Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine – Page 4

San Sebastian: Plaza Gipuzkoa and Casa Urola

January 21, 2016 mmm-yoso San Sebastian, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

The Missus really wanted to work off what we ate at Bar Bergara, even though we walked around Monte Urgell and all the way to Gros. So we walked into Centro and came across a nice park area; known as Plaza Gipuzkoa.

With beautiful landscaping, ponds, trees, and interesting white marble clock-table, surrounded by Neo-classical buildings, it made for a nice stop to stroll, people watch, and just enjoy the fresh air.

I'm sometime interested in statues you'll find in these parks. The one I saw here is for native son José María Usandizaga, a Basque Composer who succumbed to tuberculosis at the young age of 28.

The meteorological pergola (gazebo) was quite interesting as well. Though I really couldn't quite make out how it worked. It did keep me occupied for a while though.

We wandered a bit more through the street of "Centro"….doing some window shopping, the Missus considering a few purchases.

Until She'd had enough. It was time to walk back to the apartment.

So, we got back to the street where our apartment was located…..

And suddenly decided to make one more stop. This one was close by, just a few doors down at Casa Urola.

The upstairs area features a well regarded restaurant; but we decided to sit downstairs and have some pintxos.

We started with the Ensalada de Hongos, Pinones, en Idiazabal.

A nice refreshing salad; the light Idiabazal (this one didn't taste smoked) cheese bolstered by the pine nuts.

The Brocheta Pulpo y Papada (pork jowl fat) was amazing……

Tender octopus draped in pork fat……need I say more?

The Carrillera was passable. Man those potatoes had a texture of thick cream……

And no meal would be complete without some "Basque Butter" Foie Gras.

You'd think that after having Foie Gras for almost every meal; sometimes twice, we'd be getting tired of the stuff. Ummm…..no way! Nicely seared Mi Cuit with an almost jelly like interior. Decadent and delicious.

Along with a couple of beers (for me) and a "tinto" (for the Missus), this was a nice low keyed last meal in San Sebastian.

Casa Urola
Fermin Calbeton 20
San Sebastian, Spain

Our apartment was literally a few steps away from Casa Urola. Eating that last piece of Foie Gras, I was suddenly worried that we'd be marching back up Monte Urgull. But the missus only wanted to take a short walk, "to help digest" and all that.

While walking around we passed these two American "street kids" whom we first saw begging for money near Brexta Market. We later saw them partaking of the "cash crop" on Mount Urgull, and now they asked us for money the second time around. We acted like we didn't speak English or Spanish. It was time to go……….

But first, we had a nice Txakoli break.

While I couldn't get up to the pouring height of the really nice bartender at Bar la Cepa; Txakoli is a very dry, acidic, "fresh" wine that is traditionally poured from a height of about two meters to aerate the wine, creating bubbles, and reducing the carbon dioxide. It was a nice way to end our last evening in San Sebastian.

The next morning we headed to the train station. Instead of catching a cab or the bus the Missus (of course) chose to walk.

Actually, it was a nice walk. We had a cup of coffee in the train station, then caught the train to Hendaye, then Saint Jean de Luz.

San Sebastian: Monte Urgull and Bar Bergara (Gros)

January 16, 2016 mmm-yoso San Sebastian, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

After a nice self catered lunch and a short nap, the Missus decided we needed to "do something".

Not quite sure what "something" was, we headed out. The streets had definitely gotten much more lively with both tourists and locals. As we arrived at the port, the Missus looked up, pointed, and said, "this is where we're going"…..

She had pointed at the Statue of Christ at the top of Monte Urgull.

So we headed off……

There's a church located at the port and there was a wedding taking place. And you know….the (amateur) paparazzi just love a wedding.

Especially when, whom I think is the Flower Girl, looks so adorable…..

Even the washroom attendants have to watch!

I really enjoyed the port area……even though there are touristy restaurants, the aquarium and all that, there's still a "lived in" feeling to the place.

The walk up the Mount Urgull was nice….there weren't too many people to be found…..except small groups of young folks partaking of the…ahem….."cash crop".

