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).