Segovia, Salamanca, Burgos, Gijón (early December)

[Maureen B. Fant]

We have settled on Segovia, Salamanca, and Burgos as intermediate stops on the way to Gijón, where my husband is giving a lecture (or something) -- all very fast and, yes, I know not in a straight line. We'll pick up a car at MAD and go straight to Segovia for two nights, then one at Hacienda Zorita outside Salamanca, and one in Burgos, then two in Gijón, and a race back to MAD for a 6 pm flight.

As a rule we like to sit down in a relatively tranquil restaurant in the evening -- as opposed to elbowing to a bar for tapas or feeling rushed in a crowded assembly-line place. As long as the food is good and has some basis in local ingredients and/or tradition, even from a very creative chef, we don't care whether it's rustic or fancy. Ideally our trip will have some of each.

Segovia: I'm waiting to hear back on reservation requests to Villena and, largely on the strength of Faine's irresistible description, Mesón del Candido. There seem to be other good places too ...

Salamanca: I presume we will dine at the Hacienda Zorita (a Sunday evening) -- unless someone here says that's a bad idea.

Burgos: viamichelin.com lists a lot of places I feel unable to choose among.

Gijón: I've e-mailed La Solana. One of our evenings here will be a birthday dinner, so a Michelin star would be nice.

I'd be much obliged to be set straight if I'm making any big mistakes and for any other advice. I don't know Spain well and have never been to this part. I also don't know Spanish food and wine. Not on the radar here in Italy.

[Rogelio]

Segovia: I'm waiting to hear back on reservation requests to Villena and, largely on the strength of Faine's irresistible description, Mesón del Candido. There seem to be other good places too ...

Villena for a modern approach and Cándido or Jose María for traditional cooking, obviously for the infamous cochinillo are the best options.

Salamanca: I presume we will dine at the Hacienda Zorita (a Sunday evening) -- unless someone here says that's a bad idea.

Don't know about Salamanca, I'd guess that Victor Gutierrez is the best choice.

Burgos: viamichelin.com lists a lot of places I feel unable to choose among.

In Burgos and for some nice tapas El 22 and El 24 are the two splited restaurants that were the former restaurant El Angel and now are a tapas and a modern restaurant, both at Paloma St, near the Cathedral, serving nice dishes and a good wine selection by the glass.

Casa Pancho in 15, San Lorenzo St, near the Plaza Mayor is also a nice tapas place. Same as Bar Mayoral Hijo At 41 Avda. del Cid. For traditional cooking I'd go to Casa Avelino, in the outskirts at 58 Emperador St.

Gijón: I've e-mailed La Solana. One of our evenings here will be a birthday dinner, so a Michelin star would be nice.

Instead of going to La Solana, I'd take the car and go to Casa Gerardo, just a few miles away from Gijón and have a feast mixing both modern and traditional cooking.

[Maureen B. Fant]

Thank you -- this is wonderful. I found Casa Gerardo's web site, which definitely got the juices flowing, but then I checked their info on viamichelin.com and found they are open only for lunch except Friday and Saturday :-( A number of the Gijón restaurants I checked do that, which is one reason I had settled on La Solana. I need a Tuesday evening (and is Dec 8 a holiday in Spain?) and maybe a Wednesday too.