scfinson's Profile
Murano, Venice - Sunday Lunch recommendations please
If you would like to go to Mazzorbo the island connected to Burano. Venissa is set in a vineyard and has fantastic food. Open on Sundays and far from the crowds.
Big Feast Continued Firenze
I know what you mean Jen, you aren't sure what to put on the fork for a complete bite. At least it wasn't a place where the wait staff tell you what order to eat the ingredients in, I really don't like that. Not everyt dish was blown apart. It has been my experience a lot of young chef's tend to grow out of the deconstruction phase. Or at least tone it down and distill down to a few elements. Hopefully that will be the path at OP.
Big Feast Continued Firenze
Firenze - Amazing how two cities in the same country have such different cuisines and food cultures. Fish vs. meat. But that’s Italy. Want foreign food in Florence? Go to the Roman restaurant!
Lunch - First stop Volpi e l’uva. A wine bar just on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio. Just seats at the bar on the inside a few tables outside. Large wine by the glass selection not just Tuscan wine either. If you find one you like they sell retail as well. The main focus of the menu is salumi, cheese and various combinations of them on crostone, a very large version of crostini. They were huge and easily split between 2 or more people. Very good, fresh and large salads. I really liked this place and we tried to get back again but just ran out of time. I don’t understand why this is not listed on the Eat Florence app.
Dinner - Osteria Cipolla Rossa. Very nice. You can certainly get your meat fix here. Owned by family that has butcher stall in the San Lorenzo market. We had a great artichoke pasta dish. Shaved raw baby artichokes with garlic and very flavorful Tuscan EVO. I had a bistecca for 1 and Vicki had chicken breasts wrapped in lardo then cooked. Steak was good but the chicken was better, very tender and packed with flavor. Of all the places we dined in I thought this place seemed to be just right, not too expensive, nice comfortable space, great ingredients, classic Tuscan menu a few modern twists maybe but not venturing too far. Mostly local clientele. Wish it was in my neighborhood. Molto bene!
Dinner - Osteria Personale. I wanted to try one of the more modern approaches to Tuscan cooking. We tried 2, here and Ora D’Aria. Chef here is certainly of the deconstruction school of culinary arts. I think I read he spent time staging at Mugaritz in San Sebastian in Spain so that influence was pretty evident. The exposed brick walls are lined with chalk boards with detailed sketches of the plates featured that night. So you know which pool of sauce is the pureed celery and which is the pile of bone marrow. What was on the plate was very sophisticated but the room and efficient service are quite casual and laid back. We really liked the “vibe” here. Menu is divided into meat, fish, vegetables 5-6 choices of each and you can mix and match to make your own tasting menu. You need the diagrams on the wall as there is a lot going on on the plate. I am not a big fan of the little dab of veg here, the meat over there and a swoosh of sauce on the side. They never give you enough sauce. Polenta with smoked ricotta, cauliflower and artichokes drizzled walnut oil, you get the idea. Best steak tartar of the trip topped with shaved celery for crunch and celery/mustard gelato melting on the side to create a sauce with a bit of heat to it. The plating was very international but the ingredients and flavors very local. The flavors and technique were very good so we enjoyed it more than we thought after seeing the food maps on the wall.
Lunch - Dario Cecchini - Panzano. Much has been written about the Dario Phenomenon so I don’t want to stir up any controversy. He is a self made celebrity, for good or bad. He was off to LA the next day to cook a special dinner at Mozza, Mario Battali’s and Nancy Silverton‘s place in Hollyweird. So just know that is the deal. No corkage fee so hit a winery or wine shop first. We pre ordered the bistecca lunch. The butcher shop is set up with all kinds of samples to nibble on before lunch starts. You eat at long communal tables packed with food tourists from around the world. How did the tiny Japanese girls we met eat that much meat? You can order lots of little samples of all the different salumi, Tonno de Chianti which would be pork rillettes in France. Tatar etc, etc. The most flavorful cut raw veggies you dip into local oil mixed with his secret salt/spice mixture which you can buy on the way out. I thought our slab of meat was great, I know it is not Chianina from Tuscany, but it was done perfectly and we loved it. As the crowd thinned out sitting under the umbrellas with a great wine surrounded by Panzano’s scenery was pretty cool too.
Dinner - Too much meat!
Lunch - Olio & Convivium. This was a totally unexpected find. We originally planned to go to Il Santo Bevitore but the lunch menu just did not appeal to us. Down the street is O&C. I thought it was more of just a take out deli/food emporium for oils and other Tuscan products. There is a very quaint comfortable dinning room in the back with a full menu. At dinner I might describe it as romantic. The food was very good and quite adventurous. My pigeon ravioli dish might have been the best pasta course I had this trip. Lots of people from the neighborhood stop by to buy the huge loaves of bread. So if you want picnic provisions or a sit down meal this place works.