For some reason, I really like cannons….don't ask me why. Even when they seem to be pointed in the wrong direction. These were aimed back at the city.

We really enjoyed the views…..

I love this view….the Isla de Santa Clara (Santa Clara Island) which lies right in Concha Bay.

The view at the top is rather anti-climatic, though it's a nice little walk and the views are quite nice. I'm sure on a clear day, it's quite stunning. We'd always look to find the Cathedral, which rises quite distinctly above the San Sebastian skyline.

There was this pair of street kids…..ahem musicians we kept seeing; first earlier in the day at the bandstand; then outside Brexta Market asking for money. We saw them up here having a nice "smoke" as well. The Missus told me, "you know, when we start seeing the same people over and over, it's time to go, right?"

But, there were more cannons to see!

We headed back down on one of the trails which actually led back to Old Town.

And so we ended up back in Old Town. The Missus however, wanted to see more. So I told Her, why not head on over then Urumea River to Gros; which kind of looks like San Diego with a decidedly Spanish vibe. I was told this is San Sebastian's version of Surf City. My bad for not taking photos of the beach….which…well, being from Hawaii and living in San Diego…you know…

Gros was interesting. It seemed more local. I had a recommendation which I followed up with some research of a tapas shop that had won a bunch of awards named Bar Bergara.

So, I really thought it would not be right if I left San Sebastian without trying just regular tapas, the stuff from the counter.

And there's no denying, the stuff here looked very pretty.

As a whole it was a mixed bag, for me, the bread really did not stand up well. Especially with the Piquillo Peppers and the Anchovy. The flavors though, were quite good.

The Foie Gras was very tasty; but again, the bread had suffered from sitting around.

The one item that really did well was the "De Pato al Calvados", basically duck in a apple brandy in puff pastry. The pastry held up quite well, the pine nuts really added to this this.

Overall, a very inexpensive meal, though I'm not sold on the counter top tapas. Very nice folks, the place has the feel of a fast casual restaurant. And while I'm still not sold on the stuff lying along the bar….the presentation at Bergara is quite stunning.

Bar Bergara
General Artetxe Kalea 8
San Sebastian, Spain

As we walked back….of to try more tapas; it became quite clear. There's unfinished business here; we'd arrived on the wrong days, there was much more to see and eat, we'd have to return some day soon. And all of this before our last stop of the day!

Portland: Toro Bravo and Upright Brewing

January 7, 2016 mmm-yoso Beer, Portland, Oregon, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

*** Toro Bravo has closed

To think we'd been to Tasty n Alder three times (it would be four by the time left) over the last year and had even been to Tasty n Sons, but still hadn't been to the first, John Gorham's original; Toro Bravo. I'd indeed read and heard a lot about the place; the Spanish inspired dishes, and having just returned from Spain, possibly my second favorite country to visit, the time seemed right.

Even though we'd done a good amount of walking already, the Missus was determined to walk to Toro Bravo. Hacing walked to Tasty n Sons the day before, this two mile walk was a piece of cake. It helped that it wasn't quite as hot as it was earlier in the day.

As you can see….Toro Bravo is the place to be. There was a line when we arrived. The place only takes reservations for groups of 7 to 14 people, so we had to arrive a bit before opening. We loved the service here; it was both efficient and polished, but relaxed, and not stuffy at all. There was never a time when we even had to consider flagging someone down, as our drinks were always full , the timing of clearing the table was amazing. And yet, we never, ever felt like anyone was hovering over us…..a nice plus was being seated in the comfy and cozy little nook called "the Make Out Room". Compared to the busy dining room…..

Portland Sept 2015 121

It was such a nice, private, space…..

While it seems like the Tasting Menu would be a nice choice, we went a la carte instead and were glad we did.

We started with two "kisses", think amuse like starters.

First up, the Spanish Kiss – "spherical olives".

Had we not been to Disfrutar a few months before, this El Bulli inspired, olive flavored spheres would have impressed us a bit more. As it stood, we found this to be quite mild in flavor, not quite the stunning bite we expected.

