Asturian Restaurants & Food Products

[parisse]

I am going to visit Asturias soon and i am very curious to find out where and what to eat while i visit there. I have read alot about the basque food in San Sebastian (thanks to e-gullet) , i know i will be able to go there as well, but first and foremost i am curious to find out more about the Asturian kitchen/restaurant. If anyone has some helpful answers i am very thankful if you can share some with me!

Thank you

parisse

[Eric_Malson]

Asturias has been my number one food obsession for years now. I've already posted quite a bit of what I know about restaurant highlights here (you can search for posts under my member name), but if you have some questions that haven't been addressed, ask away.

For general information about Asturian food and cooking in English, there really isn't much. Penelope Casas' books are probably your best bet, particularly her book on regional Spanish cooking called Delicioso!

For my money, Asturian food is the best in Spain (I know there are people around here who will disagree with me!), and I've travelled EXTENSIVELY throughout the province seeking it out. Give me some guidelines as to just what you'd like to know, and I'll tell you all I can.

[Bux]

Vserna's familiy is also orignally from Asturias, or so I believe he's said here and I recall his mentioning Asturian restaurants several times. Those posts would be well worth a search. Whether you share his subjective taste or not, you'll find valuable information in his recommendations for restaurants all over Spain, and all over Europe where he knows enough to voice an opinion.

[parisse]

Bux,

What a nice welcome! I had never expect to so quickly recieve friendly and tips from anyone such short time of being a member! Thank you so much i shall contact immediatly!!

Thank you :)

[vserna]

Vserna's familiy is also orignally from Asturias.

Actually - no. From Cantabria. Close, but not quite. Like Normandy and Brittany: neighbors and solid eaters, but different.

There has been some recent discussion on the simultaneous anointment of three new Asturian restaurants with stars in the 2004 Michelin Guide to Spain. This brings the total in the region to seven. Of these, the granddaddy is Casa Gerardo in Prendes, where one can have both great traditional food (the best fabada - one of Europe's great traditional dishes) and excellent creative cuisine.

[Bux]

Vserna's familiy is also orignally from Asturias.

Actually - no. From Cantabria. Close, but not quite. Like Normandy and Brittany: neighbors and solid eaters, but different.

There has been some recent discussion on the simultaneous anointment of three new Asturian restaurants with stars in the 2004 Michelin Guide to Spain. This brings the total in the region to seven. Of these, the granddaddy is Casa Gerardo in Prendes, where one can have both great traditional food (the best fabada - one of Europe's great traditional dishes) and excellent creative cuisine.

It's clear I pay less attention to where you are from than to places you find worthy of returning to eat.

[Opson]

Hi. I can second casa gerardo. Also there are two good places in arriondas: casa marical, and el corral del indianu, but I would still prefer casa gerardo.

[Eric_Malson]

Casa Gerardo is indeed outstanding--better than the other two, in my opinion, because it stays closer to its roots in traditional Asturian cooking.

I would hate for anyone to go to Asturias and seek out only Michelin-starred restaurants--it would be missing the point of the region entirely. The real glory of Asturias is its fantastic natural bounty--with its fertile farmlands, mountains, rivers and the sea, it has just about everything. And I passionately believe the best way to enjoy these riches are the traditional preparations (or something very close to it).

Casa Gerardo makes a top-notch fabada asturiana, but I still would not want to miss the fabada at La Máquina in Lugones. It's just about all they do, they've been doing it for years, and they do it better than anyone.

I had a marvelous chuletón de buey at Casa Gerardo, but it was certainly no better then the ones I've had at any number traditional parrillas in Asturias--El Quesu or Nozana in Pola de Siero, La Fusta in Argüelles (I have a soft spot for that one because it was the first one I was ever taken to) or, if you like your grilled meats with a spectacular view, Buenos Aires on top of Mte. Naranco in the outskirts of Oviedo. And once you set foot in one of these, you'll want to try everything they have, trust me!

A seafood dish in any Michelin-starred restaurant will, of course, be excellent. But is the experience any more elevated, really, than enjoying seafood in any of the informal bars or restaurants in any number of coastal towns right where it was just caught (like, say, Cudillero, Puerto de Vega, Navia, Luanco, Lastres)? I think not.

Casa Gerardo makes a stunning arroz con leche, but..... ok, Casa Gerardo makes the most amazing arroz con leche I have ever tasted.

And don't miss the sidrerías, whatever you do. Sidra was made to be drunk while eating centollo (spider crab), IMHO. Or the various artisanal meat and cheese products in the areas where they are made.....the list goes on and on.

And I don't know want this to sound like I'm running down Casa Gerardo--I'm not. It's a truly outstanding restaurant, and you shouldn't miss it if you're anywhere nearby. I certainly don't plan to skip it my next trip to Asturias!