Dinner - Buca dell’Orafo. Classic old school Florentine Buca. Literally under the Ponte Vecchio. Tiny cave like Buca, harsh lighting, cramped tables not a place for romance but plenty of atmosphere. All non Italian speakers so we were a little wary at first but the first bite of ragu dispelled any fears. All the Tuscan classics, ribollita, wild boar ragu, steaks. The food was really good and the local Italian crowd came late. Put it down for a trip back in time kind of place.
Ora D’aria - The second modern restaurant. Just received Michelin star. This place is just modern cuisine not sure it is a take on Tuscan or even Italian cuisine as I felt OP was. It seemed to me I could have been in any city, SF, NY, Paris. Make sure you reserve the upstairs room which has a view of the kitchen at work. Downstairs seemed stark and small. The dishes are hard to describe as he uses cryptic terms like new potato overcomes the truffle. Davero! Apps were scampi marinated in scotch on potato quenelles with a shot of single malt on the side. Saved single malt for after dinner. Squid in a potato soup. Mains were an outstanding deconstructed osso bucco risotto. Bits of bone marrow, melt in your mouth veal meat. This was the only dish that was recognizably Italian. Roast suckling pig with a smear of cavalo nero. This dish was so under seasoned it was a shame. Pig was perfectly cooked but it was all so bland. Luckily Vicki could not finish her risotto. Desert a great chocolate something. Alto Adige Pinot Nero which was a great choice a Tuscan red may have overpowered the food. Service here was pretty formal as may be necessary for the M*.
I would return to Osteria Personale on a regular basis. Not so with Ora D’Aria.
Well that’s it for Italy 2012! Back to la regime.
The Big Feast - Veneia and Firenze
It is NOT my policy and I did not ever feel rushed at Il ridotto to their credit and we are slow eaters and do not hesitate to tell servers to give us more time between courses. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The one thing I noticed on this trip is we saw very few if any people including Italians who were eating the old traditional antipasti, primi, secondi, dolce, coffee meal. We were quite surprised. So the Italians aren't even doing it anymore. Many would just have one course only or two at the most. One table of 4 at Il Ridotto one couple ordered 3 courses the other couple only an insalata misto and dessert. Not sure what the story was there. I can't eat like that anymore and either for health or money reasons it does not seem as many others want to eat that way anymore. It may become a thing of the past to do the multi course long meal. Restaurants may be adjusting their policies to ensure profitability if people are only going to order 1 or 2 courses even at fine dining places. We also saw few people ordering full bottles of wine and only drinking by the glass, another trend?
The Big Feast - Veneia and Firenze
These are some of the producers Cantina Terlano, J Hoffstatter, Colterenzio, St Michelle Eppan
Tramen- We also liked Lagrein form this area, a different grape more deeply colored and robust than the pinot neros.
The Big Feast - Veneia and Firenze
The seatings at Il Ridotto are 7:30 & 9:30. Yeah the Burgundy reference might have been a little over enthusiastic. The reserve bottles(2005's) we had were very good at
The Big Feast - Veneia and Firenze
First installment Venezia!
On this trip to Italy we focused on just 2 cities. Venezia and Firenze. We have traveled to Italy many times but have not been to back to these “must visit” cities in over 15 years. We concentrated on food first, sights and touring second. If there was a sight or museum to see near the place we were eating we would check it out if time permitted.
I want to give thanks to all the Chowhound contributors for all their advice and tips and Especially Elizabeth Minchilli and Michela Scibilia for creating the APPs we used as our guides. These were invaluable.
Venice was up first. I felt this was the more difficult place to find the good stuff, but we found plenty of great food. Most are on the greatest hit lists here. Only one total bust. I will try to keep this brief, just the highlights, Ha!
Al Marca. Lunch spot. This place is essentailly a closet with a bar across the entrance, and a few shelves attached to surrounding walls to set your glass on. It is in the square next to Rialto Market. They serve about 25 wines by the glass and tiny sandwiches on little ciabatta style buns, Bacala montecato, prosciutto with truffled cheese etc. About 10 different types. They were all great and all the wines are local from NE Italy. Several prosecco’s to choose from. Everyone just eats standing up and it is a very local working person scene. We went back several more times even when we had lunch plans. Try it!
Boccodoro. Dinner. Our first seafood session. Really small nice place with very fresh simply prepared seafood. Nice modern decor. Very interesting modern art on the walls not your typical pictures of Venice in it’s glory days. Not on the tourist trail. Chef and wife team wait on you. It was obviously scampi season as we saw them on a lot of menus cooked and raw. They are so sweet in the raw form. Also artichoke season especially the little baby ones we ate a lot of carcioffi! We ate them both as often as possible. Also good pastas and simple grilled fish.
