CULINARY EXPLORING IN MADRID, SEVILLA, GAUCIN AND MALAGA
 

I've neglected this for too long, so before all details fades from my memory, here is a brief report focusing on food--markets, food stores, restaurants, and bars--with a few other details thrown in, based on my most recent visit to Spain, a couple of months ago. I'll try to complete it soon, rather than drag out the process as is my usual style. I'd like nothing more than to discuss details and answer questions about what I ate and where I ate it, so please feel free to ask away!

I should mention that I planned this trip with a close friend, the same friend who had accompanied me on a Valencia and Barcelona jaunt about a year and a half ago. Unfortunately, this friend was forced to cancel for medical reasons a few weeks prior to departure. Neither of us had purchased travel insurance. So I am very pleased to report that Iberia deserves a rousing commendation for refunding the entire cost of her round trip economy ticket based on her telephone cancellation.

Rather than travel alone, I asked my usual travel partner to step up to the plate and, due to the sad and sudden demise of the 2012 New York Yankees, he was more than willing to travel during World Series season.


We divided the two-week-plus trip into four segments, staying in three apartments—in Madrid, Sevilla, Gaucin (tiny village in the Serrania de Ronda)—and one hotel, in Malaga. While we had made previous visits to Madrid and SEvilla, it would be our first time in both Gaucin and Malaga.

We flew direct from JFK to Madrid, and home from Malaga, via Madrid, on Iberia. I have almost always enjoyed good service from this airline in economy class and this trip was no exception. The food and wine served on board, however, are fairly dire.

We took the yellow Airport Express bus from the stoop outside the terminal, to Atocha station, and from there, a taxi to our apartment.
http://www.esmadrid.com/en/barajas-airport-express

Our home for the first four nights was a 3-bedroom apartment in the Retiro district of the capital, the sector east of the glorious Parque del Buen Retiro. Both here and in Sevilla, we rented from Spain Select, and would recommend this agency to other travelers. The booking process was streamlined, most credit cards (not Amex) are accepted at no extra fee, and (minor) problems with the Madrid apartment were immediately addressed. We were allowed to check in early, which was much appreciated, as we landed in Madrid about 9am after the overnight flight from NYC.


http://www.spain-select.com/en_US/re...ts/anunciacion



The Anunciacion apartment is housed in a non-descript but well-cared for building facing the tiny Anunciacion park and just across the bustling Avenida Menendez Pelayo from Retiro Park. It is located on the first floor and there is a small elevator. Furnishings are of the IKEA-ilk (many were, in fact, purchased at IKEA) and were comfortable, even though a few were slightly worn. Minor problems such as many missing light bulbs, were addressed immediately, as I noted. The apartment was spick-and-span clean. The kitchen was very we-equipped.

One disappointment was the lack of information about the immediate area: Where is the nearest supermarket? Which bus will get us to Plaza Mayor? etc. There was a folder with some generic information about the city, but more details about the neighborhood would have been helpful. Even the agent who checked us in was clueless when I asked about a supermarket; happily, a member of the cleaning crew (they were still cleaning when we arrived, due to our early check-in) was able to direct me to the glorious Mercadona, just a 5-minute walk from the apartment.

Other than those minor details, Anunciacion proved to be a good base for us on our return visit to Madrid. It was certainly economical; three bedrooms; two bathrooms cost a total of 160e per night. I had envisioned walking through Retiro Park on our daily sightseeing rounds, but we had pretty dismal weather and ended up taking taxis on a couple of occasions.

We arrived on a Sunday when many restaurants are closed. This presented no problem, as one of the city’s better seafood restaurants was just a few minutes’ walk from the apartment and I had booked a table (using El Tenedor reservation engine) for a late lunch at Casa Rafa prior to arrival. We had done the same on our last trip to the city in 2011. (Those seeking evidence of the current fiscal crisis need look no further than the white-linen-swathed dining room at Rafa; both the dining room and the tapas bar had been jam packed on our last visit, also for Sunday lunch; this time there were empty places at the bar and many free tables in the dining room.



RESTAURANTE RAFA

There are few surprises at this five-decades-old seafood temple. One travels here to feast on classic preparations from a menu focused on seafood but also with with meat dishes. Our meal was very good; service is correct.

I began with garlicky, medium-sized clams; the portion was far too large for me to finish, but finish I did. (21e.)

I expected to be wowed by my main course of wild turbot (1/2 order, 21e); it was very good. (Turbot is not usual on American seafood menus, and the little that is offered is usually farmed)

My partner, on the other hand, was enraptured by the rendition of that Madrileño classic Rabo de Toro, a rich, long-simmered braise based on bull’s tail (22e; also a very large portion)

We drank Albariño, beer, and water; the bill totalled 91euro.

After the meal, we were plied with several outstanding and complimentary after-dinner concoctions including the legendary and fiery Galician Orujo, made from pomace and lies left over from wine production. My favorite, however, was the the Basque Pacharán de Navarra, made from macerating sloe berries in anise liqueur. (Regrettably, I neglected to bring home a bottle but have this on my list for next time).


http://www.restauranterafa.es/home.html

Looking forward to this!
(Like you,I have had nothing but good experiences with Iberia.)

Curious what you have to write about the food in Malaga. We visited only one restaurant that I knew had gotten good reviews (the one owned by the Dutch lady). Other than that it was whichever place looked good at the time and could accommodate our large group. It was pretty dicey, hit and miss with the food there, I thought.

Cheapbox

Fineheapbosofwine-
Atr you referring to the city of Malaga (versus the province)? I found the food, both tapas and restaurants, in Malaga city to be excellent. Perhaps the large group limited your flexibility. Malaga has a strong food culture!

We spent three nights in Malaga (had planned to spend only two but departed Gaucin a day early). They certainly do have a strong food culture, with an emphasis on fish and seafood. Unfortunately, local fish are not as abundant as they once were, and prices for what remains are high. But the bars and restaurants of the Centro were certainly very fertile food territory, especially if one focuses on shellfish.

I thought that Sevilla was the superior city in terms of creative modern restaurants.

Of course I had only three days, as I mentioned, and those included a Sunday and Monday, so some places were closed. I also saw far more evidence of the current fiscal crisis in Malaga and the nearby coast than I did in Seville and this undoubtedly impacted the restaurant scene. I certainly hope to return to sample more of the local seafood at the many bars in the Centro. We could hardly dip a toe into the waters, so to speak, with our limited time.

