A Meal in the Country, Spain

Many of the small hotels I like have their own restaurants, most of which are outstanding. Sometimes, given the location, I prefer to eat at the hotel rather than drive into town for a meal. Such was the case at Quinta de San Amaro in Meaño, Spain. Here you can dine inside or out. We decided to sit outside. Soon enough, the waitress brought this starter which got our taste buds excited.

Starter at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Starter at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Then we enjoyed a very typical dish of grilled vegetables.

Grilled vegetables at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Grilled vegetables at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Then there were two entrees, one a whole fish fresh from the sea:

Whole fish at at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Whole fish at at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

There was also some nicely cooked pork loin:

Pork loin at at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Pork loin at at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

As with every meal in Spain, why not enjoy a bottle of wine! In this case, another local albariño was the perfect fit with the meal.

Albariño at at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Albariño at at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

This was a very relaxing and leisurely meal, enjoyed outside within just a few yards of the vineyards. One of the joys of traveling is to take your time. Don’t rush it.

Antollos, Santiago de Compostela (June 2014)

For pinxtos, tapas, and vinos in Santiago de Compostela, Antollos is the place! This is a relatively small joint, usually jammed with locals and a few tourists on the road to Santiago or just food lovers like me. And here’s the reason why:

Tapas at Antollor, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Tapas at Antollor, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

On those two plates you have a variety that is both delicious and creative. There is the tortilla española on the left with a typical bocadillo, but also an empanada. On the right you have various fish concoctions as well as another tortilla. But there’s more such as this pair:

More tapas at Antollos, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

More tapas at Antollos, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

And there was even more, but I was too busy eating to take photos. The guys behind the counter will wander the floor, bringing out fresh, hot items for you to try with the ones you already selected. Of course, there’s plenty of wine to be had. Take your time, enjoy it all!

Supper, Villa de Ábalos, Spain

While staying overnight at the Hotel Villa de Ábalos, I highly recommend eating supper there. When you make your reservation, be sure to let them know you would like to dine as well. It is a truly home-cooked, Spanish meal. The menu changes with the seasons and the availability of fresh ingredients. Here is the carta as provided during my visit:

Menu for supper at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

Menu for supper at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

These little gems were presented to start the meal:

A little something to start the meal at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

A little something to start the meal at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

The two appetizers were creative and delicious. The first was a leeks and spinach terrine that you see in the next photo:

Leek and spinach terrine appetizer at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

Leek and spinach terrine appetizer at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

The other appetizer was a sautéed vegetable medley that I was so anxious to eat, I forgot to snap a photo. But, next came the entrée, and what a fantastic one it was. Slowly cooked oxtail then removed from the bone and placed inside a sort of dumpling with a very nice sauce, as you see in the next photo:

Oxtail presented inside a dumpling for supper at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

Oxtail presented inside a dumpling for supper at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

This incredible meal was finished with a warm almond cake and vanilla ice-cream that truly hit the spot:

Warm almond cake with vanilla ice-cream at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

Warm almond cake with vanilla ice-cream at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

All this was served in a pleasant dining room you see here:

Dining room at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

Dining room at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

I would also like to mention the owner of this fine hotel makes his own wine, which is very good, especially the white. A bottle with dinner or afterwards is a great addition to the meal. Here’s a photo of the bottle:

Preferred wine at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

Preferred wine at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

When traveling, be sure to enjoy the local cuisine as much as possible.

Lunch in Haro, Spain

After checking into my hotel in the village of Ábalos, we drove a short distance west to the town of Haro, Spain. Here the various wineries operate tasting rooms and gift shops. The town itself is worth a stroll, which we did, ending at a little bar for lunch.

Bar/restaurant Madrid in the town of Haro, Spain.

Bar/restaurant Madrid in the town of Haro, Spain.

Inside, we found the usual bar with various tapas under the glass.

Interior of bar/restaurant Madrid in the town of Haro, Spain.

Interior of bar/restaurant Madrid in the town of Haro, Spain.

We sat at one of those round tables you see on the left of the photo above. And here’s a look at just a few of the tapas we enjoyed:

Various tapas at bar/restaurant Madrid in Haro, Spain.

Various tapas at bar/restaurant Madrid in Haro, Spain.

There were several more rounds of tapas, including this batch:

More tapas at bar/restaurant Madrid, in Haro, Spain.

More tapas at bar/restaurant Madrid, in Haro, Spain.

This was another great local meal, the kind that I prefer. I only had a few minutes to chat with the lady operating the place. Next time, I plan on lingering longer to learn some Spanish and experience the local scene a little more.