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Standing tall--a spear of white asparagus from Tudela del Duero, near Valladolid. According to our waiter, this town is the source of Spain's finest white asparagus. In the center is asparagus ice cream (!) These, and the exquisite leaves and blossoms sit on a pool of ajoblanco, the traditional Malagueña cold soup. Breathtaking to look at, and to taste! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1ba10ed9e.jpeg Bonito del Norte, a variety of Atlantic tuna, barely cooked, sitting on two consistencies of an emulsion made from pimenton (smoked paprika), garlic, and olive oil.... https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...53667679b.jpeg Arroz meloso, a "wet" rice dish golden from saffron, with green asparagus...one of the tastiest dishes of many tasty dishes of the evening https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dceb45890.jpeg A disc of rooster (!!) enhanced by chocolate (!) and truffle. This bird, according to the waiter, is a relative of the Asturian pitu de Caleya, a huge specimen whose meat is mostly dark, as this was.....we had our share during our excellent trip to Asturias a few years back.... Notice the bits of gold leaf! A hungry person is urging me to get ready for breakfast, so I will finish this meal later on today... |
I’m glad you shared a photo of the menu, and the dishes, which I’m looking at while eating my posh dinner at 5 pm (cannellini beans, tuna, tomatoes, radish, corn, avocado) 😂
As always, I love your interesting food centric reports. |
And wow, the plating!
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Yes! SIMPAR was a wonderful surprise!
Here are a few more photos from our dinner (I neglected to snap a pic of the last course, three different dark chocolates with different percentages of cacao. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8d77764d5.jpeg Named "hierbas," (herbs) on the menu, this was a wedge of something frozen and delicious, presented on a cold ceramic block and covered with delicate leaves of herbs, flowers and vegetables.....it was fantastic, and we were given napkins soaked yuzu-sencted water to wipe our hands!!! A little different than the usual dinner at the ekscrunchy household!!! But all was presented with no pretension and we felt so at home. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a49fe497a.jpeg Closeup https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6d2c51d0f.jpeg The penultimate course--a deconstructed tarta de Santiago. Even the white cross was edible!! The "egg," cracked open to reveal a rich custard...this was almost too beautiful to eat, but demolish it we did.... There was one last course--a trio of chocolate "in homage to Ecuador," the native land of one of the two married chefs; the grandfather of male chef Axel Smyth, came from Ireland, hence his non-Gallego surname. Walking back to the Parador, the streets sang with the music of the wandering, costumed "tunas," student musical groups that perform in many Spanish cities; I've also heard tunas in Guanajuato and other Mexican cities. https://frescotours.com/la-tuna/ https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...305dfa194.jpeg Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela; construction began in 1075 https://catedraldesantiago.es/en/cathedral/ The Cathedral at night was a sight never to forget: Random pics of Santiago on a rainy Friday morning, before we checked out of the Paradot. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e64f47072.jpeg Rua do Franco, the main tourist drag https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...db4047805.jpeg Souvenirs for sale https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d0a290772.jpeg Walking sticks for sale https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1f3ae5037.jpeg Drawing by local artist, a perfect portrayal of today's weather..yes---from drizzle to pouring rain, just in time for our departure from the Parador and our drive to the next stop on our Galician journey: La Isla de la Toja, where we are booked for eight nights. Maybe the weather twill urn brighter!!! This is "Green Spain," after all. But one can still hope!! |
Loving your report and all of the food pictures. I got to stay at the Parador a year ago after my camino.