[vserna]

Casa Gerardo is indeed outstanding--better than the other two

Which other two?

[Eric_Malson]

Casa Gerardo is indeed outstanding--better than the other two

Which other two?

I was referring to the post immediately before mine that mentioned Casa Marcial and El Corral del Indiano in/near Arriondas--I should have been more clear.

[Bux]

I would hate for anyone to go to Asturias and seek out only Michelin-starred restaurants--it would be missing the point of the region entirely. The real glory of Asturias is its fantastic natural bounty--with its fertile farmlands, mountains, rivers and the sea, it has just about everything. And I passionately believe the best way to enjoy these riches are the traditional preparations (or something very close to it).

This is an interesting statement. Last year there were about three towns in Asturias with Michelin stars. All had single starred restaurants which even Michelin agrees are not ones that merit a detour. What I find interesting however is the assumption that Michelin doesn't award stars to restaurants serving traditional preparations with great skill. I don't have enough knowledge and experience depending on the guide to be consciously aware of the degree of truth in this statement, but I've thought of those places in which I have eaten so far all over Spain. The Michelin guide has led me to some very well prepared regional and traditional food, which is to say that Michelin lists these restaurants. However, as elegant and upscale as the finest tradtional restaurants have been and as excellent as the meal may have been, none of the restaurants featuring traditional preparations in which I've eaten have had a star--so far, and our travels have been fairly extensive geographically.

[Rogelio]

As it's been said before it will be a mistake to miss all the traditional asturian food only for seeking the Michelin stars.

The recos given before are outstanding but here you have a few interesting non starred restaurants in Asturias:

- El Rompeolas in Tazones, for fab seafood.

- Casa Consuelo, in Otur, almost in Galicia. A traditional road rest.

- La Huertona in Ribadesella, renewed traditional food

- Laure in Oviedo for traditional comfort food.

- Taberna Viavelez Puerto in Viavelez.

- L'alezna in Caces, the new rest with Pedro Martino, from El Cabroncin

- El Balneario de Salinas, in Salinas.

And an interesting link: http://canales.elcomerciodigital.com/gastronomia/

Highlights for traditional food are: Fabada and all the fabes dishes (With clams, with chicken...), Arroz con leche (Traditional milk and rice dessert), all the artisan cheeses (La peral, Cabrales...) and all the superb seafood.

Enjoy

[vserna]

Both L'Alezna and Taberna Viavélez Puerto have Michelin stars, Rogelio.

Bux: Re getting to know traditional or regional Spanish cuisine through starred Michelin restaurants (which, BTW, we all know usually merit a detour in any country, even though the traditional description only says so for the two-star places...): yes, there are a couple of traditional dishes in many Michelin-starred places in Spain. Casa Gerardo in Asturias is a good case in point. But what no one usually mentions, or perhaps knows, is that amongst all of the 100-odd starred restaurants in Spain, there is only one which serves exclusively, 100% traditional fare: the Casa d'a Troya in Madrid. BTW, it's a Galician restaurant. Even the starred Galician restaurants in Galicia aren't 100% traditional!

[Rogelio]

Both L'Alezna and Taberna Viavélez Puerto have Michelin stars, Rogelio.

Sorry, my mistake

[parisse]

Thank you all so very much! Now i almost have a complete schedule for where to eat! Glad we have a car to get around to all these places with! Thank you so much!

Parisse

[Bux]

Rogilio, welcome to eGullet and thanks for that list.

Victor, I have eaten in one starred restaurants that are worth the journey and I have eaten in one star restaurants that had very little distinction. The latter has been particularly true in France. In Spain perhaps, the one star restaurant may be more likely to be under rated. When replying to Eric, my immediate reaction was to question why he thought to distinguish between a Michelin starred restaurant and one that served traditional food, but then I realized my experience actually supports his contention although I don't think of Michelin as ignoring traditional food.

I'm beginning to think they are turning their back on traditional food even in France where I've tended to find a creative chef at the one star place. At times I would have preferred some good traditional cuisine and upon leaving the one star restaurant, I've wondered how the food was in the unstarred place with the "boring" menu around the corner. It may be that there are few chefs who cook traditional food and those that do, especially in the French provinces, do so with such disinterest that I'm best avoiding their restaurants. I don't know the answer. My assumption that food is getting worse in France has to be tempered with a realization that perhaps I'm getting more critical. On the other hand, and I realze I'm a bit off topic, I've had exceptional and relatively traditional cuisine at a couple of places in the Loire and both had two stars.

[vserna]

Victor, I have eaten in one starred restaurants that are worth the journey and I have eaten in one star restaurants that had very little distinction. The latter has been particularly true in France. In Spain perhaps, the one star restaurant may be more likely to be under rated.