I do think that one needs to research in advance, as there looked to be loads of places catering to the many cruise tourists which may or may not have been offering prime ingredients and great execution. (Saw a lot of signboards offering bargain-priced paella, for example; I suppose that many visitors think that this is a local specialty)

I did not find a lot of information in English about eating in Malaga, though. I hope I can offer a few ideas when I get to that section of this report. One of the places we liked, strangely enough, was run by Argentines who had immigrated to Spain to escape their country's financial woes!

And now for dinner at LUA, a restaurant that would provide us with our best dining experience on this visit to the Spanish capital. (Sadly, I had to cancel our long-anticipated dinner at El Club Allard on the following night)



LUA

After a walk of about 5 minutes from the apartment, we took the Metro from the Ibiza station to Nuñez de Balboa. Because we had walked almost everywhere on previous visits, we were not familiar with the Madrid Metro and were astonished by how deep into the ground some of the stations were ensconced. There is often a VERY long walk from the street entrance to the actual platform!!



A walk of about 20 minutes brought us to the restaurant, announced by a discreet sign on a main street in the Chamberí district. LUA has only about 8 tables, well spaced in a sleek contemporary dining room accented by distressed wooden beams and pillars, and offers a choice of two set menus each evening, at 49e and 78e. Allergies and tastes are accommodated to a certain extent; my dining partner prefers to avoid shellfish and so the prawns were, accordingly, left out of his prawn risotto.

We began the meal (we chose the least expensive menu, the 49e Menu Lua) with a few amuse that stuck a toe into the molecular realm: A garlic cream served in a glass and labeled a “false caña;” a “false” olive (reminiscent of the iconic El Bulli tidbit now offered at Barcelona’s Tickets, but not as delectable here); a “false tomato” with piquant mojo.

The “Wows!” began with the first course, Foie of duck dominated a complicated sounding concoction that incorporated SanSimon, a Galician cow’s milk cheese, mango salsa, strawberry cream, and peanuts. It may sound overblown but this one of the best foie dishes I’ve ever sampled—right up there with Jean Georges (NYC) brûlléed foie showstopper.

The foie was followed by a lovely, creamy celery risotto embedded with miniscule prawns and wakame strips, and crowned by two large prawns garbed in a light tempura shell.

Caldeirada of hake, a meaty filet set atop a bed of violet potatoes in a pimento-spiked Portuguese-inspired sauce arrived next and was, like all that preceeded it, delicious.

The finale: Confit of cochinillo, suckling pig surrounded by a luscious sauce featuring dried apricots, plums and raisins. My notes on this:
“XXXXX!!!”


Dessert that night was, we both agreed, destined for the dessert pantheon.
Outstanding is an understatement for the “Ensalada de Pan y Chocolate con Frutas de Bosque,” salad of bread and chocolate with forest berries.
Alone, worth the trip!

With water and a single glass of wine, the total of 111 e proved to be one of
The best dining values in recent memory.

Reservations by phone, or through www.El Tenedor.es.

http://www.restaurantelua.com/index.php

Cathy- I am referring to the city. There were plenty of choices in terms of tapas bars and other restaurants. I was with my family and 7 of 9 got people got a good dose the stomach flu and were down and out otherwise we would have ventured to the outlying parts. I guess what I remembered in the way of tapas is meat and fried fish and seafood or alot of things fried. After a while one was craving some fruit and veggies which were scarce on the menus.

I am usually not in the area of 'that must eat at restaurant' at any given time and because of our circumstances it was hard to plan better. Next time....

I was laid low, probably due to overindulgence in the array of liqueurs presented to us by the kind folks at Casa Rafa, and with much distress, was forced to cancel our long-anticipated dinner at El Club Allard on the third night in Madrid.

Thankfully, the apartment was located a quick walk from Mercadona, a vast and well-priced modern supermarket (excellent prices on the ventresca tuna, far lower than at Corte Ingles),and I made do that night with tea and a goodly helping of jelly-lathered Tucs crackers, a modern rendition of the Ritz crackers of years past.

I had recovered sufficiently the following day to spend a few hours touring the Royal Palace and picking up a few pairs of well-priced espadrilles at the venerable Casa Hernanz, near the Plaza Mayor. Closer to our home base, we spent a couple of tranquil hours meandering through the Cecilio Rodriguez Gardens with their posturing peacocks, located within Retiro park and close to its eastern edge.

http://www.alpargateria-casahernanz.com/


http://artedemadrid.wordpress.com/20...lio-rodriguez/



TABERNA LAREDO

We had enjoyed an excellent dinner on our last visit to Madrid and looked forward to a return visit to this popular restaurant, now located in expanded premises, occupying a two-story space a short distance from the original location, on Calle Doctor Castello, just east of Retiro park.


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...k-in-spain.cfm

Just a week or so before our departure, the restaurant had been featured in a NYTimes article on “where the chefs go for the real thing” in Madrid, and I feared that reservations might be difficult to come by.


Reservation duly booked a week or so in advance of arrival, we made our way through the jam-packed and very lively downstairs bar area and were ushered to a table in the narrow , low-ceilinged upstairs dining room which was all but filled by the time we arrived just after the 9pm opening time. Our fellow diners appeared to be mostly locals, although we were seated next to another American couple who had been intrigues by the restaurant’s description in the NYTimes article and booked accordingly.

The menu is interesting and fairly extensive; classic dishes from various regions in Spain range from Fabes con almejas and pisto Manchego to salmorejo and kokotxas al pil pil, but many interesting dishes bear the stamp of the chef; I suppose the cuisine is best decribed as “cocina del autor,” or chef-driven. Emphasis appears to be on prime-quality ingredients, as we learned during our dinner here last year when I had what were probably the best razor clams of my life, and excellent suckling lamp chops.


First to arrive was the signature complimentary appetizer of conserved mussels, served with crackly potato chips and accompanied by excellent olive and whole grain breads, and ciabatta.


We elected to share a first course, which proved to be a good idea. The heaping mountain of tempura de verduras (15e), vegetable tempura, mounded on a handsome slate platter and sticky with a soy reduction was simply delicious and more than enough for a starter for two.

My suckling lamb chops, chuletas de lechal (24e) were as divine as expected, and were accompanied by fried potatoes and a piquant mojo picon typical of the Canary Islands. Just terrific!