Alle Testiare. Dinner. Lives up to the hype. A step up from Boccodoro in creativity. Small cramped room no attempt at ambience but the seafood was stellar. More Scampi this time cooked in an agro dolce sauce and a huge portion. Turbot with star anise flavored sauce. Great chocolate dessert. Service very nice.
Ristorante Quadri. Dinner. I will try to give my honest thoughts about this place. The food was very good, a couple of dishes were exquisite. The quality of the seafood the best. My seafood ravioli was especially memorable. Prices crazy! I know location, location, location! The view was not what we remembered or expected as it was winter and the cafes were closed at night. No dueling orchestras for better or worse. All we could see was scaffolding and the touts shooting their glow toys into the sky. If you did not request a window table you would have no view. The other thing that really ticked me off was the chairs were so uncomfortable. They may have been authentic to the 1800”s but they were awful, everyone in the room was squirming around after an hour. 60€ appetizers should pay for comfortable chairs. If you are on an expense account, money is no concern or someone else is buying go for it. Not good value. Bring a pillow for your back!
Il Ridotto. Dinner. How cool is this place!! Food as good or better than Quadri at 1/3 the price . Modern sleek furniture with exposed brick walls very comfortable chairs, nice subtle lighting not always a given even in Italian places. It seats about 12-15 customers max. 2 seatings per night. Owner/Chef waits on the tables with a couple of others helping out. Standouts were more raw scampi, the calamari antipasti best fried calamari I have ever had, a very modern approach to it. All the dishes firmly rooted in Venetian tradition but elevated by a contemporary cooking and plating approach. Small tubetti pasta with go fish broth the essence of the sea! The other great discovery here was Pinot Nero’s from the Alto Adige region. These are some of the best pinot noirs I have had in a while at a great price point. I live in Pinot Noir country in CA and have drank more than my share of Burgundies and these stand up quite well. Now I am on a mission to find them in USA.
Venissa. Lunch. Ok, Venice seems crowded and claustrophobic after a week. Especially on Sundays when all the main landers come to visit family, shop and eat at the few places open on Sunday. So where to go for Lunch? Mazzorbo of course! Huh? It is the island next to Burrano which is a madhouse on Sundays. Mazzorbo had all of 15 visitors on it, all eating at Venissa! Mazzorbo is still essentially a vegetable farm with vegetable plots and a vineyard which now produces wine again. Venissa is a small hotel/restaurant that has taken old run down buildings and turned them into a chic little inn. The ristorante is set in the vineyard both outdoor and indoor seating. Too cold for outside that day. The kitchen is behind glass doors and is sleek and modern with stainless steel everything, immaculate, such a contrast to the ancient surroundings. The chef is Paola Budel and she is a true rising star and should get a Michelin star soon IMHO. This is what I found so intriguing, My 1st course was raw scampi onto which they poured a subtle porcini broth that just poached the scampi just enough to change the texture. The sweet scampi with the earthy porcini one of the best seafood dishes I have had in a long time. So refined so subtle but so packed with pure flavor. Ok so what’s next? I ordered the turbot. So here is the thing that wowed me. I thought I would get a small filet of turbot with some delicate sauce. WRONG! What came to the table was a huge turbot steak on the bone grilled with rosemary, olive oil and garlic, a totally rustic gutsy dish. Essentially turbot bistecca! Perfectly done, the kind of dish you want to pick every piece of fish off the bone. So the contrast of the two dishes was the key for me just a great overall experience. More Alto Adige Pinot Nero. The kitchen also seems to be a training ground for very young chefs as well. They will learn a lot from Paola!
Firenze report later this week. Cippola Rosa, Osteria Personale, Ora d'Aria Dario Cecchini and a few more.
The Met in Venice, and others
Went to Il Ridotto last week, it may not be high end in a formal way but it is high end as concerns the food and it is a very modern comfortable room especially the one to the side. We preferred it over Quadri. The other new spot is out on Mazzorbo called Venissa. Food was very high end and a great location in the vineyard.
2 weeks in Panzano
Just went to Panzano last week for Dario's lunch. We called ahead and ordered the Bistecca meal. You have to reserve it ahead. I can't imagine anyone doing bistecca better. His beef does not come from Chianti but a ranch in Catalonia Spain. He feels it is the best he has found. It was totally worth it. You do have to eat at 2 long communal tables. No corkage fee so bring a bottle from one of the wineries. All the little tastes in the butcher shop are included. Chianti butter his version of lardo was great too.