Same with the "Barcelona Kiss".

The one dish we really wanted to try was the Radicchio…..the version of this that Tasty n Alder serves is among the Missus's favorite dishes. So much so, that my copycat…let's called it "inspired by" version is a staple in our household.

I have to say, while this was decent, it really missed the richness, smokiness, and pure savory goodness of the TnA version. The vinaigrette was nice, but I think the tangy-creamy-rich dressing that TnA uses is better.

The Basque Piperade had all those components we love.

But in spite of the hearty look of the dish, this one also missed the mark. The grilled bread; was a bit too burned and bitter for us; and the entire dish was a bit lacking in overall flavor. We would have enjoyed a bit more acid, more salt…as a whole this tasted a bit flat to us.

At this point, I noticed something with the last two dishes; it seems that we were consuming what were the base of other dishes we'd had at Tasty n Alder and Tasty n Sons…the radicchio salad is obvious….but the piperade was so close to the shakshuka at Tasty n Sons, down to the grilled bread, and even the base flavors…we also found the shakshuka at TnS to be a bit lacking in flavor overall as well.

For us the real star of the "Beccerita" were the potatoes, which were prepped quite well and had great flavor. The sauce overwhelmed the octopus, which did have a very nice texture.

We also loved the potatoes the accompanied the nicely seasoned and very tasty Moorish Lamb Chop.

Loved the flavors; the charred and smokey lamb was very gamey.

By now we had a thought that perhaps the proteins here were the way to go and decided to end with the Drunken Pork, which proved to be a favorite.

While it looked like a hot mess; the combination of textures and flavors really did well together.

So things ended really well. Still, I think that Ataula is more our thing. Still, I'm glad we finally had a chance to check out Toro Bravo.

Toro Bravo
120 NE Russell St
Portland, OR 97212

We had really wanted to check out several breweries, but were just not able to this time around. With our time in PDX short, I decided that the one place we needed to check out was Upright Brewing.

Located in the basement in the office building, I loved the setting. You go and find the elevator (we found the stairs) and head down to the basement.

Past those double doors…..

And you were there……

A couple of tables in room with a few pulls, the place had this real speakeasy feel….you were in the basement of some business building in who knows where… Also, I love my Belgian style brews, so the French/Belgian Farmhouse style beers were just up my alley.

My favorites were the "Six" and "Seven", the six a bit prune-raisiny with sweet touches. The seven was a wonderful farmhouse saison, fresh, perhaps a bit too sweet for a saison, but I enjoyed it.

Upright Brewing
240 N Broadway
Portland, OR 97227

As always Portland is full of surprises for us.

Speaking of surprises….anyone know what this is?

San Sebastian: Atari Times 2 – Sirimiri Atari Akademy and Atari Gastroteka

January 2, 2016 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, San Sebastian, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

As I mentioned previously; Sundays (and Mondays) weren't prime days for many of the better Pintxos (tapas) places during the off season in San Sebastian.

Still, I knew of one place on my list that was open. Right across from The Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro is Atari Gastroteka.

Atari came highly recommended by Candice, so we were glad they were open and doing some pretty good business. I quickly noticed "another Atari" around the corner. Sirimiri Atari Akademy, so I thought why not start there?

It seems that Sirmiri is more of a craft cocktail place. Since it was relatively early; just after 7pm, we managed to get a seat at the counter in the back.

Not in the mood for the typical pintxos on the counter, sitting at a table means ordering the pintxos calientes….basically items off the menu, which suited us fine. The missus got a tinto and I had a crianza (an older aged wine).

We really enjoyed sitting here because we got to watch the garde manger area and the folks expediting the dishes. And isn't that a sous vide immersion circulator?

Of course we started with the Foie Gras Terrine. Remember when I coined the term "Basque Butter"? Well, I think this is a perfect example of that…..looks like a stick of butter, doesn't it?

This was quite a huge portion. It was nicely "foie forward", the pear puree added a mild sweetness without going overboard, the butter toasts were almost like brioche. Hard to fault this.

