<Casa Nicolas in Tolosa is "the" place for lunch on market day, no?>

Casa Nicolas or Casa Julian (steaks) or El Fronton where you can get the famous Tolosa beans.
Casa Julian in the beginning of this great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOaLtnbKOos
El Fronton and the Alubias de Tolosa in the beginning of this great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAoT3fPIACc

Casa Nicolas it will be!

Robert or Kimhe: Have you heard much about Fagollada, outside Donostia?

I am moseying around, looking for a few "important" meals in the SS area, but do not want to book places for every day we spend in the city, so we can have room for wandering around and sampling pinxtos.

From Salas de Chiles - ABC.es:

Fagollaga
Han pasado más de 100 años desde su inauguración, pero la esencia culinaria de Fagollaga permanece inalterable, el secreto reside en una forma determinada de ser y de cocinar. En Fagollaga se trabaja concienzudamente para satisfacer las expectativas de los comensales. Ese es un principio sagrado Vota por este restaurante.

Fagollada has been around for a long time, which means a lot in this day an age. It was one of the first restaurants on our list when we first started exploring the Basque country (www.fagollaga.com).

If you get a chance, there is the Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Hailey, Idaho from October 7 - 11, 2015 (www.trailingofthesheep.org). The lamb is not quite the same, but it's all a part of Basque history.

Thank you Robert for allowing me to practice my Spanish translation skills.

Hi, all...do any of you have a link to the Extebarri menu? I'm not finding it on their site, just a general description of their set meal...I would like to see the a la cart options as well.....many thanks!

..sorry about the 'cart' instead of 'carte!"

Better to stay in Getaria or to lodge at Londres e Inglaterra (love those attic suites, Kimhe) and take day trips to Getaria and elsewhere by bus or train??

You can emailed them regarding the current à la carte menu, but this is the one from last April (Chowhound). It changes seasonally, if not daily. Sorry it's in English. Not quite as interesting as it would be in Spanish or Basque.

Chorizo home made 22 €

Butter of goat 12 €
Anchovies salt cured 24 €
Terrine of goose liver 30 €

Vegetables with salt cod 24 €
Shrimps (kg.) 120€
Goose barnacles (kg.) 200€
Lobster (kg.) 72 €

Local blue crab 24 €
Oysters 27 €
Clams 35 €
Prawns of Palamos 33 €

Sea cucumber 40 €
Baby octopus 40 €
Green beans 30 €

Scrambled eggs of St. George’s mushrooms 28 €
St. George’s mushrooms sautéed 28 €
Throats of cod 27 €

Salt cod loin 27 €
Grouper 28 €
Red sea bream (kg.) 65 €
Beef chop (kg.) 65 €

(Prices V.A.T. not included)

Thanks, Robert. Gives one pause. If one were splurging, which one or two items to augment the tasting menu? I will do some reading on this....surely not the green beans.

Sorry it's in English. Not quite as interesting as it would be in Spanish or Basque.>>

shame - I need the translation practice!

BTW we had goose barnacles in Galicia 30 years ago - you can tell that they made an impression can't you, and it wasn't not a good one! So i wouldn't recommend splurging on them.

Ann: I agree. I think I had them in Galicia as well and the fact that I cannot tell you for certain lets you know that they did not leave a big impression.
I do remember driving to the cliffs where they are harvested, (I think the highest seaside cliffs on the European mainland) to the great peril of the harvesters. Beautiful countryside. Here, practice that spanish!!

http://www.confrariacedeira.es/wp-co...mareas2105.pdf


http://www.dcedeira.com/percebe.php


http://www.dcedeira.com/precio.php

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/29/tr...barnacles.html



The sea cucumber sounds interesting; I've seen this on menus in Barcelona and in Asia..never tried it.

The Gambas de Palamós (Prawns of Palamos) are very good, amost as delicious as the Gambas de Huelva. Expensive, but worth the price.

gracias, eck - necessito praticar el mio espagnol! [sorry if i l lapsed into Italian there - I'm hoping that when i speak it, they won't notice the difference!]

I feel like you are friends by now!

Robert, take a look at recent discussion of prawns offered at a new Portuguese restaurant in Manhattan....$19US per Carabinenros prawn (not sure of origin of the name..) (I did not sample but you might find this interesting....owner is a respected restaurant owner in NYC and author of a good cookbook on Portuguese cuisine; I have the book from the library but not sure if I will buy it.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1013083


http://www.amazon.com/My-Portugal-Re.../dp/1617691267

Carabineros (Spain, Portugal and Morocco) are large prawns from the Eastern Atlantic/Mediterranean area. Some that are sold as Carabineros actually come from Argentina or Mozambique and are a different species, but still bright red in color.

Carabineros in Spain where the border patrol during the late 1800's to 1940, when they were merged with the Guardia Civil. I take it the prawns were named Carabineros due to the scarlet collars of the earlier Carabineros Reales (Grenadiers) of the early 1800s.

I prefer the smaller Gambas de Huelva for their rich flavor. Problem is, they are difficult to find outside of Cadiz, but we do get them on occasion in Pamplona and Donostia.

Ok so now have apparently been lagging in the hotel booking and Carlton in Bilbao seems to be just about booked for my dates.

I can find a better price, by far, at Silken Bilbao (museum view king bed.jr suite; euro 228 with buffet breakfast/free bottle of wine (!!) vs 280 at Carlton double king size sans desayuno).








Anyone know about Silken Bilbao? More concerned with location near good eating and wandering around than actual rooms. Not so interested in being near Guggenheim as I have been before..just want to be able to amble around near good eating and shopping and general enjoyment of the city as do not know it well at all…..will be arriving via bus or train from SS/Donostia.

++I also need info on flying fro Bilbao to Lisbon and then back to JFK. Will look into Vueling and Iberia.

I apologize for my brevity here as I have semi-medical crisis on my hands right now with partner…very scary hoping I can continue with plans for this trip…..I thank you all so very much for any and all help at a challenging time.

sorry to hear that eck - I hope you can get it sorted out and that the trip goes ahead.

The Silken Bilbao is the Silken Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao. All of the rooms are nice, but the ones overlooking the Guggenheim are the nicest. We've stayed there several times over the last few years and have no problem sending clients.

The hotel is within easy walking distance of just about everything you wan to see. It's only a few minutes walking distance from the Carlton.

There is also the Hotel Miró, just down the block from the Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao, and the Hotel Hesperia Bilbao.

On your way from the Silken hotel to the great pintxos bar scene in the Casco viejo/Old town, have the delicious and now famous Pinchos morunos in Bilbao classic Cafe Iruña from 1903: http://www.cafeirunabilbao.net/
http://elviajero.elpais.com/elviajer...89_775968.html

Good luck!

Oh, yes..have good news about Hotel Carlton; they do have room available (168 euro but no breakfast but with taxes) for us on our dates so have booked for three nights beginning on a Sunday.
Will arrive via bus or train from SS and then fly out from Bilbao to Lisbon once I get flights sorted…please hope for good medical reports from travel partner!!! Cannot help thinking about that lamb!