My partner was equally enthusiastic about his porcini risotto (18e; this was mushroom season, after all), which he pronounced “outstanding!” I agreed; it would be among the best of several versions of this dish we enjoyed over the following two weeks.

With glasses of Ermita Veracruz verdejo (2.50 each) and water, the bill totalled 65e. Recommended!

C/Doctor Castello, #30. Closed Sunday.


No online booking; reservations accepted by phone from 11am to 1pm and from 6pm to 8pm, Madrid time.


http://www.tabernalaredo.com/html/donde.html

After spending four nights in Madrid, we headed south. About 8 weeks before our intended departure, I had purchased discount tickets on the RENFE website. Or, rather, I attempted to buy said tickets, but after having no success after repeated attempts, I turned the task over to my friend and prospective travel partner, who accomplished the task on the first try, using her US-based credit card. (I had tried several credit cards, in vain). Perhaps someone, someday, can figure out the vagaries of the Spanish railways site. Until then, it will remain an endlessly frustrating mystery. My friend was forced to cancel her trip to Spain, but since there is no name on the train tickets, we were able to transfer them to my actual travel partner.


We paid 33.30e each for the 2.5 hour-long Madrid to Sevilla train journey, in tourist Class, arriving at Sevilla’s Santa Justa station at 2:30 in the afternoon on a Wednesday in late October. Upon arrival, I phoned the Spain Select agent, as instructed, and we hopped into a taxi for the quick ride to the Casa de la Moneda, on Calle Habana. We were met by the charming owner of the apartment, and his lovely daughter.

The Casa de la Moneda, a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom duplex space carved with great skill out of a 16th-Century structure that once housed the Royal mint, proved to be the apartment rental of my dreams.

I cannot say enough about this place: The décor was handsome and tasteful; the kitchen stocked with every conceivable amenity; the beds comfortable (not many rental apartments boast beds dressed with hand-embroidered linen sheets!); the upstairs master bathroom was complete with a piped-in sound system and scented candles along the ledges of the Jacuzzi tub .

Despite the location in the center of the historic district just steps from the busy Avenida de la Constitucion, we never heard a whisper of street noise.


There was a flat-screen tv and sound system, plenty of books on the shelves on subjects ranging from opera to la corrida to birdlife of the Coto Doñana reserve, with many travel guides in English. Outdoor terraces run the length of both floors.

There is no elevator and reaching the apartment requires navigating a staircase and several other steps traversing the interior courtyard separating the property from the small street. In short, this place was a great value and a marvelous base in this glorious city. The photos on the website are accurate, but the apartment looks even better in person.


http://www.vrbo.com/282848




Even though we had spent 6 days in Sevilla about 9 years ago, we were overwhelmed and astonished by the city’s beauty and charm. Inch for inch, this has to be one of the richest urban architectural troves in the world. We spent our days meandering through the streets, many of which had banished automotive traffic since our last visit, so the core of the city is now mostly pedestrianized. And, of course, we ate. And ate!

Barcelona and San Sebastian garner most of the attention, but Sevilla is a fantastic eating city! Since my last visit to Sevilla in 2003, a sprinkling of "gastro-tascas" have cropped up on the edges of the Centro. Together with the better known traditional bars, these provide some of the best food value I've found anywhere in Spain in recent years.

This is the first time in recent memory that I have arrived in a new city with no restaurant reservations. (I did make one advance booking after arrival; more on that later) In 6 days in the city, we concentrated on tapas bars, most of which do not take reservations.

Most restaurants offer the majority of their dishes in several sizes, with tapas being the smallest and raciones being the largest. Many restaurants that will take advance bookings stipulate that diners at reserved tables order dishes in the larger sizes. By arriving shortly after opening time, usually either 8:30 or 9pm, we were always able to snag two counter seats, or a table. Be aware that many restaurants have variable opening times, so it is best to inquire in advance by phone.






Here are the places we ate, and notes on some of the dishes we sampled:



AZOTEA

Owner Juan Gomez speaks fluent English and offers a warm welcome to diners at the main location, on Calle Jesús de Gran Poder, which we visited twice during our 6-night stay. During our first light dinner at the restaurant, we sat at one of the ten or so small tables, and thus were restricted to the larger serving sizes.


Chipirones, Tierra y Mar. These were small squid, bathed in a sauce of their own ink and topped with bits of jamon Iberico. Simple. So impressive that I ordered them again at a subsequent lunch at the branch restaurant on calle Zaragoza. (10e; half ración)

Croquetas de Morcilla con Mermalada de Tomate. Delicious croquettes (a version of which appear on every menu in the city and beyond) made with blood sausage and potato and served with a sweet tomato marmelade scented with thyme. (6.5e)


Costillas Ibéricas. These ribs were a special of the day. (9e for a half racion)


Ensaladilla de la Casa. Many diners here gauge a chef's talents by his or her ensaladilla, a potato and mayonnaise-based cold salad. This one was thick with smoked trout, smoked tuna, smoked salmon, and shrimp and spiked with black peppercorns and capers. The sum was far, far greater than the individual parts and a far cry from the insipid "Russian salads" found at mediocre bars throughout Spain. A gift of the house, I would consider this an essential dish.


Coulant de chocolate, a molten chocolate confection scented with orange blossom water and served with terrific house-made vanilla ice cream. (5.50e) Desserts are a strong point here.


Total for this light meal, with two glasses of Castilla de Maetierra "Guerilla" from Rioja, and water: 36.75e. Outstanding value.


We returned a few nights later for a few tapas at the bar; on that night, a large basket of porcini just brought in from the countryside had pride of place on the counter.
 The rainy weather that we encountered had one benefit: The season was shaping up as a superior one for mushrooms.

Cremoso, a mousse-like preparation, of duck foie, with Pedro Jiménez jelly and shitake mushrooms. 5e for a tapa.

Croquettas de Morcilla, served this time with pineapple marmelade and again outstanding. 3.50 for a tapa.


