
This is maybe $8 ( 5 minutes) From the Raddison its a real easy cab ride away and you can go for a walk on what passes for a beach here. Try not to laugh .
Mahalo,
David
Amuse closes at 4:00 PM BTW
San Sebastian Restaurants: Recommendations
in Spain & Portugal: Dining
Posted
HAving stayed one night at the Maria Cristina and 3 at the Londress Y Inglaterra ( sp) I would recommend the latter. It is a step down but not a big step and has much more going on in its bar and lobby than the former. The price is about 2/3 the price of the Westin. And you are right on the waterfront plaza which I imagine will be teeming with people NYE. As will old town's many, many great bars. If it were me I would not look to be in any one place for NYE instead I would be out in the crowds. Think New Orleans at Mardis Gras. Not a time to be in a great restaurant or club. As mentioned by Bux none of the most alluring places are near either hotel. Old town is as is the harbor area.
Enjoy,
David