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I have so much respect for you now that I have learned the difficulties of the Camino. I could never even think of walking even one day on th road, although my daily steps are doubled, or even tripled since arriving from New York.,
I fear that the next eight days will be not so interesting a far as this report. We plan to stay eight nights at the GH Hotel LA Toja, a more-than-a-century-old "Grand Hotel," My partner has suffered some ill health, now resolving, so we plan to take advantage of the thermal baths, the great seafood eateries within an easy drive, and the comfort of our sea-facing room. There are many much-lauded restaurants within aq half hour drive but we might not even want to venture that far....we will see how my companion feels each day... We taxied from the Parador in Santiago to the SIXT office, across from the Santiago railroad station. The ride cost about 11 euro. I spent about an hour chatting withe the SIXT manager, Alex, native to Asturias, about many topics. I will never again rent from any agency other than SIXT and am happy to offer more details if anyone is interested. I cannot say enough about this company. It is not the cheapest agency but I am so happy with their service that I am happy to pay a few additonal euros to rent with them. I was a long-time admirer of AutroEurope; My loyalty is now with SIXT. Again, more than happy to offer my reasons for this.... We checked out of the Parador in Santiago, after three nights, and took a taxi, as noted, to the SIXT office opposite the railway station. From there It was less than an hour's easy drive (well, despite one or two minor detours and a scary near-miss at a roundabout)--I live in Manhattan and am a very inexperienced drive)) through the town of O"Grove and across the bridge, to the storied Isla de la Toja (A Toxa in Gallego). I about kissed the ground to be back. As an aside, I am very pleased to have far less fear about driving in Europe than I had even four years ago...I almost fell as if driving in Spain is routine--OUTSIDE THE CITIES!! Despite the fog, GH A TOXA is. a gorgeous Old World waterfront hostelry and, as per my request, we were given th same room we had last May--a very traditional space with a small terrace facing the inlet, with two chairs and a small table. We were greeted so warmly t reception; I think there are not many American guests here and I have already promised to help two staff members with their English during the coming week. We've been here less than four hours and I already feel as among, if not friends, than friendly acquaintances. The warmth of the welcome is just astounding and I am at. loss at how to describe it.... This is their website: https://www.eurostarshotels.com/eurostars-gran-hotel-la-toja.html?referer_code=bs1gg11ww&gad_source=1&gad_ campaignid=280904818&gbraid=0AAAAAD-VyO5NnJCHUSaaOMtg7iBXIKXCZ&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3-fSk-zujQMVfqmDBx1J9zHQEAAYASAAEgId5_D_BwE We are now at the end of our relax time and set to drive across the little bridge to O'Grove, where we have a booking for 8pm at 'D'BERTO, scene of one of our most wonderful meals last year, and considered a "Temple of Seafood" in Spain; I am SO happy that the drive will be less than fifteen minutes! https://www.gastromondiale.com/2019-...eafood-temple/ |
Such beautiful food and gorgeous presentation!
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I am enjoying your trip report on Galicia, a region we also enjoyed.
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We had an 8pm reservation last night at D'BERTO in O'Grove a 5 minute drive from our hotel. Of course, at that hour (surprising that they even opened that early) we were the only diners in the restaurant but a few other tables soon trickled in. We had a superlative dinner last year but I think my expectations were tooo high, as last night was very good, but did not reach the heights of our last dinner. I was also pretty expensive, but we did order premium dishes.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6efbc2efe.jpeg Complimentary entrante--delicious Caldo Gallego in consome form. Lovely! I think I'm getting sick and I wish I had a tremendous pot of this to heat up in my room today. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...68a819851.jpeg This is virrey, or palometa roja, a red fish distinguishable by its very large eye. It has other names, too. My partner, who used to avoid fish, developed a love for this last year, so it was not surprising that he ordered it last night at ASADOR D'BERTO. Mix of cabbage and exceptional Galician potatoes in the rear. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...09e606263.jpeg I also repeated my dish from last year: Fried bogavante, a type of lobster. Very good but the meat was not as tender as I might have liked. A LOT of food--I left about half on the plate. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6ea991dc0.jpeg Galician potato chips, fried in olive oil, are famous throughout Spain, and on my trips home, I've seen travelers toting the large round metal tins filled with them on the plane. Much better than the usual ones we have in the US, these are also less salty. Look at then prices in NYC and you can see why people bring these home with them: https://despanabrandfoods.com/collec...Z_u56MMoAqN2WE https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7f017911b.jpeg ASADOR D'BERTO, in O"Grove, a workaday seaport town in Pontevedra province; this is reputed to be the finest restaurant in town, but there are few others recommended by Repsol and Michelin including SANSIBAR and BEIRAMAR. Most restaurants are open only for lunch in June. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a7fb0285f.jpeg We learned that the nearby ice cream shops were closed, so we ordered chocolate helado for dessert--rich and extremely delicious Last night's bill came to about 190 euro---70 for the virrey and 90 for the bogavante, plus water, one glass of Albarino, and a bread charge of 5 euro. Former King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia celebrated their private anniversary lunch here last month, while on a visit to the nearby resort of Sanxenxo. https://www.diariodepontevedra.es/ar...251390871.html https://dberto.com I was happy that it was still bright outside when we drove home, just before 10pm. Today we've been resting, as I think I am getting a recurrence of a horrible cough that I had for a few weeks last month. I hope I don't get sick again!!!!! The weather has turned beautiful and it's a joy to just gaze out the window at the Ria de Arousa, one of several inlets that pierce this section of coastal Galicia, outside the hotel. I will take a photo to post later...right now I'm not sure we will even leave the hotel tonight to go for dinner.... |
I hope you’re feeling better tomorrow. Ahh the Spanish potato chips are soooo delicious.