Florence: Bistecca and bread? (not quite the same as older posts) - also Rome
This is for others that could leave Florence proper. For Bistecca drive to Panzano for Dario Cecchini's version. You have to reserve the Bistecca ahead of time. If any one is crazy passionate about meat in Tuscany it is Dario! All his other products are delicious as well. Chianti butter is his version of whipped, spiced lardo spread over rustic bread. Unbelievable! It is a "foodie" pilgrimage type of place but the food delivered.
Venice: Quadri inquiry
Went to Quadri rest. Last week food was quite good but prices absurd!!!! Go to Il Ridotto or Venissa on Mazzorbo food as good or better prices 1/3 of Quadri. Quadri bill will be the one bill I will kick myself over from this trip. Will post full report later. Ciao!
Lunch in Vicenza
Next week we will be staying in Venice and doing a day trip to Vicenza. Does anyone have any suggestions for a nice, casual osteria/trattoria near the main sights in Vicenza? Thanks.
Dinner Options on Giudecca, Venice
Any chow worthy recommendations on Giiudecca? Looking for something more casual than Cipriani. Views would be nice but not a must. Thanks.
Venissa Ristorante Mazzorbo
Has any one been to this place. It seems like a great day trip to see Burano then have lunch in a very unique environment. We did Burano then Locanda Cipriani on Torcello quite a few years ago. But this place seems a little more up to date and exciting from a locavore perspective. Any advice greatly appreciated.
Florence - Modern Takes on Tuscan food
Thanks EM. Love your Florence App! We thought we might do 2 of the 3, one for lunch and one for dinner would one be better during daylight hours than the other?
Florence - Modern Takes on Tuscan food
Going to Florence in March. I would like to try one of the restaurants featuring a more modern take on Tuscan cooking. During last years trip to Spain we really enjoyed places that were stretching the envelope but still connected to the local ingredients and culture of the region they were in. The contenders in Florence seem to be Osteria Personale, Ora D'Aria, and Ossi di Seppi. Does anyone have personal experience with these and if you have a preference, why? Osteria Personale's room looks more inviting on website but that can be misleading. Thanks.
Another Chicago Trip report LONG
CHICAGO TRIP REPORT 9/11-9/17/2011
Let me thank all the Chicago Chow Hounds for their great advice and help in planning a great food journey.
Coming from Central CA and having never been to Chicago I was really impressed with your city all the way around. Great skyline, buildings, parks really friendly people you name it we enjoyed it.
Now to the food.
Cafe Spiaggia - Sunday dinner. We really liked this place. There was a little snafu with the seating, we were in the far back room next to a large group with several toddlers who were being wheeled in and out by Moms, as they started crying and fussing. As soon as one settled down another would start up. But we were moved and given a comped prosecco for the trouble. Starters were good, sardines for me and arugula salad with stellar peaches for DW. I got monk fish wrapped in prosciutto, great flavors but fish was a bit overdone which made it a bit tough but monk fish is pretty firm so I was still happy. She had a sweet corn pasta with banana peppers. One of the best pastas I have tasted in a long time. The peppers were pungent but still had a real hot bite to them. The silky chocolate dessert on a shortbread base was the best sweet we had on the trip. I thought the quality/price ratio was extremely good here.
Next day wandered Millennium Park and went into CAI. Mostly admired all the great architecture in the area.
Did Intelligentsia Coffee for my morning fix. Their espresso blend was very fragrant and had an almost fruity character vs. a chocolate flavor profile. Why are there so many Starbuck’s and so few places like this? It was busy so hopefully enough coffee aficionados to keep them going.
Monday Lunch - The Gage. Ended up here by fortunate accident. It was directly across the street from Millennium Park. It was packed with business lunchers, but were able to sit at the bar. Small but very nice beer selection which was great for the hot humid weather. Shared a pulled Pork sandwich on pretzel roll and a wild mushroom sandwich. They did a good job and the sandwiches were very large and excellent fries. What makes pretzel dough different? Very different texture chewy but still soft.
Monday Dinner - Fox and Obel picnic makings in the room. We had a room on 37th floor with both city and lake views so just soaked that up. We obtained very nice midwestern cheeses, bread, olives, wine etc. Very nice store very much worth the slight detour.
Tuesday Lunch - Had seminars so lunch was a body function not an adventure.
Tuesday Dinner - Sable. This experience was a 50/50. Liked the room and the vibe very attentive but discreet service.. Had some vermouth cocktails which were great and will try to make them at home for aperitifs. The 50/50 comes in the food. First round was the bacon wrapped dates and pretzels and artisanal cheese wiz. Loved the dates, we see this on CA menus but better bacon in the land of pork. Chicago knows how to make pretzels, something we rarely see in CA. The highlight was the scallops and curry-tomato chutney. Perfectly done scallops and the chutney was great they should sell it in jars for take home. Next were the disappointments. The sliders were completely dry with almost no root beer glaze on them, bummer as that was a dish everyone seems to recommend. The wild mushrooms were way over salted. I know Sable is a place that people say you need to know what to order so maybe just a bad night on those dishes.
