Semana Santa in Jerez de la Fronter and Sevilla

[marktynernyc]

I was in Jerez de la Frontera and Sevilla for Semana

Santa (Holy Week) - the orange trees were heavy with

fruit, the almond trees were dress in white, botherhoods

in various colored robes, saetas being sung late at night -

a very active trip this time, very little kicking back and

relaxing. Sorry if my choices are a bit mainstream but it

was my first visit to Andalucia - but definitely not my last.

Here are the highlights:

Jerez de la Frontera:

Tapa bars:

El Reino de Leon, calle la Torre 8 - located behind the Plaza

del Arenal, which under is construction, and near Bar Juanito.

While the place is a bit rough around the edges the tapas were

quite good - the sweetbreads (2.25E) with a sprinkling of salt

were especially good, the jamon (2.60E), the octopus salad (2.25E)

and a couple glasses of fino sherry. (Note: when in Jerez order

Fino, when in Sanlucar order Manzanilla)

Bar Juanito, calle Pescaderia Vieja 4 - just off the Plaza Arenal.

http://www.bar-juanito.com/home.htm

Disappointing - the most expensive tapas (4.80E - I think, still

looking for the receipt) while in Jerez and nothing memorable.

My hotel mentioned that "...most of the food is precooked, which

is fine when they are busy and not so good when they are not."

[marktynernyc]

El Gallo Azul, calle Larga s/n.

Not only is the location great but the tapas are really good.

My favorite - timbal de huevo revello de langostinos (1.80). Other

dishes: pimentos del piquillo rellonos de satas (1.80 E), atun al

amontillado con crema de patatas montada (1.80). It was great

watching locals come in order one tapa, one glass of sherry - quickly

eat then depart. It's a great people watching - people passing by -

loved the father, with his young daughter sitting on the tapas bar,

eating. There is a restaurant upstairs but didn't get a chance to try it.

La Abaceria, Plaza Rafael Rivero s/n

"...you can sit outside at lunchtime in a pretty square and eat boquerones

con pimiento (anchovies with pepper), delicious pates and tostados and

sip a decent fino. In the evening it is a lively meeting place for young locals..."

I started with some boqueronos en vinagre (1.80 E), queso curado anejo (1.80 E),

and lomo de Jerez (2.00 E). The delight and surprise here was the lomo,

which was a pork loin on a dense bread, no condiments or sauces - but the

bread and meat were dense and moist- no condiments (mayo I had wondered -

mea culpa) needed. Other dishes tried: salchichon amorconado (a sausage)

and matrimonio (ancho/boqu - cured and fresh anchovies). A couple glasses

of fino and amontillado rounded out lunch.

El Almacen, calle la Torre, 8 - next door to El Reino de Leon

My hotel mentioned that they have "tapas of the more unusual kind, like grilled

artichokes with Pedro Ximenez dressing, aubergines in honey and tuna fish mousse. 

You can't reserve a table..." When I arrived on Sunday this place was open -

being jetlagged I didn't connect this place with my list and every day afterward

found it closed for lunch and didn't open till 9 pm. Walking home from Gaitan

they were opened - so I was able to try their grilled artichoke heart's with pedro

jemeniz sauce (4.00E) with a glass of amontillado (1.50E). The slight vinegary/sour

taste of the grilled artichoke was a nice counter point to the rich Pedro.

[Bux]

El Gallo Azul, calle Larga s/n.

Not only is the location great but the tapas are really good

. . .

←

Decidedly a prime spot for tapas. We spent a couple of days in Jerez two years ago -- Jerez isn't that much of a destination town, but it was a convenient place to catch our bearings and from which to make a lunch in Sanlucar de Barrameda. El Gallo Azul was our return to spot at odd hours.

From my notes of the things we ate and liked:

Cod (carpaccio) on …onions?… on slice of bread

Meatball of squid and shrimp

Cod croquette (pasty potato, but crisp and dry)

Hamburger of monkfish and langoustino with salmorejo sauce

Boiled potato slice with minced pig’s foot on top

Slice of rolled lamb breast stuffed w/cepes.

Deep fried brik triangle of fresh cheese with leeks

[marktynernyc]

I forgot to add for Azul - marget de pato al pedro ximenez (1.80E)

which paired nicely with an amontillado.

I like the smallness / intimacy of Jerez.

I'll be doing additonal post through out the weekend.

[JesusBarquin]

I like the smallness / intimacy of Jerez.

I'll be doing additonal post through out the weekend.

←

I'll read it with pleasure. I like Jerez much, too, and in general agree with your (and Bux') remarks.