The Ensalada de Queso de Cabra wasn't very exciting. But we felt a bit guilty having all that foie.

The Solomillo was very tasty, though a bit on the chewy side.

That cherry compote did a nice job of cutting the rice mushroom based sauce. Nice dish.

At this point we had finished our wine and decided to make it Atari times 2 and go next door.

Man, the bar was packed.

We asked on of the Servers for a table and she said it would be a short wait. So the missus got a glass of Txacoli and I got a beer. I really didn't get my hopes up because the place was so busy, but wouldn't you know it, somehow the woman found me about 10 minutes later and told me our table was ready. I was quite impressed and thankful. I told her I really appreciated her work and she said, "oh, do not worry…..this is your table, all night if you want, please enjoy!" And we did our best…..

Starting with the Huevo a Baja Temperatura – basically an egg cooked at a low temp….. The Missus was in heaven.

The texture was amazing, rich and velvety, the flavors tempered by the jamon; this was really good.

Only to be topped by the Foie a la Plancha – this was so good, seared, rich, the flavor amazing.

And yet, the Carrillera (pork cheeks) might have easily been the best item of the evening…perhaps of our entire stay in San Sebastian.

Fork tender, the sauce having a slight hint of sweet, teetering on the edge of too rich….but just holding that line. The texture of the pork was just plain perfect for me. Not falling to pieces, but yielding to the touch.

Plus our Server was just amazing. So busy, but also very friendly and efficient.

So, perhaps we missed out on places like Zeruko, Ganbara, La Cuchara de San Telmo, and A Fuego Negro, but we got to do Atari times two, and that made our stay in San Sebastian a success.

Sirimiri Atari Akademy and Atari Gastroteka
Calle Mayor 18
San Sebastian/Donostia, Spain

After dinner we took a walk around. Business was picking up, but things were still rather quite as we walked to the muelle (port).

Then past the City Hall……

Then back to the apartment for a nightcap of Txakoli……..

We'd finally gotten a taste of San Sebastian…..

San Sebastian: Bar La Cepa

December 21, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, San Sebastian, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

To be perfectly honest, I should have planned our arrival in san Sebastian a bit better. All but one of the places on my were closed during our stay which spanned from a Sunday, leaving on a Tuesday morning. But like the Missus said, "we had a direction and a plan of where we needed to be when and you can't just skip Sunday and Monday!"

We caught the best from the Bilbao Bus Station….basically a big parking lot and ended up at the Amara "Bus Station", basically another big parking lot. From there we caught the local bus to the "Boulevard" and rather quickly found the street we were staying at on, Calle de Fermin Calbeton. Our apartment was basically right at the edge of things; a great location.

So even though the apartment was rather old the location couldn't be beat.

I guess May is still the low season, the places I thought were only closed on Sundays, were also closed on Mondays and visa versa. So we had a bit of a scramble on our hand when we went looking for a place to have bite for lunch. On De Agosto Kalea we came across a place that was doing some decent business. The bar was covered with pintxos (tapas), but as I mentioned in my post on La Vina del Ensanche in Bilbao, I really never took to those…..they looked pretty, but it just wasn't my thing.

Instead we usually went for pintxos caliente or like this meal, some charcuterie. In this case, the lomo iberico de Bellota, cured pork loin sausage.

he portion was quite generous and this combined with the bread made this more than enough for a light lunch. The sausage was very tasty, paprika forward, with a light garlic and herbal touch. Not overly salty, tender and not too waxy.

The Missus also wanted to try Txakoli, a very dry, acidic, "fresh" wine that is a specialty of Basque Country.

It is traditionally poured from about a two meter height. I was told this is to aerate the wine, creating bubbles, and reducing the carbon dioxide. Our bartender was all to happy to demonstrate….. he was really a friendly and funny guy.

The Missus really took to this and I'd try; with mixed success, to try to pour it from a decent height without spilling stuff all over the place. I guess that's best left to the professionals. and while I've read that special pourers are available to help with the process, this guy didn't need that.