Still had a great time.
Wednesday Lunch - Pizzeria Uno. This was a conundrum. I was by myself and when I saw how big a small pizza was I ordered an individual one. This was a mistake I would not repeat. The individual came out without a metal pan and seemed dry with very little sauce and cheese on it. When I looked at others having larger pizzas they seemed to ooze with ingredients with the cheese stretching across the table when people served it. Oh well, will have to try again someday. Liked the Goose Island Honker Ale though.
Predinner - POPS champagne bar. Expensive if you go French but that is always the case. Lots of small unknown producers. Lots of good Cavas and other bubbles that are more reasonable. My favorite was an Italian rose from Piemonte. So if you can’t get a reservation for a Bayless place till late like us great place to warm up for the main event.
Wednesday Dinner - Topolobampo. We have had dinner at Red O in LA where Rick Bayless designed the menu and trained the chefs and has an ongoing consultant thing. We thought it was good but not a WOW, more of a hip LA scene at the time so I was a little bit wary of Topolo especially with a late 9:30 reservation. We loved it! We have always wanted to get there not only because he is a great chef but he seems like such a sincere nice person and a pioneer of true Mexican cuisine. Great guacamole amuse and I live where all the avocados are grown. Great spicing and it had a good kick to it. Serving it on thinly sliced jicima and cucumbers instead of chips makes for a much lighter appetizer, will steal that idea. Chayote with pepito mole sauce. WOW! I could do shots of the sauce. So many flavors involved. Mains were lamb leg with black mole, game hen tamarind chile sauce. Both perfectly executed. Lamb really tasted of lamb which sometimes in upscale places they seem to not want to scare anyone off with the gamy lamb flavor. I tried to make one of his moles once at home and it was arduous so doing it so well on a large scale is very impressive. Desserts were homemade ice creams that still use the Oaxacan flavor profile. Stuffed, stumble to hotel.
Thursday
Lunch - Power bars yuck! Actually late breakfast at hotel then did a Kayak trip down the Chicago river amongst the glass and concrete canyons. This was a great afternoon. Perfect weather and a very different experience. We have kayaked many times in wilderness areas so this was a first, only had to dodge a few floating bodies, just kidding. Learned a lot about Chicago architecture and history.
Dinner- Naha. Seem to be stuck on the same few blocks, Sable, Topolobampo, Pops and now Naha. The one thing Naha needs to do IMHO is use less ingredients on the plate let the star ingredient shine more. All the dishes seemed to have 2-3 too many things on it. Greek salad, no lettuce just chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon feta, and olives a nice rendition not too much on this one. The execution of the Foi gras was done superbly but with an apple tart tatin, apricots, currants, anise hysop, and black currant gastrique just too much. Just needed a little restraint for it to be great! I had the skate which was cooked perfectly but again too many side flavors to remember. 3 different kind of squash, cubes, puree and spaghetti squash, plus sauces. Looking back at the menu on the website each dish is a paragraph. This was the only place the service was brusk if not surly. There were 3-4 large groups in the room so maybe they were a little pushed.
Friday _ Last day almost over.
Lunch - Xoco. We had Cubs tickets and I am usually disappointed with ball park food and we were so impressed with Topolobampo we had to get more of those flavors before we left. Chorizo torta and seafood sopa. Excellent beer selections with little signs telling you what dishes they would match with. I want this place in my hood. Love the way they handle the crush where no one orders at the counter till there is a seat available in the dining area. Otherwise there would be loads of people with food and no tables to sit at. Genius!
Dinner - Tru. A different section of town! This is truly a first class experience. Room, service and wine selection. We did the 3 course prefix which was plenty of food for us. Lots of extra courses included especially the little desserts. Duck consome with foie ravioli. This had a an oriental twist with the broth flavored with soy/miso? Not sure but had the flavors of double boiled chinese soups. Heirloom beet salad with apple gelee, caviar, and horseradish. The prettiest dish I have seen in a while, she said it was great but not being a great fan of beets, I did not try them but she did let me have a tiny taste of the caviar and sauce. Yum! Prime beef ribeye grilled foie gras, wild mushrooms. Great take on Tournados Rossini. Wagyu beef short ribs, parsnip jalapeno puree, Sou vide short ribs then sauteed for crisp exterior totally lush interior. Parsnips are not my favorite thing but he added jalapenos into the mix and gave it a real kick. A very nice surprise. Desserts too much to remember. Chocolate for sure, excellent. Plus several trays of extras. And a muffin to take home for breakfast! I am going to cringe when the bill comes but it was mostly for wine! There was a bottle of Burgundy that had special memories attached from a trip there 10 years ago, It has gone up in value since then! Best bottle of the year so far.