The last time I went to El Gallo Azul I found the tapas a little below the usual level. I am happy to know that it was just the day.

[Bux]

One of the things I found interesting at El Gallo Azul was that many of the tapas were plated in a contemporary style with squiggles of sauce decorating the little plate. I suspect it's the sort of thing some might find pretentious and offensive, but I thought it was done with some style rather than pretense and found it effective.

As Mark mentioned, part of its appeal is its location and the way it seems to be used by locals to meet briefly for a short drink. It's hardly devoid of tourists, but Jerez is not a major overnight stop for all that many tourists in Andalucia unless I'm mistaken. As long as you're not intent on looking for celebrities, it's a good place for people watching. One evening we stopped there for a drink intending to move on and find some other places. We became so engrossed in the scene, which by hip American standards was an anti-scene, that we just ordered another drink and some more food.

[JesusBarquin]

Agreed again, Bux. A balanced new way to present traditional tapas at a very nice crossing street, not only for a foreign's eyes. Perfect place to sit down and enjoy a long menu of tapas and different sherries (all by Domecq, btw, but that is not a major issue, as it is an excellent producer).

[marktynernyc]

speaking of squiggles and such - I'm trying to figure out how to

post some photos also - hopefully I'll get it right - the timbal at Azul

is quite colorful.

I took a sherry bodega tour at Alvaro Domecq (and Lustau) - if I

remember correctly Domeecq was bought by a multi-national a

while back then Alvaro opened a smaller bodega - but more

about that later.

[marktynernyc]

Restaurants:

Mesa Redonda, calle Manuel de la Quintana, 3

I arrived 5 minutes before my reservation (9 pm) to

find a dark restaurant  - sure enough 2 minutes later

someone arrived, invited me inside, offered me a aperitif

and then headed to the kitchen.  I'm not sure which is worse,

dining alone in a room filled with people or being the only

person in the dining room - other people did start filtering in

around 9:30, which was nice. Started with lightly crusted jumbo

scallops with shad roe(?) - the scallops very frsh and meaty, the roe

offering this bass note. My favorite dish: poached eggs wrapped around

langostines served on top of crisp, shoe string potatoes (8.00E) -

the rich egg yoke, the salty crispness of the potatoes, the firm flesh

of the langostines - this dish sang for me.  For my main, de-boned

ox tail in a Pedro Jimenez sauce with velvety smooth potatoes (12.00E) -

the meat so tender. Dessert was some ice cream affair but the highlight

was the Pedro Jeminiez they poured for me -   it was practically

black, and when held to the light only pin pricks of deep ruby red

light penetrated the glass.  And the dense intense bouquet expanded

to huge proportions in my nose.  Add couple finos, 1/2 a bottle of wine,

water, bread, olives, etc   - the total came to 46.92E.

El Gaitan, calle Gaitán 3

http://www.restaurantegaitan.com

My hotel recommended Gaitan: "...nice restaurant with good traditional

food.  Specialities:  oxtail, cod in garllic, king prawns, stuffed partridge.

Popular with the locals...." The meal was average - boquerones stuffed

with ham and spinach (9.00E) were unfortunately lightly breaded and

fried which muddled the flavors. The artichoke cream soup (6.00E) was

good but I had to remind them about the cabrales sauce that accompanied

the veal (15.98E), which was a pleasent combination. I skipped dessert.

Edited April 1, 2005 by marktynernyc (log)

[marktynernyc]

Gallo Azul:

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/11123730..._1030_50078.jpg

Almacen:

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/11123730..._1030_15921.jpg

La Abaceria:

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/11123730..._1030_60774.jpg

Would it be better to post the links to the photos or

just mention that I've posted photos in a public album?

Edited April 1, 2005 by marktynernyc (log)

[marktynernyc]

Misc:

La Rosa De Oro, calle Consistorio

I wanted to try some typical Semana Santa sweets - torrias al

vino de jerez (1.40 E) - a fried peice of bread that is then soaked

in sweet wine of Jerez and, I think, honey - it was sweet , the outter

crunch and inner softness of the bread, nice contrast. But the real treat

were the sugar coated bunellos filled with cream flavored with Jerez brandy.

[vserna]

For people interested in Jerez and great unusual wines: try to visit the town during Vinoble, the only wine fair in the world that's entirely devoted to sweet and 'generoso' (fortified) wines: not only sherry, dry or sweet, but also port, Sauternes, Tokaji, Canadian ice wine, Côteaux-du-Layon, Austrian TBAs... what have you! In addition, it's held in the old Arab fort, the Alcázar. Very atmospheric. Unfortunately, next edition is only in June 2006, since it's held every two years.