La Cepa was a relaxed, fun place to have lunch and a couple of glasses of Txakoli.

Bar La Cepa
31 de Agosto Kalea
Donostia / San Sebastián, Spain

After our meal we needed to "burn off the meal" and headed off; around Monte Urgull. That's Playa de Zurriola and Gros in the background.

On the other side of the Mountain is Isla de Santa Clara and Concha Bay.

The Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro is quite striking, sitting at the base of Mount Urgull. Completed in 1774 it looks impressive when viewed down Calle Mayor. I'll have a bit more on this place in a future post.

We ended our walk at Plaza de la Constitución.

Established in 1723, this version was rebuilt in 1817 after being destroyed by fire. The apartments ringing the plaza have large and distinctive numbers. You see, these apartment used to be boxes from which to watch bullfights that used to take place in the plaza.

On this day, the entertainment was perhaps a bit less exciting……

At this point, the Missus decided we should take a nice afternoon nap, then head out for some evening tapas. Sounded like a good idea to me!

Thanks for reading!

Portland: Ataula

September 18, 2015 mmm-yoso Portland, Oregon, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

*** Ataula has closed

After a badly needed, though seemingly all too short nap and shower(s) we headed off to dinner. And yes, we were walking there.

Past the First Presbyterian Church, headed into a part of Portland called the Alphabet District in Northwest Portland. Up funky and eclectic 23rd (often called "trendy-third") Avenue. Trendy eateries and boutiques, next to dive bars, next to New Age Bookstores, this tree lined street sure has character. The Missus told me; "this is what Adams Avenue wished it looked like…."

Taking a left on Thurman onto quiet NW 23rd Place is a rather new; and much heralded restaurant named Ataula. The Chef, Jose Chesa is from Barcelona and I noticed quite a few familiar names when looking over the menu online; "Montadito", Pa amb Tomaquet, Berenjena….." spilled off the menu. We were just a few months removed from our trip to Barcelona and Spain. Any meal that would vicariously take us back was something to be treasured. I also noticed that Ataula had won many accolades in the rather short time it had been open. So it was really a no brainer…..

What was also a no-brainer was getting there early as Ataula does not take reservations for parties of less than 6. Good thing is; they open at 430pm….and we managed to get there via footmobile at just past that time.

The dining area is pretty simple, with high ceilings, though the hard surfaces really reflect the sound and it was pretty hot in the place on this day.

The best way to describe the nice folks here is….well….enthusiastic with a nice dose of Portland friendliness.

We started with the Pa amb Tomaquet, the classic Catalan bread rubbed with tomato and drizzles of Olive Oil.

The olive oil really lacked the nice, strong grassy flavors that we enjoy and the tomatoes, while sweet, lacked a good acid bite. The kitchen was a bit over zealous in the use of salt in this as well. It wasn't bad, but it won't make us forget the Pan con Tomate we had at Bar del Pla. Sometimes it's the simplest dishes that are the hardest.

The Empanadilla; this one filled with oxtails and Jamon Bellota, no cutting corners here; real Jamon de Bellota, acorn fed Jamon is used here.

Man, these were so crisp, the filling so rich and beefy, without being salty; hints of an almost red bell pepper flavor with a touch of heat. This would have been perfect with some kind of sauce, alioli, or like Galician Empanadillas, where a Sofrito (Spanish style – tomato based) is used in the filling to add that touch of acid.

Still these were delicious.

You might recall in my Le Pigeon post, I mentioned that while the Grilled Short Rib dish was our overall favorite entrée; it was not my favorite single "bite" of the trip. Meet my favorite bite:

This is Ataula's take on the classic tapa, the Cojonudo. It is pretty much a Cojonudo, but the presentation is plain beautiful; the quail egg perfect; the yolk soft and runny, the edges crisp. The chorizo had a mild spice, but lots of smokey paprika flavor; that slice of piquillo pepper just balanced everything out. The crisp crostini added a wonderful crisp component…..the perfect bite.

The theme of taking classic Spanish tapas and adding a spin to make the dish both fun and familiar was on fine display when the Berenjena arrived.