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Originally Posted by Paqngo
(Post 17660480)
I hope you’re feeling better tomorrow. Ahh the Spanish potato chips are soooo delicious.
Thanks! I've been a little slow here; Saturday was a wash, since I felt pretty bad, and mainly rested in the room. My partner went down to the bar and had an order of croquettes..not such an exciting day. Yesterday I made my self go out, and we had lunch (details to come) at a restaurant facing one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen in Europe! The water was crystal clear and that pale turquoise that I associated with certain Caribbean beaches. This was a Sunday and the beach was crowded, and many people were wading, with a few brave souls actually swimming. (Water temperature was recorded at 17.6C or 63F.). My photo does not show how glorious this beach was: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fcfb82e25.jpeg Playa Area da Cruz, San Vicente do Grove. The inlet is the Ria de Arousa. (I wish I knew how to post maps like ANUJ!) The water is much more beautiful than shown in this photo..I don't know why I could not depict the color as it was with my iPhone camera... We went on an adventure trying to find the restaurant..I'll talk about this later... |
Yesterday morning, Sunday, I woke up feeling pretty bad, and kind of sick, but I roused myself and, around 3:15pm, we set off toward our lunch at MELOXEIRA PRAIA, a beachfront restaurant recommended by Maribel, with a "sun" in the Repsol guide:
https://www.guiarepsol.com/es/comer/...ve-pontevedra/ We set the GPS in the car with the restaurant, in the beachfront area of San Vicente do Mar, and set out, arriving about ten minutes later. Easy!! The problem was that there was no restaurant with that name anywhere sight and the 4pm reservation time is fast approaching. So, I walk over to another restaurant and sheepishly interrupt the young server to ask about getting to "our" restaurant. Embarrassing, to stop into one restaurant, bound for another, but there was no one else on the street. Ok, she tells me that the place we are looking for moved about two years ago and never changed their address on Google maps...she was lovely and wanted to chat about New York City, where her GRANDPARENTS live!!!!! So we chatted for a few minutes and then were off, trying to follow her directions to a totally different area. We end up on an unpaved dead-end road at a beautiful beach. No restaurant in sight, and now it's nearing 4:30pm, a half an hour past the booking time. I walk down to the sands, and have to, once again, sheepishly, inquire of a couple trying to have a relaxing lounge on their towel.....where is this restaurant. they were lovely, and point me across the water and around the coast, to a group of buildings, and tell me that that I the area where MELOXERIA PRAIA should be located.. So now the partner is telling me we need to abort..that they will not let us in, as it's way past the last seating of 4:30. More twists and turns, and we finally spot out goal. But where to park? The entire narrow road is parked in.....oh, over there is a little eatery with a grassy area that tells us that this is for guests of THAT chiringuito only. Ok..I take a chance. (By now I am getting almost as wiped out writing this as I was yesterday, trying to find the place...) It's way past our reservation time when we walk in, only to be told that the kitchen is closed. And this was a point of pride for me, as I had told my partner not to worry, there was no way they would turn us away. Well, they did not. I launched into the long explanation of the fact that their address on GPS was incorrect, blah, blah, blah....and the guy was probably trying not to have to listen to more of my apologies, so he gave us the perfect table, on a wooden platform a the edge of a GLORIOUS beach. MELOXERIA PRAIA (the name is Gallego) is an excellent restaurant, not to be missed if you find yourself in the area of O'GROVE. Very limited hours outside high season, similar to many entries in this area. The terrace was filled with young families, many with much younger children, and it was a joy to relax and lunch on the lip of the pure white sands just below our table. Outstanding! Lovely service; staff spoke English well, as seems to be the norm in the restaurants we've visited. Menus in Castillano and in Gallego. Photos to come.. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...15ed819d0.jpeg Menu..Sunday lunch, 15 June https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b843802a7.jpeg Complementary mussels in escabeche.. one of those dishes where you dab up every last bit off sauce with the bread..this was so delicious, and a bit spicy..this is mussel territory, after all.... https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1e7bb28a2.jpeg Berberechos, cockles, with a mildly garlicky sauce. I forgot to snap a photo of the leek with "calabaicin" ("field pumpkin") sauce, but it was very nice. (I'm seeing leeks on a lot of menus lately...) Look at the color of that water in the background. People were dining here in shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops...the restaurant was full at 5pm and onward... A glass of Albarino on the side. Difficult to believe, but the hit of lunch was the marinated and grilled chicken with those fantastic Galician (fried) potatoes....this may be the best chicken I've eaten in recent years....if you are from New York you might remember the excitement when THE NOMAD began serving their famous chicken dish for two,. Well, the pleasure of this dish was way up there; of course, the setting had something to do with our pleasure. As soon as we returned to the hotel, my partner, who normally takes very scant interest in where we eat, asked ms if we had time to return here for another serving of the chicken.... https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a00180b0c.jpeg The bill, with one glass of Albarino, a bottle of water: 54.10euro. Recommended. Note the address ifi you plan to go, with the help of a GPS. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bbe2bc326.jpeg And what did I receive as soon we we got back to the hotel? An e-mail letting me know that since we had not shown up for our bookings, we would be charge 40 euro for a no-show!! I am sure I can resolve that... It was a lovely afternoon!! https://www.facebook.com/taberna.meloxeira/ |