[marktynernyc]

Mercado de Abastos, located about midway between

the Plaza de Arenal and Plaza de las Augustas.

A couple blocks from my hotel is the local market. Carne

del torro, chorizo blanco, jamon, snails, fruits, vegetables,

seafood, olives, cheeses - it might be easier to list what wasn't

here. A delight for the eyes, ears and nose. Nibbles here and

there when proffered. I enjoyed meandering through on my

way to the Alcazar or one of the sherry bodegas watching the

vendors arrange their fruits and vegetable - the fish mongers

cleaning and weighing their fish - I've never seen such huge

piles of live snails.

(if you'd like the pics larger - let me know)

[marktynernyc]

Sherry Bodegas:

Alvaro Domecq

calle Alamos, 23

http://www.alvarodomecq.com

My hotel recommended and arranged a tour for this bodega,

which was only a couple blocks away. If I remember correctly

what Sonia, my guide said - Domecq was bought by a multinational

a few years ago. The Alvaro Domeqc family then opened a smaller

bodega to produce artisinal sherries. Sonia showed me around the

bodega - explaining the process of making their sherries, vinegar

and brandy. Afterwards, Sonia had also arranged a tasting of their

sherries for me along with some cheeses, ham, chorizo, sausage and

olives. I tasted their entire range and wound up leaving with six bottles -

fino, amontillado, palo cortado, oloroso, cream and pedro ximenez.

I have not seen the 1730 line in the U.S. though I have no problems

locating Lustau.

[marktynernyc]

Lustau

calle Arcos, 53

http://www.emilio-lustau.com/default.asp

I had arranged a tour via email and this bodega was also

only a few blocks away from my hotel. I was about 15 minutes

early - sure enough at exactly 10 am a single door opened, I

step in to a courtyard and met Federico. He told a bit of history

about the bodega. It was originally owned by Harvey's - who

sold the buildings to Lustau, who then proceeded to move - I want

to say 15,000 barrels - to their newly restored bodegas on Arcos.

As we walked around the bodega - we talked about the special mats

that are hung on the windows that allow the air through but not sunlight,

the clay and it's role in regulating the humidity which in turns affects the

growth of the flor, the way the barrels are stacked to a certain height

in relation to humidity and temperature - it all came together for me -

what a wonderful history and amazing product. The bodegas are

beautifully restored - it felt at times like I was walking in a small cathedral.

Afterwards, another tasting - 11 types of sherries, 1 brandy and a finger

tasting of their vinegars (which had a full, rich, tart bouquet) I really enjoyed

being able to smell and taste ( and see) the whole range of their sherries -

hopping back and forth, trying to make mental notes for comparison. This

time I only bought the Anada 1989, a rich oloroso (my back pack is only

so big) - which should be available in the US.

These were the only two bodegas I had the chance to tour while in

Jerez - there are numerous other bodegas in Jerez and also in

Sanlucar and Santa Maria

For more information about sherry:

http://www.sherry.org/

[marktynernyc]

Sevilla:

Caught a noonish train to Sevilla - dropped my bags off

at the B&B I was staying at in the Santa Cruz district and

headed to Triana for lunch - this was the last day that Poncio

was going to be open for Holy Week.

Poncio

http://www.ponciorestaurantes.com/

http://www.andalunet.com/poncio/

calle Victoria, 8

Triana, just off Pages del Corro

I did the menu de gustacion (43E):

Crema de guisantes con jamon y picatostes

A cream soup of baby green vegetable - a simple starter,

warm, nice body - nestled into the soup was a small

mound of jamon

Hojaldrito de endiba caramelizada, queso de cabra y manzana

This was pastry wrapped around - I believe - cabrales cheese -

topped with thinly sliced apples. The pastry was so delicate and

dry - it crumbled beautifully as my fork dug in. The cabrales

wasn't exceedingly strong - it played up to the apples well.

Pure de cauliflower con helado de foi y pollito al pimenton

Pureed cauliflower with foie (liver) ice cream on top of shredded

chicken - a very intriguing dish - the various textures, the warmth

of the puree and the cold of the foie ice cream, the foie ice cream

itself - this was a really fun dish.

Bacaloa confitido con ajo colorado y espanan de piquillo

A moist - fleshy white piece of bacaloa - the piquillo adding a nice

touch of pointed heat.

Presa de paletilla al horno con moscatel, cremoso de pimento

frito y jamon iberico

Meat from the shoulder or back of the pig, with moscatel grapes

(figs possibly) with a cream sauce. NIce counter point to the

preceding fish dish.