If you've read any of our posts on Spain you'd sort of recognize this dish. In places like, say Los Huevos de Lucio in Madrid, sliced, fried eggplant, would be served with a thick Salmorejo sauce, much like what I make in my recipe. Here, the eggplant is fried with a crisp exterior and creamy interior and shaped like fries. Instead of the salmorejo, a garlic forward romesco sauce is used. The seasoning danced on the edge of being too salty, but the other spices, hints of cumin and coriander, helped balance that out. A really good dish.

The Costilla was interesting.

The confit boned pork rib was wonderfully moist and tender, but I'd have enjoyed a bit of textural contrast. The sauce; which was claimed to be "salmorejo" really cancelled out the flavor of the pork. It was too strong and on the salty side.

I really wanted to try the "Pulpo" and I'm glad we did.

The thinly sliced octopus was super tender and full of flavor….the pulpo flavor hadn't been masked. I loved the simply dressed greens; each type, from the arugula to the various lettuces had their own taste sensation; bitter, aldehyde flavors, and so forth. The pine nuts went so well with the vinaigrette that you could probably just eat pine nuts and dressing. If anything, I thought the shaving of the parmesano reggiano was too thick and large…it was too much for a bite in terms of milky-saltiness. That's splitting hairs though, as this was a fantastic dish.

And the really amazing thing? Along with two "Spiced Sangria", the bill came out to less than $60! Just think what something like this would cost in San Diego? Plus, no tax!

What a wonderful meal….we'll be back…..

Ataula
1818 NW 23rd Pl
Portland, OR 97210

After dinner we headed across the street to the Organic Market where the Missus picked up several different apples…Her dessert.

We then headed down 23rd…….but in a moment of mercy (I think She was feeling the mileage too), I saw that my (now) favorite bus line, the #15 headed back into downtown.

Of course after getting back to the hotel and taking (yet another) shower, the Missus decided that we should….take a walk of course!

You gotta love some of the window displays…..

And then there were the "window displays" that were actually real! This rather scary looking dog with the evil eyes….was an actual poodle. It was standing totally still……

When the dog moved it made us both jump!

As we headed back to the hotel I saw the Missus looking at Her iPhone. She told me, "let's go around the block this way…." When I asked Her why, She said "my app is saying that we've walked 12.65 miles today….I want to make it an even 12.75." Say what? But of course I went along….and according to Her handy-dandy app we walked 12.75 miles and the next morning my body felt every step! But we were on vacation so I'm supposed to feel that way…right?

Bruges: Quatre Mains

August 26, 2015 mmm-yoso Belgian Cuisine and Restaurants, Belgium, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

It was overcast when we arrived in Bruges…..and the place was crawling with tourists. I was scouring my photos to find one, but as is the norm we try to take photos without too many folks in them.

We arrived by train and walked up to the B&B we were staying at. Located on a quite side street whose name reminded me of a certain item I used to partake of during my (much) younger days. The B&B, named B Guest had but 2 rooms and was located so close, but not in the middle of everything. Upon arriving Caroline explained a lot to us, especially the part about needing reservations for dinner. On this evening it was a bit too late, but she was nice enough to get us reservations at a very popular, up and coming spot the next night.

We then headed out to find some lunch…..

A few blocks away from the Markt Square, things seemed a bit quieter and I saw a place that was on my list. We'd been having some hearty, but also quite hefty meals in Belgium; so this little Belgian/Spanish Tapas restaurant named Quatre Mains seemed just the thing for us. I wasn't sure we'd be able to get a table, but we arrived early and was given one of the two tables that weren't reserved next to the bar.

This was actually the perfect place for lunch on this day. The menu had a nice variety of classic and not so classic tapas. The Missus enjoyed a glass of wine.

And our cozy little corner was perfect. We had a nice view of the dining area which started to fill up a few minutes after we arrived.

We could also watch folks outside on the street. People watching is one of our favorite pastimes on trips. Soon enough it started drizzling…..