On yet another day, we sampled the second of the 3 Azotea's, on calle Zaragoza, a bit closer to the tourist center of Sevilla. Lunch here draws a large business crowd and we had to wait some time before being seated at a table (the counter was full). Our lunch was a reprise of the chipirones, and yet another version of croquetas; because we were seated at a table, we were confined to portions larger than tapas size.


http://www.laazoteasevilla.es/





ZELAI

Just north of Plaza Nueva, this sleek and shiny space encompasses a long counter and a small dining room in the rear. I sampled two liquid tapas: A version of the Andaluz classic gazpacho, made with cherries instead of tomatoes, and enriched by a dollop of mascarpone. (4.50e) Not as sweet as it sounds, this was very good, but my second dish was wonderful:

Capuccino de mejillon, or capuccino of mussels, (5.50e) which was a creamed shellfish soup dense with briny mussels and topped with creamy coconut foam. The combination may sound offputting but the actuality was anything but. Outstanding.

Zelai opens for lunch at 1pm; for dinner at 9pm.


http://www.restaurantezelai.com/



BECERRITA

Owned by a brother of well-known Restauranteur Enrique Becerra, this cozy restaurant on the edge of the center turns out well-executed versions of traditional favorites, along with a few more modern dishes.

Their version of salmorejo on that day was made with squash and eggplant and topped with a quail egg and bits of jamon. It was delicious, and the toast of fresh duck foie, served with raspberry marmelade, was excellent as well. Portions are generous.

Very friendly staff including at least one (Portuguese) server fluent in English. They get a lot of reviews on TripAdvisor, perhaps because with the bill comes a card requesting that you do the same.

http://www.becerrita.com/


ENRIQUE BECERRA

We had enjoyed their signature lamb with honey at a sit-down dinner on a previous visit, a number of years ago, but this time we concentrated on tapas at the bar. One of the city's most well-known temples of Andaluz cuisine, they open in the evening earlier than most; when we took a break from the Hurricane sandy coverage on tv and wandered in about 7:30 there were already a few tourists, and locals, seated at the small bar in the front room.


Unfortunately for us their signature lamb in a honeyed sauce is not available as a tapa, but we did enjoy excellent lamb meatballs with mint, Albondigas de Cordero con Hierbabuena; two generous lamb meatballs are a bargain at 3.30 e, along with an outstandingly delicious saute of mixed mushrooms and small shrimp topped with a tiny quail egg (from the specials menu; (3.50e)) and Bomboncillo de Pollo, nuggets of golden chicken with a sweet and piquant mostarda (3.20e)

Warm and welcoming place, popular with locals and well as visitors. I do not believe that the (long) tapas menu is translated; there are many daily specials on a separate menu, also not translated, as far as I recall.


http://enriquebecerra.com/

Good going on the apartments in both Madrid and Sevilla! Both are fantastic.

Yes, I was lucky with the apartments. I thought that I could never top the one I rented in 2011 in Barcelona, but the Casa de la Moneda was even lovelier. I would not want to stay anywhere else in Sevilla now. And if two people, or two couples share, it is almost a bargain!

VINERIA SAN TELMO


As the name implies, this is an Argentine-owned restaurant situated in prime tourist territory in the Barrio Santa Cruz at the edge of the Murillo Gardens. The other places on our list were closed on Sunday, so we walked by the day before and booked a table for lunch.

This turned out to be the least favorite of our dining experiences in the city. Nothing was bad, in fact, both dishes that we sampled were very good if lacking somewhat in imagination. But this was the only place that neglected to offer a warm welcome and attentive service. Perhaps this is a result of their high ranking on TripAdvisor, or perhaps we just had bad luck.

They were out of two dishes that sounded most interesting--pastilla, a version of the Moroccan b'steeya, made with chicken, and a sauté of mixed mushrooms.

Seated at one of the tables in the small dining room under a ceiling scribbled with poetic musings (they also have a pleasant sidewalk terrace overlooking the park) we chose:


"Tarte" (actually a terra cotta ramekin) of Castuera cheese with caramelized onion. This may have been “only” melted cheese and onion, but anyone familiar with the Extremaduran sheeps’ milk cheese, Torta de la Serena, which ranks second only to its sibling, Torta del Casar, in my personal "best" list of Spanish cheeses, will know that this is not just any cheese. Delicious.


Toast of Grilled Foie Gras with compote of apple. Yet another foie gras preparation, this one was very good.


Deterred a bit by the cool and perfunctory service, we opted to leave after only two dishes.


Together with bottled water and a glass of mosto, the bill totalled 11euro. Open every day, including Sunday.


http://www.vineriasantelmo.com/index.php/es/












BAR ESLAVA


This is a tiny bar, with adjacent restaurant, fronting a plaza in the Barrio San Lorenzo, an area dotted with interesting-looking restaurants and bars, including Azotea, mentioned above, which is but a couple of blocks distant.

The mood is low key and the food--dishes are written on a blackboard -- is creative and very good. I would have returned here if we had had the time.


Prices given are for tapas-sized portions:

Costillas a la Miel, or pork ribs with honey. Outstanding, sticky goodness in a traditional preparation. (2.50e)

Charlota de Calabacín. A layered squash terrine-type dish, this was far better than this tepid description. (2.50e)

Solomillo de Pato. Slices of roast duck tendrloin, layered over Pan de Queso and served with a grape conserve. (2.30e)

Finally, the highlight of the evening, "Farm Egg over a Porcini Biscuit" Luscious; chosen as the winning tapa in the 2010 Sevilla en Boca de Todos competition. (2.50e)


Opens at 7:30pm, but many dishes (including the egg) will not be available until the head chef arrives around 8pm.


http://www.espacioeslava.com/es/restaurante


Tapas menu:http://www.espacioeslava.com/assets/...arta_tapas.pdf

EK, I have been waitng for your review so thanks. As always, love reading your food based reviews. We will be in Spain this May for 8 days to celebrate DH's 50th. We arrive in Madrid early morning and will take the train to Sevilla for a 3 ish arrival. We will be in Sevilla from Fri - Monday morning. We then head to Madrid for 4 nights (Monday-Fri departure.)
Figure we will do tapas mostly in Seville. Did you prefer tapas or did you enjoy your sit down dinners? It seems you did both. Pura Tasca, from a previous review of yours, seemed perfect for a sit down dinner. We will be there on a Sunday and had targeted Vineria San Telmo but am now rethinking. Any other Sunday recommendations? I can eat a limited amount of fried foods so am thinking the more modern tapas to be more to my liking. DH has never met a fried item he has not enjoyed so am willing to meet in middle!
He is most excited about El Brillante in Madrid!!
Madrid will be more sit down dinners. Club Allard will be his b'day dinner. Lua looks great also. We are renting an apt. near Calle Brava so will enjoy a tapas crawl one evening. He is not a big paella fan so that is not a focus but I think he'd love the suckling pig and Laredo looks good for that (and I love lamb!). We enjoy good food in a comfortable but not formal setting. We do not plan on bringing a jacket for him.
I remember lunch being the main meal when I was studying in Madrid many years ago. However, if we are eating at Club Allard adn Lua, how should we handle lunches? I cannot eat 2 big meals a day anymore.
Thanks for all your help! I remember our correspondence for Paris trips and look forward to your help here.