Yesterday morning, Monday, I still felt poorly, but I was determined to go into the nearby town of (O"GROVE," across the bridge, about an 8 minute drive from our hotel--the same is Gallego) to stock up on some snacks because most restaurants are shuttered on Mondays, as in the rest of mainland Spain. Keep this in mind when planning your meals!!
Even for this timid driver, the ride to the municipal market of O"Grove was a snap--only one wrong turn--and we arrived to find ample parking in front of the port and market area. Most stalls were closed on Mondays, as the fishermen and shellfish gatherers rest on Sundays, but I was later told that Tuesdays were a top day to visit the market, as the fishermen go out late Monday night and into early Tuesdays, so the stalls would be filled with the freshest of creatures by 11am on Tuesdays. (Unfortunately, we have no kitchen, and I am not feeling 100%, so are remaining "home" today, Tuesday...2pm as I write this. SO..the municipal market, what we might call the Mercado de Abastos, was mostly deserted, save for one lovely female vendor who marked me as soon as I opened my mouth, as a Porteno, a person from Buenos Aires. When I told her I was not from that city, she then asked me if I was from Salta or Mendoza. "No, soy de Nueva York," I replied. She then asked me why, if I claimed to be from NY, I had an Argentine accent. As my Nana would say.."Go know!" Who knows...my accent in Spanish is certainly from the Western hemisphere but I am usually taken for a Mexican... Whatever, it pleases me very much to even have a chance to speak Spanish and have people think that this is my native language. I have to add a thanks here to my parents, to my Dad, especially, with his constant playing of Olga Guillot, Lucho Gatica, and his many other favorite LP records on the "victrola." Daddy, I am so very sorry that I always turned down your offers to teach me the rumba and the mambo. Thanks are also due, grudgingly, to another person, un Chilango from Mexico, who helped me very much to improve my Spanish. The relationship was a total disaster but my Spanish is very good, now!!! Ok, enough of that.. So: Some pics from the market of O"Grove, province of Pontevedra: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...87493bf55.jpeg The fish section of the market; large parking lot; the lone American tourist, shown here, is searching for a bench to park himself while his partner roams the market. The glasses are due to last month's cataract surgery, but he looks quite guapeton while wearing them. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...75c897fa1.jpeg One of a few market bars; you can order off the menu, or you can buy raw product and have them cook this for you....when I feel better, I hope to go back and do just this!! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0db90b124.jpeg Menu of one of the market bars.....welcoming and well-priced options for eating in O"Grove; market remains open until about 13:00. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3e96dba57.jpeg The shellfish gatherers of the Ria de Arousa region are much lauded here, as this handsome sculpture attests. At the parking lot, we were approached by a few people selling boat trips on the Ria (inlet) with all-you-can-eat mussels. My partner does not eat anything \with black shells," but I have four more days to turn his opinion!!! A boat trip would be lovely!! It's in the high 80sF today, Tuesday.... For those who can understand Spanish, these posters are another testament to the honor accorded to the people who troll the offshore waters in search of the riches contained within. This explains the various fish and shellfish and the various artisanal methods used in their capture. (I've not yet had time to read them in full but they were impressive in their detail; posted inside the upstairs floor of the LONXA of O"Grove, adjacent to the municipal market.... https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f97f38902.jpeg Those working the waters in Galicia command a respect that I do not believe is shared in the USA. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...487a9e1c4.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...52b08291d.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...01538c031.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e542bb88f.jpeg Various types of shellfish traps; we can see one of these from our window at the hotel......oh, the waters here are crystalline and so tempting, but a bit too chilly for me to swim... https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...86ae893f4.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e7ebcf4e4.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0650fd7b4.jpeg Look at the varieties of clams!!!! |
Fascinating.
