The Bent Page

Regular Bent Page readers may have noticed I’ve had a number of posts about Ronda, Spain. Well, here’s another one, and it’s also about food, my second favorite subject. This time we’re leaving the regular chow behind for an upscale supper. Due to the volcano in Iceland many tourists were unable to make the journey to Spain. Thus, Ronda was quiet, especially the restaurants. In other words, reservations were not necessary. (Take note: always make reservations if you’re interested in a particular restaurant. A few minutes on the phone will prevent hours of disappointment.)

We chose Sol y Sombra for supper. Showers passed just before we set out for the place, creating a movie-like scene.

Inside, we were one of only four tables due to the aforementioned volcanic activity. Our waiter was a friendly chap, eager to chat because he wasn’t as busy as usual. We took his recommendation for a local wine that turned out to go well with our food. Let’s get to the plates, shall we? Appetizers: feast upon this creative take on salad greens, tomatoes, and dressing.

Or, if you like your starter a bit heavier why not try the asparagus with salmon and sauce like this:

Both of these were presented beautifully. Tasty, too, although the sauce on the asparagus was a touch heavy. Hence, more wine! Moving along to the main course. How about this duck concoction.

Yes, that’s a strip of duck breast wrapped around a fig, several of them in fact. Stunningly good. Then there was seared pork with an interesting salsa of peppers and chives.

Wow, reviewing these photos, I’m reminded of another reason why I found Ronda to be my favorite place visited during this trip. The people on the street, in the shops, and at my hotel were universally friendly and helpful. All of them were eager to chat, some of them as interested in the United States as I was in Spain. These exchanges added an educational element to the visit that I might have otherwise missed between sightseeing and fantastic meals like the one shown above.