Thanks for the great report. I will be bookmarking casa de la moneda for my next trip, hope I can afford it!

Well said Egbert - great report, puts my feeble rushed attempts to shame. Ekscrunchy, I would be interested in how you arrived at your choice of restaurants; they seem very well researched beforehand? How did you do this - books, local knowledge?

Well said Egbert - great report, puts my feeble rushed attempts to shame. Ekscrunchy, I would be interested in how you arrived at your choice of restaurants; they seem very well researched beforehand? How did you do this - books, local knowledge?

Thanks for the compliments!

Stevelon: I do a lot of research before I leave home. I look at online sites (My Spanish is good, so I have an edge with that), and read food blogs. Then when I reach a city, I sometimes ask the restaurant staff if they can recommend any other places in the city.

Maribelsguides are very helpful for Sevilla and elsewhere in Spain. I am a big fan of www.chowhound.com.

And I have a lot of Spanish cookbooks and some of these discuss restaurants. For example, a good one is Anya Von Bremen's The New Spanish Table.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Spanish-Ta.../dp/0761135553

Penelope Casas' Discovering Spain has good information on eating throughout the country, even if some of the restaurant info is dated, it is a wonderful resource for learning about the specialties of each region.


http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Sp.../dp/0679765697


This book also gave me a few ideas; it is in Spanish, though:

http://m.casadellibro.com/libro-101-...085973/1616719

thanks eks,
we are going to Seville in Oct. and will gladly follow your recommendations.

You're very welcome, Danon!!

Here is a bit more, on eating in Sevilla:


PURATASCA


Located in a residential section of Triana, about a 30-minute walk from our apartment on Calle Habana and about a 12-minute walk from the Triana market, this miniscule '70s "gastro tasca" was the setting for two dinners that provided us with some of the best eating of our two-week-plus vacation.

I had phoned ahead to book a table for our first dinner here. The restaurant takes bookings only for its 30e 11-course tasting menu, which must be shared by all diners at the table.

Fearing weekend crowds, we signed on and duly presented ourselves shortly before 8:30pm on a Saturday night in late October and were greeted effusively by one of the owners, Cayetano Gomez. Along with our server, Eva, they were extraordinarily welcoming and eager to share descriptions of the parade of dishes that began to arrive at our table:


Jar of Cantabrian anchovies preserved in olive oil and accompanied by tomato jam

Platter of dried and cured meat and fish: Mojama de Atun, air-dried tuna from the Andaluz tuna capital of Barbate; Guijuelo Salchichon Iberico; and the highlight: Morcon Caravajal 5Jotas Cabeza de Lomo. Made from the muscle that connects the head of the pig to the shoulders, these pimenton-spiked slices were some of the most delectable salumi I've ever tasted.


Foie Gras de Pato, duck foie gras served with a hillock of apple compote and accompanied by a tower of brown bread slices. My notes for this dish read simply: "Wow!"

Salmon "Burrito," really more of a futuristic egg roll with soy reduction, mango jelly and curry mayonnaise. Another "Wow!" in my notes. (Although this dish is usually made with raw salmon, my partner had responded to the query about allergies, likes, and dislikes with a request for no raw fish)


Confitado de Bacalao Pil Pil, a mound of chunked bacalao with squash, onion, and egg topped with crumbled Marcona almonds. Outstanding.


Arroz Meloso con Setas y Cordoniz. The "wows" continued with this ethereal mushroom-rich risotto studded with tender cubes of braised partridge. After one taste, we decided there and then that we had to return for a second dinner.


Unfortunately, although we struggled valiantly, we were totally sated by this time and could not eat one more morsel. The kind Eva took pity on us and informed us that we could call a halt to the parade of food and simply pay for what we had consumed. Regretfully, we agreed, vowing to return the following week.

With 1 glass of Dr. Loosen Riesling, a favorite of mine, and 1 caña, the bill was a most reasonable 37.60euro.

PuraTasca is open from Tuesdays through Saturdays from 1pm to 4:30pm and from 8:30pm to midnight.


http://puratasca.blogspot.com/



We returned to PuraTasca on the following Tuesday night, sans reservation this time.

By arriving at the opening time of 8:30, we were able to snag one of the few tables of regular height (there are a couple of other bar-height tables, and a few seats along the counter).

Having been told by Juan Gomez at Azotea that many Sevillanos judge a restaurant by the quality of their ensaladilla, we opted to try the dish at PuraTasca and were not disappointed. Although it did not reach the heights of the smoky, textured delight served at Azotea, this version was thick with "Iberico del Mar," or red tuna caught in the straits near Zahara de los Atunes and Barbate by the controversial almadraba net method. It was served with a mild sauce of green olives. (4.40e)

Piruletos de Chorizo (3e) are bite-sized bits of chorizo tempura alternating with strawberries on a stick, forming a "lollipop." A novelty, but tasty.


Niscoras, a coveted seasonal mushroom, were offered that evening (8.60e) and because I had never tried them, and because they seemed to arrive at every other table, I followed suit. These meaty beauties were beautifully prepared with olive oil, garlic and parsley but I could not jump on the bandwagon, as I found the mushroom flavor to be elusive.


There was plenty of flavor in the Arroz Meloso con Setas Y Cordoniz, the mushroom and partridge risotto that had been a highlight on the previous visit and was one on this night as well. A marvelous, creamy, scrumptious dish enhanced by copious lashings of Parmigiano and truffle oil. (5.50e)


Desserts are prepared for the restaurant in advance by Manu Jara, a former pastry chef at Madrid's Zalacain who now helms MasQue Postres, near Sevilla. They are served in either glasses or sardine-type cans, which are clustered together on a wooden tray and brought to the table for diners to make their choice. We chose one tiramisu (3.10) and one crema catalana (4.60); neither was outstanding but not a morsel remained in either vessel.


http://www.manujara.com/




FREIDURIA PUENTE DE CARNE


I wanted to try one of the city's famous freiduras, specializing in fried fish and seafood, and this one is close to the Barrio Santa Cruz' Casa de la Memoria, where we attended a rousing flamenco performance (Pastora Galván and Antonio Molino drew much applause) so we stopped in for a snack.