Queso en tres texturas con coulis de membrillo

This was a cheese ice cream dish - but the interesting aspect was a

thin wafer like piece of dried cheese - I wish I could explain this

better better - stuck on the top. (Similar in principle to very thin,

air dried-dehydrated, zucchini slices).

Sorta caliente de chocolate picante con frambuesas y pan frito.

A warm chocolate soup loaded with fresh strawberries - not too hot,

I could cup the small bowl in my hands and sip directly from the bowl.

The waiter allowed me to pour from a freshly opened bottle of rioja

at my leisure and charged for just 2 glasses - 4.92E - I think I had

3. Very generous. The room is rather understated and private - people

at other tables talked rather quietly but everyone seemed very relaxed.

The total came to 52.86E - incredible - I understand why people

here have raved about this place - thanks for the recommendation.

Edited April 5, 2005 by marktynernyc (log)

[Bux]

Sevilla:

. . . .

Hojaldrito de endiba caramelizada, queso de cabra y manzana

This was pastry wrapped around - I believe - cabrales cheese -

topped with thinly sliced apples. The pastry was so delicate and

dry - it crumbled beautifully as my fork dug in. The cabrales

wasn't exceedingly strong - it played up to the apples well.

. . . .

←

Cabra would be goat cheese and although I understand Cabrales may contain cow, sheep and goat's milk, I've never heard of a pure goat's milk Cabrales. I'm not an expert, but I think that even if there were one, the name Cabrales would be more distinguished than "cabra" and I would expect the name Cabrales to be noted. Cabrales is a blue cheese. Was this cheese blue veined?

[vserna]

Queso de cabra is indeed simply goat cheese. Usually of the fresh, creamy type in Spain.

Edited April 6, 2005 by vserna (log)

[marktynernyc]

Thanks for the clarification - my Spanish is not very good and I made a linguistic guess based on what I wrote - the cheese was very mild. I'll be posting more today.

[marktynernyc]

Casa Robles

http://www.casa-robles.com/rr-e/index.htm

calle Conteros, 2

near the Catedral

After being seated, I ordered an amontillado and perused the menu.

Realized I had not tried salmorejo (10.22E) yet. and decided to start

with that. A beautiful deep red soup sprinkled with bits of jamon, hard

boiled egg, minced garlic and a generous drizzle of olive oil. It was

wonderfully chilled (which was nice, because the room was a tad warm) -

still not exactly sure how it differs from gazpacho - it tasted thicker, more

robust than gazpacho. Googling tells me that salmorejo does not contain

cucumber or peppers, while gazpacho doesn't have the addition of ham and

egg. This dish was a delight to savor and dwaddle over - the texture, the

temperature, the bits of ham and egg, the bite of garlic, the silky smoothness

of the olive oil. The next dish was seared foie gras with pedro ximinez and

orange marmalade (17.95E). The liver, while properly seared, was a but

stringy and the orange marmalade completely overpowered and obliterated

the taste of the foie. I had to be very judicious when dabbing the orange

marmalade. The one thing that made this dish interesting was a roasted

tomato on this dish - which when paired with the orange marmalade made

a very intriguing combination (surprisingly these flavors appeared in a dessert

at another restaurant ). No sooner had I finished this dish then - bam - duck

with fig (15.65) arrived. It was fine - but I really wish they had given me a

chance to catch my breath. ( I noticed through my whole trip that dishes

come out in fairly quickly secession). Overall - the meal felt lack luster,

somewhat rushed - except for the salmorejo. It was the middle of Holy

Week, downstairs was packed, people being turned away. I'd like to

come back and try this restaurant during an off period.

(One interesting note: the thursday before Good Friday - numerous

Sevillian women about the city were dressed in black dresses, mantillas

and shrouds. In front of Casa Robles was a long table - on one side, women

in black, on the other men in dark blue suits, I didn't want to use the flash

because they were eating - please excuse the slight fuzziness)

Edited April 7, 2005 by marktynernyc (log)

[Bux]

. . . .  The next dish was seared foie gras with pedro ximinez and orange marmalade (17.95E).  The liver, while properly seared, was a but stringy and the orange marmalade completely overpowered and obliterated the taste of the foie. I had to be very judicious when dabbing the orange marmalade. The one thing that made this dish interesting was a roasted tomato on this dish - which when paired with the orange marmalade made a very intriguing combination (surprisingly these flavors appeared in a dessert at another restaurant ).  No sooner had I finished this dish then - bam - duck with fig (15.65) arrived.  It was fine - but I really wish they had given me a chance to catch my breath. ( I noticed through my whole trip that dishes come out in fairly quickly secession).  . . . .