Well that’s all folks.
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Pizzeria Uno
29 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611
Intelligentsia Coffee
53 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604
Cafe Spiaggia
980 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Topolobampo
445 N Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610
Naha
500 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610
XOCO
449 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Great espresso near Water Plaza?
Goose Island was recommended to us by a former Chicagoan out here. Would it be possible for 2 to walk in at 11:30ish and get seated and eat in time to walk to game which starts at 1:20? I don't know if brew pubs take reservations the ones around here don't. I will definitely check out Intelligentsia. I would take their barrista class if it was offered on a day I could attend. Thanks again.
Great espresso near Water Plaza?
Will be visiting Chicago 9/12 to 9/17. I have most of our dinner plans made thanks to the regulars here. One thing I can't live without is high quality espresso, and cappuccinos. I am from the SF/Bay area and my standards are high. Blue Bottle in SF is one of my standards if anyone is familiar . S@#$@@#cks. does not qualify, they are in the milk business not the coffee business. Thanks in advance for any help, you don't want me wandering your streets espresso deprived. Also, what is chow worthy near Wrigley for pregame eats and good beer? We are really looking forward to chowing in Chicago.
Solo Diner looking for recs in Pleasnat Hill or Walnut Creek
Will be in PH and WC for 2 nights, will most likely be dining alone. Any good bistro style places or some good Thai or other ethnic places good for solo dining? Thanks.
EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA or ALKIMIA
We did 41 Degrees on our recent trip and it was perfect after eating at Alkimia lunch. Just light "molecular" snacks after the long multi course lunch. It was not packed after 9:30 or so, many empty tables. We had 8:30 res and it was crowded when we got there but emptied out later. Tickets was packed throughout.
Barceloneta
We just returned from Barcelona and had a great Sunday lunch at La Mar Salada. Great rice dishes as well as other things like fried artichoke chips. Casual elegance great people watching with lots of locals, but make sure you have a reservation as many walk ups turned away.
Spain a Culinary adventure. Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, Barcelona and Deia. Warning LONG.
Aleta, I'm not sure Alkimia did anything too wild with the Calcots there were complimentary sides to fish and meat dishes. Grilled on fish and thinly sliced on another also a foam sauce flavored with calcots on the fish. They were very mild and sweet for a "green onion" .They must have been baby calcots since what we saw at Boqueria were more the szie of leeks.Yes we thought seriously about Moments but wanted to be diversified in our selections and try places out of the hotel. San Telmo seemed so different from the line up of places on that square, just had that out of the "box" vibe like all the people that worked there were in alternative rock bands on the side not doing flamenco. Now we want to do the northwest and San Sebastion, Rioja so back to work to fund the next adventure!
Spain a Culinary adventure. Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, Barcelona and Deia. Warning LONG.
Spain Trip Report
Our recent trip to Spain was an incredible food experience as well as a great trip in general. Many thanks to all on this board who helped us narrow down the infinite number of restaurants and tapas bars. Maribel’s travel guides were also an indispensable tool for guiding us in our choices.
Sorry for all the spelling errors to come.
We were in Spain a total of 3 weeks starting with Madrid then on to Seville, Cordoba Barcelona and the northwest of Mallorca.
I will try to keep this brief (oops) and only do extensive notes on the truly stellar places or dishes. I won’t list addresses as it is so easy to do searches, Google maps, GPS etc.
Madrid - Stayed in Retiro Park area.
Estado Puro- Our first stop after a very long trip from California via London. This place was exceptional! It may have been the jet lag or we were famished from airport/airline food but it set the bar very high for the rest of the trip. It is a very modern space with high chairs at communal tables. The ceiling is a tunnel of large women’s hair comb/tiara things. It is also right across the street from the Prado in the NH hotel building, so very convenient for a gourmet lunch break.The food is very modern tapas/raciones traditional flavors with inventive twists. Everything was presented on black slate plates a trend we saw on many other occasions. Best croquettas of the trip and we tried many others for comparison. The standout dish in flavor and inventiveness was pig trotters reformed with herbs and spices on a bed of sepia tallarines. The sepia was cut like pasta noodles and had a similar texture and mouth feel, could have eaten much more of more of this dish. The other standout was lentil soup with foie. At first just seemed like a good lentil soup but all the foie was on the bottom then this dish was something else altogether.