Be sure to order one of of the items just out from the fryers in the rear, not one that has been sitting under the heat lamps. Fish and a few non-fish items are sold by weight; 2.60e brought me a hefty paper cone of anchovies, which were well fried and not greasy, yet far inferior to the Cantabrian anchovies we had enjoyed at PuraTasca.

A place to sample once, and a good address to keep in mind for those on a tight budget. Mostly take out although there are a few outdoor tables.
http://www.freiduriapuertadelacarne.com/





We fully enjoyed the flamenco show at La Casa de la Memoria. I walked to the box office the previous evening and purchased tickets. I would recommend arriving at least a half hour before show time because theatre-goers form a queue and you should try to snag seats in the first ring of the three forming a U around the stage, if possible.



http://www.casadelamemoria.es/

Thanks for this - I had never known about chow
hound before - it looks a useful resource.

Since my last post on this thread, I have learned that Casa de la Memoria has moved to a new location, at Cafe Cuña, #6.


More on food:


I wish that I could recommend a bakery in Sevilla and while I cannot, it was not for lack of trying. We sampled sweet confections at almost everyplace we passed, including the landmark La Campaña (where I stocked up on my beloved caramelos de violeta, boiled sweets in the shape of a violet) and the always bustling Horno San Buenaventura, and I finally had to come to the conclusion that I was not a big fan of Sevillano pastry, a large majority of which are baked with lard which imparts more than a slight hint of pork flavor to the pastries. I was not until we reached Ronda, and sampled the wares at Confiteria Daver, that my sweet tooth was totally satisfied.


We visited three of the food markets located in the center--Arenal, Triana, and Mercado de Encarnacion in the Parasol. While the Arenal market felt a bit forlorn, with many stands empty, both Triana and Parasol are gastronomic kaleidoscopes, albeit small ones as compared to those in larger cities, where we spent many hours wandering, shopping, and standing mesmerized watching as jamones were sliced with surgical precision, and much jovial banter was exchanged between proprietor and client.

The Parasol, known locally as "setas" or mushrooms, is a fantabulous architectural confection and worth a visit even if you have no interest in the food market within.

http://www.setasdesevilla.com/





Toward the rear of both Triana and Parasol food markets, bars offer simple tapas and drinks, including fresh orange juice which sells for 1.50e to 1.80e per glass of a bout 12-14 ounces.


Over and over we were struck by the warmth and willingness of the vendors to inform us about the products on offer, and about local food in general.


The only great, if expensive, supermarket we found in the center (there are several branches of Mercadona, but not within walking distance of the center) was the ever-reliable El Corte Ingles, on Plaza del Duque. Since I had not found a saffron source at the markets (there were many selling bulk spices, but I found no La Mancha saffron, and little tinned pimento, or smoked paprika from the La Vera Valley, which we had visited on a previous trip and which led me into an all-but-incurable addiciion to pimenton), I headed to the department store basement food department to stock my spice pantry. I was surprised at the increase in the prices of saffron since my last visit to Spain in early 2011, when I had stocked up at La Ribera in Barcelona and at Valencia's Mercado Central for prices that seemed much more reasonable.




After 6 nights in Sevilla, which we spent meandering from one end of the city to the other, drinking in the glorious architecture and visiting attractions that we had missed on previous visits and re-visiting past favorites, from the Basilica de la Macarena to the Casa de los Pilatos, we packed our belongings and taxied to the Santa Justa station where we had reserved a car for the next leg of our trip.

(I realized later that the driver had overcharged us for the trip; the 11e or so total included an additional 1euro per bag; foolish me for not double checking before the trip. I would have learned that there is no extra fee for luggage!)

More information on this very helpful site, www.Azahar-Sevilla.com, which I also recommend heartily for tips on eating in the city:

http://azahar-sevilla.com/blog/2011/12/04/taxi-fair/



And even more Sevilla taxi info from the official site:


http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/...1237554620989/


Because neither of us feel confident driving a manual vehicle (living in Manhattan, we count ourselves among the small minority of Americans that may go for months without sitting behind the steering wheel), we had booked an automatic “compact 4-door car” with the broker, www.Kemwell.com.

So imagine our surprise when we were told that we had been “upgraded” to a larger vehicle, which looked more or less like a van. We stood our ground and were then presented with a Mercedes B-class, which we ended up liking very much.

The cost for four days, with pick-up in Sevilla Santa Justa station, and drop off at a Malaga city location, was US$177, plus $20 or so extra cost for the railway station pickup. We were pleased that the price for the comfortable automatic worked out to less US$50 per day, plus petrol.



Yet again, the weather was gray with intermittent rain (we had fairly dismal weather on this trip, from Madrid right through to Malaga), when we set off from Santa Justa station, bound for the Serranía de Ronda, the mountains west of Ronda, and the small village of Gaucín, where we had booked an apartment for 4 nights.

The short stay in Gaucín was the legacy of my planned travel partner, who wished to investigate an Andalucían country village that might prove to be a good winter base while she worked on her writing. Although my friend was not able to make the trip, I stuck to the original itinerary. The drive from Sevilla to Gaucín, via Ronda, took us through undulating landscapes dotted with several of “White Villages” perched along the hillsides.

Although Gaucín was lovely, we ended up staying only three of our scheduled four days in the village. Our base was an apartment, the Rosa Alta, booked directly with the owners, an American couple who reside on the ground floor of the building containing the rental flat.


http://rentals.gaucin.com/rosaaltaflat.php

Wonderful. (I am amazed at your restraint when it comes to wine consumption!)

I'm looking forward to visiting the Parasol next month! I saw them being built for years and last year when they were completed totally missed this area. I agree the Arenal market is very quiet - it felt like the economic crisis had really hit this place. It's in need of some renovation work.

By the way, there is a large Mercadona grocery in the Plaza de Armas. I wouldn't have known about it if the apartment rental agency had not told me about it.