←

Having consumed more than a bit of foie gras in France, I've often been disappointed by foie gras preparations in Spain. However, conceptually, the combination of foie gras, pedro ximinez and some form of orange would have captured my attention, particularly in Sevilla.

The rapidity with which a meal can progress in Spain is amazing at times, particularly to someone who favors the liesurely dining style of France. It happens even in the most gastronomic restaurants. We've discussed this before in the forum.

[marktynernyc]

Salvador Rojo,

Calle San Fernando, 23

across from the Hotel Alfonso

I had read some wonderful reviews about Salvador

Rojo and decided to have lunch here - you need

reservations for the patio, but not for the dining room

(unsure about dinner). This was a very contemporary

meal with Andalusian touches / influences - light, clean,

restrained. Sorry for not taking more notes on each dish -

maybe someone can help with the translations - thanks.

El Menu Degustacion (41.50E)

Las Tapas

Terrina de berenjenas y boqueron curado en vinagre.

Pastel de cverduras gratinado al ali-oli de aceitunas negras.

Patata tibia, aciete de oliva, huevo de Codorniz escalfado y

lamina de jamon de pato.

Anchoa y pimiento asado.

Foie y manzana verde caramelizada en milhojas, pequena

ensalada con vinagre de Modena y fructos secos, mermelada

de cebolla y ciruela al P.X.

4 small napoleons of foie and apples. surrounded by greens, a

vinagrete and a very mild orange marmalada. The focus was

the foie - nothing upstage it - the orange marmalde was so subtle

but present - this was great dish.

Langostino, salteado con arroz frito en aceite de Soja

A slightly Thai influence dish - clean, pleasant - the

langostino was firm to the bite

Lomo de Merluza de pincho, a la sarten con verduras

estofadas y salsa de piquillos

Medallon de solomillo de Buey, con sus verduras y

trufas en jougo de asado

Seleccion de quesos artsanos, mebrillo, jalea de naranja

amarga y pasas en compota

The waiter suggested a wonderful oloroso to accompany

these cheeses - with the various sauces, nuts and raisins

sprinkled on the dish

Sorbete liquido de limon al vodka

Bavarios de vainilla y chocolate, con helado de nata y

crujiente de chocolate

For some reason I thought the cheese course was the last dish -

this was a nice sweet, chocolatey, with some crunch, end to

a very good meal. Add to the bill a half bottle of red, a bottle

of water, cafe, amontillado - total came to 74.74E.

[Roger]

Seeing the photograph outside Casa Robles I was amused to see the bearded gentleman José Antonio Garmendia who is probably known to the Spanish participants on this forum. He knows quite a lot about tapas bars in Seville having written a few books on the subject. He is somewhat of a personality

[Rogelio]

He is somewhat of a personality

←

Indeed he is.

And here is an article (in english and spanish) about the art of eating tapas in seville.

Edited April 8, 2005 by Rogelio (log)

[marktynernyc]

Egana Oriza

San Fernando, 41

http://www.restauranteoriza.com/

I knew the evening was going to be good as I waited in Bar Espana,

salivating over the gorgeous tapas at the bar ( I made a mental note

to stop off at bar espana for lunch). After being seated and ordering

an amontillado, nibbles were brought to the table: meaty,

bruised colored olives, big fat capers, and garlic cloves, that were so

mild I wasn't sure they were garlic. The waiter assured me they were -

he said they're marinated in a "special water" which makes them mild

tasting - I couldn't believe I was eating whole garlic cloves. Started with

anjo blanco c/uvas, jamon, y melon (13.40E) - a nicely chilled, very smooth

but with a fine grain soup was then poured. over small mounds of ham,

grapes and melon, which were artisically arranged in a white bowl. The waiter

suggested pickled partridge salad (ensalada de perdiz escabehada, 13.22E)

being that I was having seafood food for my main. Room temperature

partridge served with a warmed green salad. For my main, a chef's

speciality, spider crab donostiarra (25.39E) - served in it's crab shell - lot's

of shredded crab meat in a tomato broth of some sort For dessert - another

chef's recommendation - creme de naranja con oliva virge (8.10E) - a

orange and tomato torte with a drizzle of olive oil - the flavors played off

each other so well - for me, a very unique combination. I lingered after

dessert - a glass of Pedro Ximenez Noe (8.41E), a glass of Molino Real

Moscatel (9.15E) , un cafe (2.10E). The whole evening worked on so many

levels for me - the food was not only very good but beautifully presented -

the room, which is set beneath green steel arches and a tufted white fabric

ceiling, is evenly lit, tables nicely spaced - there's an air of enjoyment but

private. The staff was confindent and made me, a solo diner, feel totally at

ease - it was a wonderful evening.