Chocolateria san Gines - Went for desert after “EP” above. Good chocolate and fresh churros. We were satiated now.
Mercato San Michelle near Plaza Mayor? More of a food hall than a market. Oh no! Anchovies, sardine, pulpo pinxtos, and cana can not resist now total food overdose!
Arzabal- Another “modern” tapas place. Very good but not the same level of food as Estado Puro. Good oxtail stew and and seared foie here. Good solid choice for the “modern gastro” movement. Make reservations or you will only get bar seats.
Sergi Arola Gastro - Lunch, Our first Michelin * * place. Something was a little off here. Only us and one other table filled, so a bit stifling with more service people than customers. He offers 3-4 tasting menus of different sizes, with some choice of plates. Food was very good with some creative flourishes but no big wow factor. Our big disappointment was the sauces on my wife’s fish dish, excellent, and the baby chicken dish, overcooked, seemed to be the exact same very rich demigloss. Great lamb and chocolate dessert.
Casona Retiro - Our late breakfast spot. Great coffees, teas and pastries. Around the corner from hotel. It was great to go here 4 days in a row as it is where office workers take their breaks and the same people would come every day at exactly the same times they would talk to us and got to know them a little like joining their little family for a few days.
Pandelujo - In the Salamanca shopping area. Very modern large brasserie is how I would describe it. Blond wood walls outdoor zen rock garden to look at through the all glass wall. The food had some international influence here. Terrible croquettas here, mushy and bland but probably not what they emphasize. Great Rueda white wine for only €18. The huge red prawns on julienned vegs with miso broth was great if not very Spanish. Prawn head juice was like prawn bone marrow yum! Roasted artichokes with romesco is something I need to learn how to do since we live in artichoke land.
Evening Tapas Crawl - We stayed in the Retiro park area for this vs. the La Latina district. Laredo, La Catapa, and Arzabal again but just at the bar with tapas only menu. All on one street so very easy to do and was a lot of fun. Laredo very traditional stand up only out in front room. Chipperones al a plancha was superb with an onion, tomato marmalade underneath. La Catapas a little more modern with a huge portion of veal tartar. Arzabal more modern still and packed to the rafters, Foie terrine excellent.
Seville -
Beccerito- Not sure what happened here. This place recommended on CH and another Seville Tapas web site. The hotel said we needed to reserve but made it for dining room which in hindsight was was a big mistake. The main fish courses were simply inedible and we just asked for bill and left and went to hotel and did room service a real bust. Maybe the tapas are better but there was no one in there when we left so not a good sign.
Arenero - This is a great modern wine bistro in the traditional and touristy Barrio Santa Cruz area right off the cathedral square. Modern take on tapas again, more black slate plates with smears of sauce, all very tasty. Cochonillo was my favorite, ensalada pulpo my wife’s.
Vineria San Telmo - Loved this place, reminded me of a bohemian outpost in SF Mission district. Very good food more gutsy home style cooking with some modern twists. I may have never seen wait staff work that hard. What choreography! Waiter ballet! It was truly athletic. Great people watching here. You need res. for dinner service.
Abantal- WOW! This place was truly a great experience and best € value as well. Only 3 tables filled at lunch but it felt very comfortable, service very discreet not hovering. Again 3 sizes of tasting menus, but no choices on individual dish selection. Everything had taste, presentation and creative focus. All very well balanced. When we do tasting menus like this we usually order a rose bubbly then I get a glass of red wine for my meat course. Worked for us as the rose cava went great with everything up to the solomillo and then the Riberia del Duoro took over from there .
Zelai- Sunday where to go for long lunch as it is raining. I wanted to go to Vineria San Telmo again but our hotel concierge would not think of us REPEATING! “400 restaurants in Seville no repeating” Yes Mom. So Zelai it was. Had to taxi with the pouring rain that was an experience taking a car through the narrow lanes of Seville, had to fold the side mirrors in twice! What I remember most was the massive portion of perfectly seared foie gras here. Not the most inventive iteration but the best cooked, enough for 4 people. Or the only thing you should order.
Cordoba - By the time we got to Cordoba we actually needed a food break. The foie at Zelais may have been our culinary Waterloo. At this point we wanted a salad with no protein or fatty item on it no tuna, jamon, foie etc. just vegs please!. My wife ordered an appetizer salad with prawn carpaccio without the prawns just the salad, which drew a funny look from waiter but said no problem. When I got the bill they charged an extra €5 for just the salad €18! for lettuce. Maybe it was time of year and greens are not in season but it was really hard to eat our vitamins!
We were not very excited about our Cordoba food experience. I think the Mesquita Cathedral and palace are the draws and not the food culture.