We ordered a small variety of items.

We started with the Smoked Eel and Red Onion.

The nicely smoked Eel with pungent red onions, crisp toast, slightly bitter cress, and crème fraiche was quite nice.

The beef tatare was excellent.

Tender, refreshing, very "clean" tasting.

The only item we didn't care for were the Shrimp Croquettes.

The filling was basically a curry béchamel which was a bit too gluey and much too salty for us. It just wasn't our thing.

The foie gras on the other hand was definitely "our thing". Mild in flavor, but very light.

We finished off with the Beef Cheeks; which was more like a stew, as the beef had broken down.

Regardless, the flavor was intensely beefy with a touch of sweetness…almost like a cross of carrillada (Spanish style braised beef/pork cheeks) and carbonnade flamande.

The service, like most places in Belgium was quite laid back and gracious. It was just the perfect meal on this day.

Quatre Mains
Philipstockstraat 8
Bruges, Belgium

After lunch, it was time for a walk……and some chocolate shopping……

There is literally a chocolate shop on every block……and we bought from quite a few of them…for gifts of course.

Knowing the Missus…there was much more walking to do.

Thanks for reading!

Bilbao: Dinner at Azurmendi Part 2

July 22, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

I had just finished what could perhaps be the best single bite I'd ever had. So how would the rest of our dinner at Azurmendi line up?

We were given several different bread courses during our meal. Our favorite was by far were the "steamed rolls"; yeasty, puffy, light as air. The olive oil was delicious, very grassy-peppery. Though the thing that the Missus loved the most was the stylish cruet. She would hunt for these in various shops, finally finding them in San Sebastian, only to shy away at the 60 Euro price tag. I think she'll be getting it next time.

The dish we unanimously enjoyed the least was the Oyster, Tartar, and Gelee. The seaweed tempura was very nice, but for some reason the raw oyster tasted a bit off and it was a bunch of mushy-gummy textures, with too much brine flavors going on.

The Spider Crab and Sea Urchin was a beautifully composed dish.

I'd been wanting a taste of Txangurro, the region's Spider Crab. Here it was sweet, with nice texture, but the Missus wasn't impressed as She declared the crab She grew up eating in Qingdao was much sweeter. The sea urchin is actually infused in a tomato "jus" and it works rather well, adding a nice briney flavor (think of it as the celery in a Bloody Mary). The two items did not go well combined as the crab flavor was totally cancelled out.

So this next item was simply called "Tomato and Eel"….three words….

Take a look at this dish! The pieces of smoked eel were just fantastic; they melted in your mouth with a very clean smoke flavor coming through. The "tomato" was quite a bite! I'm glad I ate it after the eel as it basically exploded, a huge burst of sour and tart flavor.

This one is called "Roasted Lobster Out of the Shell on Oil Herbs and Sweet Chives".

Let me just say; every single piece of seafood here was cooked to perfection. The lobster was just perfect….perfect. It was so perfect that it really didn't need all the pureed herb spheres…or anything else for that matter.

"Stewed Wheat with Farmhouse Milk Emulsion and Oxtail"…….figure out what this would look like?

Basically wheat berries in a beef reduction, the milk emulsion tasted like a farmer's cheese, not sold on how it went with the dish. The most interesting thing was the little "bites" of oxtail wrapped in a layer of crisp bread…..sort of Azurmendi's Beef Wellington. The wheat berries seemed to play havoc with the Missus's stomach a bit. A bit too salty overall.

"Pigeon, artichokes, and fried egg".

Really nice, great textures, the flavors went really well together. Now think about this……this was basically the second egg we'd had during this meal so far……along with all the other dishes.

"Hake, Red Pepper Infusion, Idiazabal Bon Bons".

Oh my; that fish, the red pepper sauce, the sauce….even the milky Idiazabal cheese……all working together.

We were given a nice intermezzo to help us recover……

Along with some almond scented "fragrance"…….which sounds cheesy, but aromatherapy, what fun!

Such drama on the table!