And that beachside (late) lunch, wow. |
Originally Posted by Adelaidean
(Post 17661042)
Fascinating.
And that beachside (late) lunch, wow. That beachside lunch at MEOXIERA PRAIA was dreamy and I am still thinking about--of all things--the chicken! The trouble is that, outside of July and August many, if not most, good restaurants are shut during the week, or open only for lunch on selected days. I am feeling a bit more perky now than a few days ago, but truly, this report iS not very compelling since we are doing a lot of lounging around our hotel. I booked my room with the thermal spa included and yesterday (our fifth day here) I finally made it inside. I'm not familiar with many spas but this place was pretty great. The warm pool was just about long enough to swim laps, and myself and my partner were the only ones in the entire spa yesterday afternoon. They have all kinds of jets, baths, a sauna and steam room---and I even booked a salt scrub for tomorrow. Prices seem reasonable as compared to those back home--I think. Since I last wrote, we've had two dinners--one very good and one just okay; I will begin to describe briefly and finish once I get back to the room after my spa treatment!!! One thing I do not know if is if I am supposed to tip the woman will "scrub" me. If you see this, and have an answer, just let me know and I can always find her tomorrow. I mentioned that our hotel is on the island of La Toja, a very lush, small island connected to the workday port of O"Grove by a long bridge lined with beautiful street lanterns. Driving around here might be the easiest I've ever attempted outside the US. Little traffic, usually ample parking, sedate drivers..it's a pleasure!! Two nights ago we had dinner at BIERAMAR, a fairly sedate, cozy place on the Main Street facing the port of O"Grove, a five minute drive from the hotel. While O"Grove lacks the handsome stone buildings so prevalent elsewhere in the region (or at least on the main streets, where there are a lot of 4- and 5-story blocky structures) but it's a pleasant and relaxed town with the dominance of fishing and shellfish gathering obvious everywhere you turn. Here are the details of our dinner at BEIRMAR: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ceeaa7a6b.jpeg Portion of the harbor of O"Grove; many, many colorful wooden fishing boats https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5d1f94f89.jpeg Exterior of BEIRAMAR restaurant, facing the port; while we were eating, a fisherman and a shellfish gatherer entered the restaurant to drop off part of their daily haul, emptying bogavante (type of lobster) right into the large tank https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...41058d2e8.jpeg The carta at BEIRMAR; very high price-quality ratio https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...65a022ee8.jpeg Our courtly and welcoming waiter presenting the lenguado (Dover sole) that we chose to share; unlike in the South, fish is not normally accompanied by olive oil, lemon or salt. |
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Complimentary plate of olive-oil-and-herb-marinated local cheese and green olives at BEIRAMAR https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4fc470695.jpeg One of the best dishes of the week' this is HALF of a shared order of artichokes prepared two ways: In a light tempura batter and grilled, with a sous vide egg yolk in the center. Exquisite!!! I love artichokes. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0b38269f9.jpeg Closeup of the artichoke dish; why are there so few artichoke dishes offered at restaurants in New York City? They are either those huge Globe artichokes, stuffed with bread crumbs, or thinly sliced, fried, and salted. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d7ef77f13.jpeg Those marvelous Galician potatoes, dusted with smoked paprika, served with a pile of the famous green peppers from nearby Padron, alongside my half of the Dover sole (It's "lenguado" here, with no mention of the name Dover, but it is the same Atlantic cold-water fish, solea solea, that bears as astronomical price in the US IF you can find the real thing, not the often mislabeled Pacific fish, known as "Slime sole" that sometimes masquerades as Dover sole. Do not be fooled if you live in the US and like to cook fish at home. NYC prices recently hovered around $50-$60 per pound. Much less and you are not buying the authentic "Dover" sole, but a common flounder which is not at all a bad choice, but not the same species. At BEIRAMAR this week, the restaurant's price was 75 euro per kilo, or $US86 per pound; our serving (more than we could finish) cost 56.25euro for two, with potatoes and Padron peppers. I prefer to order a whole fish by weight, rather than a single order, but I am not sure if this is a sound practice. Having to order a whole fish usually means that you need two diners, unless you have a big appetite or you can find a very small fish waiting on the ice. For those who know more than I do, is choosing a whole fish, to be filleted at table, a