Local Lunch, Spain

Several posts ago, I mentioned the usual fare I enjoyed while traveling through Spain. You might also remember my post about the town of Biar, where I had a good hike. Well, I also met a couple of cats and ate a tasty lunch. Dead center in the middle of that town is a hostal type of place with a bar/restaurant downstairs. From your table you look out at the town plaza which is complete with church and fountain. We entered here looking for a bite to eat and the bartender made some good recommendations. Take a look.

On the left above you have a puff pasty with carmelized onions and mushrooms. Light and delicious that was. On the right, you have pork medallions in a heavy sauce with red peppercorns. Filling and powerful. The bartender was spot on with his suggestions and I thank him publicly for them. And here’s a view of the place.

Just what you’d expect to find in small town Spain. Too bad I can’t remember the name. No worries. It’s easy enough to find.

Published in: on June 22, 2010 at 10:17 am  Leave a Comment  
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Usual Fare, Usually Good

From the start of this post, let me ask for forgiveness from my Spanish speaking friends. I don’t remember the correct terminology for the food I enjoyed in Spain. Thus, I’ll use English words and let the pictures show the dishes.
In general, I found the usual fare to be usually good. That is to say regular meals, nothing fancy or expensive, were generally tasty and well presented. For example, at the Molino de Santillan, where we stayed for a night, we ordered supper from the menu of the day. For appetizers we started with a field green salad as seen in the next photo.

Note the vivid freshness of the contents above. The other appetizer is a pair of fried eggs with fried bread crumbs. This was unusual for me as I normally eat eggs for breakfast. The flavor couldn’t be beat because they used sausage or something mixed in with the breadcrumbs for extra flavor. Take a look.

Those grapes were a nice touch, too, adding a bit of sweetness to the plate. For the main course we both ordered the pork medallions with potatoes. As I said, a regular dish which is shown below.

Let me say that it was filling and fortifying, two things you need when your days are filled with activity. But it doesn’t end there. Molino de Santillan offered a breakfast spread that I found in most of the small hotels where I stayed. There’s meats and cheeses, coffee and juice, fruit and cereal. Take a look.

All in all, this is what you can expect when gallivanting about Spain, staying in small hotels, and eating accordingly. Don’t miss any meals!

Published in: on June 18, 2010 at 9:50 am  Leave a Comment  
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Home Cooking, Spain

As long as we’re talking about Biar and mentioning Casa Rural Mas Fontanelles, let’s stay in this locale for the topic of home cooking. You see, we arrived at this place on a Monday, the normal day off for the staff. Similarly, we were the only ones staying at the Casa. Therefore, the owner made us supper in much the fashion he might have for his own family. Naturally, we started with a nice bottle of wine.

This particular wine was light and tasty. It went well with the entire meal. The appetizer consisted of asparagus and sun dried tomatoes sauteed in olive oil and garlic. Simple, delicious.

Those tomatoes really had tremendous flavor, not overly sweet either. The main course was roast chicken with (I think) a bit of sauté action at the end. Again, big flavor from what could have been a run of the mill entré.

Note the cherry tomatoes and artichokes on the side of the plate. Plenty of hearty vegetables for healthy eating. Dessert was simple, fresh fruit served as it comes from the source.

Note the level of wine in the bottle. That might have been the second one. Who can remember? No matter. I enjoyed this simple meal, especially the interaction with the owner as he shuttled back and forth from the nearby kitchen to our table. The only thing that could have made it better would have been his company at the table.

Published in: on June 9, 2010 at 9:49 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Posada de la Villa, Madrid

Cava Baja Street in Madrid was mentioned earlier on this blog, and it will be be mentioned again. This time, let’s visit a restaurant that began as a mill and then a posada way back in 1642 at its present location. This would be the Posada de la Villa. During previous trips I passed by the restaurant but couldn’t work in a meal. Since it is well-known I thought it deserved a try and this trip I made it a point to get there. It was a fine meal, with very good service and wine. My wife started with the snails and they came in the shell in a bowl, which was different from what she’s used to. See…

Snails aren’t my thing, but she reports that they were tasty, and as stated, different from the usual. I stuck to a plate of grilled vegetables as an appetizer. They were well done as you see in the next photo.

Vegetables are part of any good meal, including breakfast, so I try not to miss them. Moving on to the main course, my wife ordered the sea bass, which came more or less whole.

That’s plenty of fish for any appetite. I went with a giant pork chop that was served on the hot stone to finish cooking to my liking. It worked out perfectly.

We especially enjoyed the hospitality at this place. At the end of our meal I noticed another couple speaking English just a few tables away. Turns out they were from North Carolina and I invited them to share dessert with us. They agreed and we enjoyed some laughs for the forty-five minutes or so. That’s another of the joys of travel, meeting new people and sharing the experience. On the way out, I snapped this photo of the oven, still in use after all these years.

That’s the way to do it. The only problem with a place like Cava Baja in Madrid is that there are literally a couple of dozen places to have a great meal and you’re only there for a few days. The solution: go back!

Published in: on June 7, 2010 at 10:08 pm  Leave a Comment  
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