Well, there are hundreds and hundreds of starred restaurants in France, and the inflation is more obvious every day. My remark on one-star places was made with the other European countries in mind, particularly Italy, Spain and Portugal. In Spain, where Michelin's 'unspoken quota system' keeps scores artificially low, there are in my book 10 to 15 one-star restaurants with a two-star level, and a rather large number of unstarred restaurants which should have at least one...

[Boris_A]

there are in my book

Victor, what book? I'm a big fan of traditional, regional cooking.

[vserna]

"In my book" is just an expression, Boris. It means "in my opinion". I have published thousands of articles on restaurants - but no books!

[Boris_A]

I have published thousands of articles on restaurants

Almost all in Spanish, I guess. And spread over many Spanish newspaper archives.

but no books

... about of traditional, regional Spanish cooking.

Can we motivate you somehow?

Maybe a tiny one, just a booklet? In Spanish and English?

[vserna]

Quite a few in English and French, but also spread through lots of magazine and newspaper archives... Sorry. Then again, restaurant reviews have a limited shelf life.

[vserna]

Can we motivate you somehow?

Maybe a tiny one, just a booklet? In Spanish and English?

Being a regular (meaning: non-food) journalist and an increasingly involved winemaker makes it impossible for me to find the time. But there's always eGullet...

[vigna]

I am planning to spend a few days in Asturias at the end of June with the goal of seeing 7-10th century architecture in the Oviedo region (including Valdedios near Villaviciosa, Pravia, Cangas de Onis). I probably will have time for two special dinners, one of which I think will be at Casa Gerardo. I wonder if anyone can give me advice on: 1) places to stay near Cangas de Onis and near Oviedo (preferably in proximity to Casa Gerardo, and 2) which restaurant I should choose in the Cangas de Onis/Ribadesella/Arriondas area? I would like to stay on the coast, if possible, or at least at a hotel with a pool. Has anyone stayed at La Estación da Luanco north of Gijón (it is not far from Casa Gerardo) or at any hotels in Ribadesella? Should I consider staying in Oviedo proper? Are there any restaurants of note in Oviedo? Thanks.

[Rogelio]

1) places to stay near Cangas de Onis and near Oviedo (preferably

in proximity to Casa Gerardo,

Do not take me wrong, but Casa Gerardo is not the closest restaurant

to Cangas de Onís or Oviedo. Actually, it is 10 km in the outside of

Gijón, the biggest city of the province, and about 40km from Oviedo

and 80km from Cangas de Onís

  2) which restaurant I should choose in the Cangas de

Onis/Ribadesella/Arriondas area?

Depending on what you are looking for, if you want innovative cuisine

rooted in the traditional dishes of the region, I strongly

suggest "El Corral del Indiano" in Arriondas (very close to Cangas de

Onís). At a definite lower level, in a very traditional style,

without the service you find in a One Michelin Star restaurant

(begging for the second star IMHO) as El Corral del Indiano, there is

a small restaurant in the outside of Cangas de Onís called "La

Palmera", in Soto de Cangas, with plenty of traditional food and a

very nice selection of wine at good prices.

I would like to stay on the coast, if possible, or at least at a

hotel with a pool. Has anyone stayed at La Estación da Luanco north

of Gijón (it is not far from Casa Gerardo) or at any hotels in

Ribadesella? Should I consider staying in Oviedo proper? Are there

any restaurants of note in Oviedo? Thanks.

If you want to stay on the coast, you would do perfectly in Gijón.

There is a nice bunch of hotels but I do not think any of them have a

swimming pool. Asturias is not a sunny province for the good and the

bad. However, you can sunbathe in the beach. A good and recently

build hotel is Hotel Tryp Rey Pelayo (4*) available at:

http://www.trypreypelayo.solmelia.com/

Quite close to the beach, in a quiet place, from Gijón you could do

short trips to Casa Gerardo, Cangas de Onís and Oviedo. A short list

of the best restaurants in Asturias might include:

- L'Alezna (20km out of Oviedo), cook Pedro Martino

- El Corral del Indiano (Arriondas), cook José Antonio Campoviejo

- Casa Marcial (La Salgar, out of Arriondas), cook Nacho Manzano

If you finally stay in Gijón (which I recommend), the most innovative

things are being done at Restaurante Paladares, really close to the

Hotel Tryp Rey Pelayo (5 minutes walking).

In Oviedo, the best restaurants are:

- Casa Conrado

- Casa Fermín

both are a bit more traditional than the previously referred

restaurants.

BTW, all the restaurants above (with the exception of La Palmera

which is in another league) are included in the 2004 Red Guide.

[Bux]

Asturias is not a sunny province for the good and the bad.

The bad news is obvious for a beach area. I guess the good news is that the beaches, hotels and restaurants are not going to be overrun with tourists from the north of Europe searching for sun and restaurants serving familiar food as has happened on parts of the south and east coasts.