better plan than ordering a single order at a price listed on the menu? There is information here, on the real thing, which is an Atlantic flat fish: https://therockfish.co.uk/blogs/skip...9-Gz6OMBfzqXuD https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...01f1d4bfe.jpeg Close up of the filleted sole....impeccable, but far too much for us to finish. This very good dinner at BEIRAMAR, in O"GROVE, cost us jut over 80 euro for two with one glass of Albarino and a bottle of water. https://restaurantebeiramar.com/en/ Closed Sunday dinner and all day Monday. We plan to return tonight. Following in the lead of ANUJ, but with a far inferior result, here are a trio of maps of Galicia: https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fff579e96.jpeg The far NorthWest corner of Spain, north of Portugal https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fdaec1daf.jpeg Portion of the Rias Baixas area of Galicia. The "Rias" are the inlets that pierce the coast from the Atlantic Ocean and give Galicia an extraordinarily long length of coastline. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...de3e5e4db.jpeg Closeup of the Isla de la Toxa, off O'Grove and close to both Pontevedra and Cambados. On Sunday we will drive inland o Padron, fsee map just above) for lunch before returning to our La Toxa hotel. |
Second dinner at BEIRAMAR was a revelation. We had met a lovely, well-traveled and food-savvy couple from Lisboa who drive here (five hours) to feast on seafood in O"Grove. Tthey are guests at our hotel and I have had lovely chats with them about New York, about food in this region and about food in Lisbon where they live.
Their main course was a large shared platter of cigalas, a type of river langoustine, and were amazed that I had never tried these "langostinos del rio," or what we might translate as "crayfish of the river," but nothing akin to the crayfish of Cajun country in the US. For one thing, these are wild, not farmed. Not at all similar. Most of this type I see in the US are frozen and imported from northern Europe at incredibly high prices. Here they are stopped up ours before being brought to the restaurants, as I had seen two nights before when a man fresh off his boat in knee-high boots entered BEIRAMAR and carefully transported his catch, one by one, with the utmost care, into the large tanks that dominate the dining room. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/dining/lobsters-little-cousin-and-its-envy.html We returned to that restaurant last night for one of the best dinners of our vacation; here are some photos. The price of our lush dinner was less than 90 euro for both of us, with water and wine, and we were too sated to try their famous Galician cheesecake. Nintely euro for a dinner including fine steak and some of the most coveted shellfish in the world. For a main course, my partner chose solomillo, from two beef selection on the menu, the other being entrecôte which I think is rib eye but please correct me, as this is not a cut sold under that name in most butchers in my home city. Similar to the tenderloin we know in USA, he declared this among the best "steaks" he has had in recent years. It looked similar to a large, and more unevenly cut, filet mignon but I forgot to take a photo and do wish I had done so... A tremendous portion of beef, easily sufficient for two "normal" appetites, cost 26 euro and he managed to finish half of the portion. He ordered it "medium," (median) and it was perfect. He was SO HAPPY!!! The attire did not link an eye when I asked for it to be cooked at a greater degree than would be usual among locals. So much for foreigners being sneered at for ordering their meat to be what locals consider to be "overcooked," a topic I read about so often on forums such as that famous one popular for novice travelers, as well as more experienced ones. (Do not get me on the topic of TA forums about Spain, as many of them concern where to buy beer at a good price at the major tourist resorts on the Costa del Sol, Canarias, and Benidorm. TA forums on Italy seem to be more helpful but there is nothing like Fodors!!! Although for the food lovers among us, I have to put in a plug for the successor to Chowhound, www.huungryonion. org. This is no way a substitute for Chowhound but for English-language people interested in foos around the world, I've not found much better. (I do post there under my first name, you would not have trouble finding me, as I contribute about places that seem to be largely ignored by most travelers, so I do not get many responses, but those who do write back tend to be people that you guys might take a look at--many live in Europe and have much more comments of value than sometime travelers like myself....) About this current trip, similar to what yo've read here..but there are some VERY knowledgeable contributors, including the unparalleled MARIBEL, who gives us the travel "Bibles" of Spain, as well as much else; do look for Maribel's posts on HungryOnion.org. I'm not sure if it's ok to mention this here but