Galicia and Toledo?

[faine]

Hey there. We're going to Galicia, and will be spending some time in Santiago. Would love to know what good regional eats are. I'm particularly interested in sampling some distinctive Spanish seafood. Not entirely sure yet what places within Galicia we will be going, so any tips in that department would be much appreciated!

We'll also be visiting Madrid and Toledo. I believe Madrid has been more then adequately covered here (!) but if there's anything amazing in Toledo, I'd be very happy to hear about it.

I will post tons of pictures of everything I eat in Spain on EG...can't wait!

[Rogelio]

Let me advise you beforehand that Galicia is the paradise of seafood but not of the high end restauranmts or cooks and irregulartity is the usual norm.

Galicia is encompases four provices: La Coruña, Orense, Lugo and Pontevedra, being the most interesting gastronomically La Coruña and Pontevedra.

My reccos are in orther, being the best options the two or three first options of each province.

Note: The town names are in spanish, they can vary in the galician language translation.

La Coruña:

- El Refugio Plaza de Galicia, 11. 15173 in the village of Oleiros, La Coruña.Tel: 981 610 803.: Has got an impressive product, seafood at its best: Langoustines, centollos (spider crabs), Nécoras (small crabs), lobster... including a very good tourbot derved oven baked (better) or "a la gallega" (I would avoid this last recipe as it means boiled and served with garlic and paprika)

- El Manjar Calle Alfredo Vicenti, 29, La Coruña, Tel: 981918591: Very good seafood, huge scallops, spider crab and lobsters and the best spanish ommelette in the world.

- Casa Pardo Novoa Santos, 15. 15006 A Coruña. Tel: 981287178.It is not what it used to be but still very good product.

- Casa Marcelo Calle Huertas, 1 Tel: 981 558580 (Santiago de Compostela) is an idiosincratic restaurant only serving a settled menu of creative food with very good ingredients. Good if you're looking for something else, but not a product restaurant.

- Camilo Rua Raiña 24 (Santiago De Compostela) 981 584 593 is where the locals go to sample seafood in Santiago.

-Tira do Cordel: San Roque s/n. (Finisterre, lands end), A Coruña. Tel: 981 74 06 97 http://www.tiradocordel.com/cordel/web/info.php?idc=1 Serves superb rosted over charcoal sea bass a la brasa and razor clams

Pontevedra:

- D'Berto av. Teniente Dominguez 84 - (O Grove) Pontevedra

Tel: 986733447: He buys the best product from the market, probably the best seafood in Galicia

- La Taberna de Rotilio (Sangenjo): Superb seafood the caldeirada de rape (monkfish stew) is superb. Avoid any dish looking modern and stick to the product and classic dishes.

- Casa Solla Av. Sineiro, 7. San Salvador de Poyo (Pontevedra). 986 87 28 84. www.restaurantesolla.com Probably the most talentd young chef in Galicia, very good product and superb technic. If you're visiting one haute cuisinne restaurant in Galicia, this is the one.

- Bitadorna Paseo Del Puerto 30 (La Guardia) 986 611 970 http://www.bitadorna.com/ . Superb product from local fishermen, great lobster, but avoid the rice with lobster

- Casa Romaña ¡n Avenida Augusto García Sánchez 12(Pontevedra) 986 843 560

- Alameda C/ Alameda 10,(Pontevedra) 986 857 412 Very good product in the two best restaurants in Pontevedra city where you can taste the city life of a provincial town.

-La Casa de las 5 puertas Avda Santa Maríaa 8 (Pontevedra) 986 851 948 http://www.5puertas.com/ : Very good Tortilla, jabugo ham and fishes on the plancha.

- Chef Rivera Travesia Enlace Al Parque 7 (Padrón) 981 810 413 http://www.chefrivera.com/ : If you happen to be in the area he cooks a superb lamprey.

-Casa Esperanza Rua Luis Taboada 28 (Vigo) 986 228 615: Good fishes and great seafood stews.

Orense:

- Posada Do Cuco, Vilar-Mondariz, 986/65 66 04/609 80 31 25 This hiden place serves a 7 courses lampray tasting menu that they say it's even harder to get a table than in El Bulli. Worth the exopperience if you're a lamprey geek

-O'Barazal C/ Barandillas, (O Carballiño) Tel: 988288317: Irregular execution, but the best seafood in inland Galicia.In the Ribeiro wine country

[danwalk]

My wife and I spent a few days in Toledo two years ago and had a very good meal at La Abadía. Very good selection of reasonably priced regional cuisine with lots of game on the menu.

If you are at all claustrophobic, do be careful about where you are seated. The very pretty cellar level with its low vaulted ceilings is quite tight.

Have a wonderful trip.

Dan

[faine]

Thank you for the recs! I'm a huge langoustine addict so I'm looking forward to encountering some. Will report back on what I find.

[Eric_Malson]

Toledo is certainly a delightful city to lose ones self in for several hours, or several days! I must admit I don't think I had a proper sit-down meal there (I was only there a day and a half), but the it's a wonderful town for tapas. Do NOT miss the carcamusas, a thick stew of pork in a spicy tomato sauce. Most people seem to agree that the best carcamusas in town is at Bar Ludeña (Plaza de la Magdalena, 10). I think I ordered it in no less than 3 places I liked it so much, and it was pretty great every time. And at Ludeña you can also get a pincho de tortilla española con salsa de carcamusas (that may just very well be one definition of heaven...).

And for something like a tapas crawl, where one is presented with so many choices that all look more or less appealing, a little guidance is very helpful. In this department, I cannot recommend highly enough picking up copies of Guía Azul for the regions you're going to visit once you hit the ground. They are guide books in Spanish (but the Spanish is fairly easy to decipher most of the time, even if you're not fluent) for Spaniards that like to eat. Lots of good info on hotels in all price ranges, too--in fact, a generally good source of practical information.

[faine]

Thank you very much for the book rec - will have to pick one up. I speak and read decent Spanish and am only hoping to improve my command of food products (which is after all most important). Carcamusas sound in essence ideal for my palate - thanks for the head up!

[mroybal]

Probably a little late but if you make it to Melide you have to try the pulpo at Ezequiel Pulpería. Simply octopus EVO, pimenton, and sea salt served in wooden bowls, and it comes with a nice cloudy ribeiro at a great price.