Agree about the Arenal market. But you will surely enjoy your visit to Parasol--even without a market, the architecture is spectacular and the fact that they were able to build this right in the center city seems quite a feat!


I will provide details of the Gaucin rental and some comments on the town later, but for the moment, here are my notes on what proved to be the best dining experience of the latter part (post-Sevilla) of our trip. I highly recommend a visit for lunch for anyone with a car who is lodging in Ronda, Gaucin, or nearby towns.

This restaurant, Caserio Ananda, occupies a former cargo building virtually astride the tracks of the Gaucín station, which is not in Gaucín but in El Colmenar, about a 20-minute descent along a narrow mountain road from Gaucín.

One can also approach along a 45 minute drive from Cortes de la Frontera on a pisto forestal, or forest track, that cuts through primeval cork groves. This is the route we took getting to the restaurant and I highly recommend it, as the scenery in the cork forest was spectacular.


Cortes de la Frontera is a pretty "white town," with a visitor's center housing an interesting museum devoted to local flora and fauna including exhibitions and explanations of the cork which is so integral to the area. I recommend a visit, which will take an hour or less. (Be sure to see the dioramas upstairs detailing the harvesting of the cork from the tree tunks, which takes place for a few weeks annually, during the summer months)

http://www.andalucia.com/environment/cork.htm

http://www.cortesdelafrontera.es/es/...e_visitantes./


And now, to the restaurant:


CASERIO ANANDA

Following complimentary croquetas de bacalao, which were some of the best croquetas of a croqueta-laden vacation, my partner had an excellent risotto de setas (14 euro) (generous portions here) with seasonal mushrooms; Caserio Ananda is known locally for their use of mushrooms, and menus feature porcini, niscalos, chanterelles, and other locally foraged specimens in season. (The rainy weather had brought an abundance of setas to the table at the time of our stay there last fall)

My lamb shanks (tremendous portion again, with two large shanks, 25 euro), tender and crisped on the outside, were the best I've had in Spain outside Pedraza and Sepulveda. This is a dish that I will be remembering, and longing for, for a long time. Absolutely marvelous, and, alone, well worth the drive. Accompanied by excellent wood-grilled red peppers with a hefty dose of char.


Excellent wine list, although we did not indulge due to the somewhat arduous drive ahead of us. On a Thursday afternoon in early November, the place was filled with family groups. I would advise booking a table by phone for weekend lunch.

With water, one tinto de verano (a popular wine- based spritzer containing red table wine and citrus-flavored soda. (A sort of simplified version of sangria, this popular refresher is widely available bottled but is simple to make at home) and bread charge, the bill for two of us totalled 46Euro.

Open Thursday through Sunday.

Tel: 636-13-69-24.

www.caserioananda.com

http://www.caserioananda.com/carta_re...

They also rent rooms, and this would be an excellent base for hikers and walkers, as the nearby countryside is criss-crossed with trails, and the restaurant is right on the tracks carrying RENFE trains from Granada to Algeciras, stopping at tourist destinations including Antequera, Ronda, and Bobadilla. (The train journey from Granada to Gaucin takes just over 3 hours and the trip from Ronda takes less than an hour)

Thanks for another amazing trip report, I have really enjoyed reading it and am thinking I need to plan a trip soon to take in some of the restaurants.

You're welcome, Loncall.

MALAGA...Malaga city and province of Malaga (environs of Gaucin)

Three nights in the city of Malaga closed our recent 17-day visit to Spain and even though our meanderings were hampered somewhat by dismal weather, we were captivated. The Malaguenos are often lauded for their warmth and hospitality, and based on the welcome we received at the markets and eateries we visited, this reputation is well deserved.

ATARAZANAS MARKET. We chose our hotel partly for its proximity to Malaga’s main food market, and this proved to be a wise idea, as we paid several visits to this architecturally impressive temple of food where, here again, we were struck by the friendliness and the willingness to inform casual visitors about the products on offer. I stocked up on Marcona almonds—both raw and toasted with olive oil and salt—and the D.O. pasas de Malaga, raisins made from sun-dried Moscatel grapes. Belying the proximity of North Africa, and their use in Andaluz cooking, dried fruits were also much in evidence.
( I wish I had brought home a kilo of figs and a few slices of the fig cake, known as Pan de Higo.) My favorite discovery here came from one of several halal butchers: M’semen, known as panuelos, or “handkerchiefs in Spanish, a flaky Moroccan bread lavished with clarified butter, or s’men.

LA CAMPANA

One of many quintessentially Malagueno seafood bars clustered in the pedestrianized city center, this one has garnered good reports on Spanish food sites and a few minutes past the 8:30pm opening, the place was clogged with what appeared to be locals, chowing down on all manner of fried and steamed seafood. My order was minuscule: Tortillita de Camarones, a battered pancake composed of bits of shrimp in a batter of wheat and garbanzo flour that reminded me of a less greasy version of the emblematic Puerto Rican bacalaito, made here with shrimp instead of bacalao. Total for tortillita and a glass of local wine, 3.80e.
Calle Granada, #35.

TAPEO DE CERVANTES

While part of its popularity must stem from its very early opening time—7:30 for dinner—this miniscule place near the teatro de Cervantes in the center, appears to deserve its reputation for creative tapas in a city oriented more toward the traditional. Owners and staff hail from Argentina and there are many Argentine wines on the list. Ten minutes past opening time every one of the perhaps 10 tables, and the few seats at the bar and counter, were filled.

We began with two of the day’s specials; each of our four dishes were tapas, the smallest portion available.

Grilled mushrooms (these looked and tasted like porcini but were listed only as “setas,” the generic name for all mushrooms). Sliced lengthwise, grilled with olive oil and topped with bits of jamon, this deceptively simple dish was a standout and one of the many dishes I still crave, more than a week after that dinner.

Carrillada de Jabalí..Served in a cocotte, this was the tender, braised cheek of the boar, served in a light guisado, or stew. High marks from my partner.

From the main menu:

Sauteed Chipirones (small squid) with balsamic (?)-laced spinach. Excellent rendition of a personal favorite.

Croquetas de Pollo con Mermelada de Pina. My partner ordered the emblematic tapa, every chance he got. These were better than most; served with pineapple marmelade.

We would have remained longer to sample more dishes but the temperature inside the restaurant became very hot, not surprising in such a tiny space. Desserts appear to be a strong point.