“Casa del Pisto”- aka Taberna San Miguel was solid traditional Andulusian fare. A real locals place. really filled up at lunch with local working folks.
Lamoraga- This is a branch of the Malaga based Dani Garcia empire. Uber trendy decor right out of design award mags, rather out of place in Cordoba. Only open 2 weeks and completely empty on both tries. Food was very good though. The braised beef cheeks served in a Staub like cocotte my favorite stewed meat dish of the trip. Inventive bocadillos etc. Better get some customers or this won’t last.
Barcelona Where to start? We stayed at our splurge hotel the Mandarin Oriental on Passeig de Gracia so we were in food central.
MO bar area- expensive, pretentious and very few Spaniards in sight but very high quality tapas while waiting for a room change.
Monvinic - We had dinner in the bar area not the full rest in the back as it was full from a very large group. Massive wine list from all over the world not just Spain, list is on a iPad like device but does not work like one. Takes forever to find what you want and the wait staff act like you are an idiot because it takes a while to navigate. Then I found some really unique red from Navarra, mencia grape? Wanted another glass but was told the bottle ran out and when a bottle hits empty it goes off the list and no longer available by the glass only bottle. La quenta por favor. Food ok, rice dish way too salty.
Alkimia - Another WOW! We did the traditional menu since we wanted some reference point to Catalan cooking. Lots of Calcots in inventive ways. The chicken canellones a revelation thanks Aleta. The most unique dish of the trip was pork carpaccio and noodles. A very thin slice of pork with white stripes running through it at bottom of bowl. Waiter pours intensely flavored broth over it. The pork mostly fat melts away leaving the white stripes which are tendons or connective tissue which are now noodles floating in the soup. Brilliant. I could go on but this was a true highlight.
Tapas,24 - Chiperonitas ala plancha. The smallest squid I have ever eaten. The ink would ooze out when bitten. Man that was good. The rest competently done traditional tapas. I think we are getting jaded.
Paco Merlago - I see why this place is all the rave. The first potatas bravas with some serious heat. Baby wild asparagus, great bomba. Must reserve at dinner, many turned away.
La Mar Salada - Sunday afternoon, have to do the Barcelonetta seafood scene. This place was just what we wanted, a slice of Barcelona life and great food. Had their seafood rice with crab and squid very good only wish it had more crab. Artichoke chips and escalirada great too. Hundreds of people without reservations turned away. Had one big guy out front to direct traffic and the lucky few of us with res. in.
Boqueria- Pinxtos too crowded, El Quim closed but Kiosko open so had artichokes and gambas ala plancha great! Then a basque pintxos place in the Barri Gotic can’t remember name but PBSF recommended. Very nice. Thanks.
Mallorca, Deia Soller Area- After 2.5 weeks of touring 4 busy, hectic cities with all the museums, historic sights we just wanted to sit on a deck and relax and enjoy scenery and the outdoors. Deia really fit the the bill. Magnificent mtn scenery and great hiking.
No car so stayed in Deia for food, Juame, Sebastion’s, L’Olive which was more a european continental style place and a place with barrel’s in the name that was a good solid tapas place and not too €€€.
Home, sorry so long winded but it helps me solidify the memories after 24 hours of air travel makes you wonder what the hell did I do that for. Thanks again to all the Spain experts for making our trip such a culinary success.
Ferran Adria's new spot
Aleta you recommended Alkimia in another thread as a good place near the Sagrada Familia. Do they serve tall the menus at lunch or just the 37.80€ menu only?
Barcelona Help
Aleta,
Would you get as good an experience at Alkimia for lunch? The web site only shows an abbreviated lunch menu for 37.50 Euros. Do they offer a la carte or the Ionger menus? was thinking we could tour SF in the morning then do Alkimia for lunch then we have reservations at 41 Degrees for evening.
Barcelona Help
Ok, we are only 2 weeks from our 5 nights in Barcelona, I have been searching on this board and others for months and have come up with a nice list of places to go.
For high end and modern
Cinc Sentits
Gelonch
Commerc 24 if CS not available.
Catalan
Fonda Gaig
Could use another recommendation in this category in Eixample area or close enough to walk.
Tapas- Wine Bars
Too many places to list but these are some of my choices
Paco Merlago
Monvinic
Tapac 24
Taverna del Clinic
Cerveseria Catalana
Euskal Etxea
Boqueria spots
Any suggestions for good lunch spot near Sagrada Familia?
I am missing a good place for the traditional seafood/ paella Sunday lunch near the harbor. Atmosphere and food. More interested in the rice dishes than seafood platters.
We are going to a concert at the Palau de la Musica. Any nearby suggestions for tapas before and/or after the concert?
Thanks Parigi, PBSF, Erica and any others in advance