I will proceed to say that Maribel is THE person to contact for a single, pair, or group of people interested in finding the "best' of any area of Spain, without battling the increasingly great mobs of tourists. I have personally recommended friends and these have rated about the series offered by IBERIAN TRAVELLER.com. https://iberiantraveler.com I did not taste the meat, but we had so much leftover that I suggested slicing it and taking it home for a cold lunch but we decided against this. I do hope that this extra food does not get thrown away but I do fear the worst....few except the desperate want to eat meat that has been slobbered over by another person. If you do not know this already, asking for a leftover "para llever," or to "take away," is common and not at all frowned on in Spain.. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2a6a0af14.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...195c78648.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7c791749d.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...77e11c08d.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...061f9d3f5.jpeg During our dinner the first night, they were at the adjacent table and we struck up a lively conversation. Such An incredible joy of traveling ice to meet and chat with persons fro other cultures, and to hear their stores, their views and they opinions even if the latter differ vastly from one's own. One this brief trip, and from only a few brief discussions, I noticed how v ital the issue of immigration was to persons of countries other than my own. Persons from very different socio-economic levels, from that working-class salon worker in Santiago who deplored the influence and life style of Venezolano and Dominican new arrival to her neighborhood, to a few Portuguese residents who were negative about the immigration issue in their towns and cities. Immigrants from Angola, who I thought has been widely deployed during earlier times, were not mentioned. This time the less-welcomed newcomers to Lisbon and other cities had emigrated from North Africa and, more surprisingly, from Bangladesh. This group seemed to be negatively viewed by quite a few Portuguese to whom I spoke, but my Portuguese, admittedly, is not great, so surely I missed something, and of course, their commentary must have been muted by my own birthplace. I have been, however, surprised about the support that our current appears to have among the minuscule percentage of persons I spoke with. From the shellfish gatherer to the market vendor to the housekeeper at the hotel, to the affluent guests of this and our previous hotel, immigration was a tremendous issue and from several people I poke with, a right-leaning move in elections was not viewed with great alarm in light of this issue. I am not political and I am the last person to delve into this topic, but the agreement on this one issue, across the board, has surprised me. And so...today if Friday, more guests have arrived. Many wear shorts and t-shirts. Two days ago, an elevate shoot for my ZARA took place outside the breakfast room and it was fun to watch the makeup and the preening before the shots could proceed. |
I had my comments cut off, as I took too long to edit....but most of the info is here..it's now almost 3pm and instead of braving the waters outside the home, I've been laboring over my editing....no surprise here but thanks to moderators for cutting short my endless screed about food...
Hasta luego.... Sunday afternoon will bring one of our most anticipated meals of this trip: Lunch at O"Pazo, in Padron. Looks like a good source of info; will read this later so for now, just linking. Also includes D'BERTO, where we've eaten twice and will return tomorrow: https://www.gastromondiale.com/2023-...n-2022-part-3/ |
During our spectacular dinner at ASADOR D'BERTO, last night, our second dinner in a few days, I learned more about these cigalas that I raved about, above.
What I learned, from the owner of D'BERTO, was astonishing, and I will return soon to discuss. Right now we are preparing for our drive to the town of Padron, for a long-awaited lunch. |
During our spectacular dinner at ASADOR D'BERTO last night, our second dinner in a few days, I learned more about the cigalas (langoustines; crayfish) that I raved about, above.
What I learned, from the owner of D'BERTO, was astonishing to me, and I will return soon to discuss. Right now we are preparing for our drive to the town of Padron, for a long-awaited lunch. I am in heaven here; yesterday a wedding party took over much of the hotel and, rather than being an annoyance, it was a fantastic experience for us, even if we did not received a coveted invitation to the festivities....the music alone was wonderful, and we could hear much from our room......more to come (if I have any readers left--I do admit that this report is not exactly filled with excitement but we ARE having a most marvelous, and relaxing, few weeks and the weather has been almost perfect!! |
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