Reservations are taken, and diners at reserved tables can order from the tapas menu and are not, as in many places we visited in Seville, confined to raciones or half raciones. The restaurant is open for Sunday dinner; closed Mondays. Calle Carcer, #8.

HERMANOS ROLDAN. Excellent ice cream (smallest size: 2 euro; my personal favorite flavors: dulce de leche and turron) in the city center. Fresh orange juice for 1.50e small; 2e large. Popular gathering spot. Calle Especeria.

More soon, to include Dani Garcia’s Manzanilla Bar, and a fried fish lunch at the beach.

This was amazingly helpful. A couple of questions. 1. You mentioned the wine spritzer that was served for lunch in Casero Ananda. My son while in college visited this region of Spain and loved this drink. Upon his return he and his friend tried many times to duplicate it - do you have a recipe?. 2. We plan to visit Madrid, Cordova , Seville , Cadiz , Ronda , Granada , Nerja and Barcelona . We will be in Cadiz on a Sunday - any restaurant suggestions since many places are closed on Sunday? The same will happen in Nerja . How about any suggestion for Granada , Nerja and Barcelona?

bookmarking

Lizzy, thanks. The spritzer is tinto de verano....red wine of summer as best I can translate.

Look here, and let me know if you need more; iti is also sold in a bottle in all markets, but easy to make your own.


http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Tinto-de-Verano



http://spanishfood.about.com/od/drin...todeverano.htm



For restaurants in BArcelona, and in GRanada, maybe these will help;if not, I am more than happy to add more details and to answer any and all questions to the best of my knowledge:


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...inter-2011.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...k-in-spain.cfm

Last questions-maybe? Attire at the restaurants, I guess for tapas bars shorts are ok, my husband would be very happy with a yes. We will be visiting June into July . We heard they are not appropriate for churches or sit down upscale dinners. So is a golf shirt and a pair of slacks good? We lived in Malaysia for a few years and dresses got tiresome. Am I ok with Capris?

May I add, as New Yorker and a traveler, though local cuisine in various countries rule, New York including all five boroughs still offers the best of everything, especially food!

P.S. many apologies, thank you for the recipes, the links and the advise.

Lizzy: Yes, shorts are ok for bars. Just the fact that you are asking shows that you have a desire to fit in and not offend anyones sensibilities, so do not think twice about this!

Golf shirt and slacks ok for almost any restaurant, in summer. Capris fine, too!

Please feel free to ask away..I am happy to discuss!!

Was Gaucin just too boring to stay longer in? I tend to think about all of the great restaurants, bars, music, nightlife etc. I am missing out on in Seville, Granada, Malaga etc. when I'm staying in a small town.

Egbert: I will not disagree with your assessment. We had really dreary, rainy, cold weather; the apt was not well heated, and we could not swim in the pool, as we had been promised. We made a few drives from Gaucin, to Ronda, and to the cork forest (described above). We also walked to the pantheon at the top of the town and we able to watch the very moving Day of the Dead goings-on.

While my initial travel partner might have been on target in her search for a quiet, handsome "White" town where she could hole up and work on her book (the pool had been the lure to get us to THIS particular town and this rental), after she was not able to take the trip, Gaucin did not do it for me for a stay of more than a day or two. I would have rather spent that time in Sevilla, and we did in fact, depart for Malaga a day earlier than planned. Having said that, had the weather been better, and had we been able to swim, we might have enjoyed our stay a bit more. But for someone who is focused on food, Gaucin is not what we might call a mecca. One must drive to get to the good bits!

The Costa del Sol is within reach, but the stretches we noticed from the highway did not invite exploration, to say the least. Maybe the Cabo de Gata area (????)


I would be so pleased to discuss this further with you!

Review from NYTImes of the NYC outpost of Manzanilla, which we visited in Malaga a few months ago. If I can find them, I will post my notes on the Malagueño flagship:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/di...nytdining&_r=0

Quick enough!

MANZANILLA BAR (just opened a branch on Park Avenue in Manhattan)

This is the casual tapas bar under the helm of two-star Michelin chef, Dani Garcia. It lacked the personal touch of the best of the “gastro-tascas” that we visited on this trip (including Tapeo de Cervantes in Malaga and Azotea and PuraTasca in Sevilla), and was rather more slick and polished than those spots. Many of the tapas had been prepared in advance; there was a slight darkening atop the ensaladilla, for example.


Prices here were also more expensive than at most of the city's tapas bars. The concept here is “tapas from Malaga to New York, and return,” that proposes to present Andaluz tapas with a New York City touch, and vice versa. A branch in Manhattan, on Park Avenue South, is planned for later this month.

We began with two orders of croquetas from the Malagueño side of the menu: The classic pringa, (2e), here dominated by chicken, was first rate, and the Croquetas de Choco Guisado, (2.90e)squid with its ink, served with a yuzu mayoinnaise, were near divine. Probably the best croquetas of the 17-day croqueta-laden visit.

Yogur de Foie (4e) arrived next. This was a mousse of duck foie sitting atop a gelee of Port and topped with a hefty dollop of Parmesan cream. The original appeared on the menu of Chef Garcia’s flagship Marbella restaurant, Calima, in 2011.
Although this is a signature dish here, I did not love the combination of flavors—the cheese with the foie.

From the “New York” side of the menu, we chose the Taco de Costilla de Cerdo Iberico con Salsa de Barbacoa, (3.50e)which turned out to be a tasty tostada of shredded pork in a “barbacue” sauce. (spell check needed on their menu)

Finally: How would the Dani Garcia version of a New York burger, made with rabo de toro, or bull’s tail, (4.80e) stack up against Shake Shack? Not very well, it turns out. The coarsely ground patty was just fine, the roll fairly terrible.
Needs improvement before the NYC debut!

With a glass of PX sherry, and a small caña, the bill totalled 21.40e.

Most of the seats line the counter along two sides of the bar; there are four tables in a dining area at the rear. These can be reserved in advance. Calle Fresca, 12, on a narrow, crooked, and somewhat tricky-to-find street in the city center.

I was inspired by your reviews of your meals at Lua and
Rafa, and and based on your recommendations, hope to go when we visit Madrid for the first time in a couple of weeks. I look forward to your trip reports; I love reading your descriptions of your trips and culinary adventures. I can almost visualize and taste the food!

Sorry, I meant Lua and Laredo (not Rafa).