It was all to refresh and set-up the Foie Gras dish……

This was such a beautiful piece of seared foie gras….not a mousse, but actual foie. It was also quite large considering what we had already put away……..this would have been enough for the both of us as part of a 3-4 course meal! I could tell that fatigue was setting in for the Missus.

I hoped that She would recover for the (4) dessert courses. The first being the Apple, Caramel, and Yogurt.

At this point, I knew the Missus wouldn't make it, so I called it. After two bottles of wine and all those courses….we'd had a fantastic experience and it was time.

This was also when Chef Eneko Atxa started coming around to each table.

He seemed such a rather soft spoken, humble, and amazingly youthful looking guy. When the Missus thanked him for all the hard work that went into our meal, he replied; "oh no……it is not work….it is a passion…from here" while touching his heart. I mentioned how much I enjoyed this:

And he went into detail, with times and temps of how it is made……….

Waiting for our cab back to Bilbao, I had a few moments to contemplate our meal at Azurmendi. Disfrutar gave me insight into molecular gastronomy with soul and how fantastically well service can be, skillfully paced, without being stuffy. Etxanobe displayed how a chef driven restaurant can use various traditional flavors and modern techniques together. It also displayed how a Chef's personality and presence can drive an experience. At Azurmendi, I got to understand, how a mission, combined with technique that does not disregard the heart and soul of the product would mean the "sky's the limit". While our meal here was by no means totally suited to our tastes, there were some items that we didn't enjoy, the "highs" were much higher than everywhere else. I believe that Azurmendi takes risks……not everything works for us….but those items that do…oh my, the reward.

I would easily say; this has been the best eating experience I've ever had. And that's what came into play when deciding between the 1-2 Michelin star places and a 3 star place….the experience. Azurmendi will give you that…..

Azurmendi Gastronomico
Corredor del Txorierri Salida 25
Larrabetzu, Spain

Our cab driver was a rather serious looking chap. But as we entered the city he asked me, "how do you like?" I told him; "Euskadi is great and Bilbao is wonderful……" Which brought a big smile to his face. And I wasn't lying……

As we left Azurmendi, I was handed something……..

It's the tasting menu for our meal. I took this photo right before starting this post. I still haven't opened it yet. Maybe someday I will……..

Thanks for reading!

Bilbao: Dinner at Azurmendi Part 1

July 21, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

For the crown jewel of our "trifecta" of planned dinners in Spain, I chose Azurmendi. Not because of the three Michelin Stars, but because of the set-up of the restaurant. The location is actually in Larrabetzu, about a 20 minute cab ride from Bilbao. The all glass building, designed by architect Naia Eguino sits on top of a hill via a single lane winding road, with wonderful views.

On the grounds sits a winery, greenhouse (more on that in a few), and the pret-a-porter, which is more of a bistro.

And it's not just the looks. The restaurant itself is totally sustainable; waste is recycled, rainfall is collected; I think the term is "harvested" and recycled, heating, cooling, and other energy needs is done using geo-thermal energy. It's own little eco-system.

For our blow-out meal; I wanted something special….heck, the Missus bought Valentino Flats and backpacked them for the whole trip just for this dinner! The Missus birthday had just passed a few days previous and I'd promised the Missus years ago that She'd never spend it sitting at home and it's a promise I aim to keep for as long as I am able…….we didn't want to be just sitting in a stuffy restaurant behind a white tablecloth; we wanted an experience. And that's just what we got at Azurmendi.

Arriving at the reception area, we were greeted and asked to wait for just a moment. A few minutes later, a young lady in Chef's whites greeted us with a smile. She explained that before dinner she would like to take us on a tour of the greenhouse area and also "forage" for some snacks….forage is used in the loosest of all terms.

The garden is so orderly that it puts our scraggly back yard pot and dirt collection to shame.

We entered the greenhouse and were given the first aperitif.

This is where the fun starts as not everything is as it seems. Beyond that, it is an impressive set-up. Like the rest of the place; very sleek, very clean, looking deceptively simple.

It is obviously not…..

The very nice young lady, a pastry chef, is from Italy. I asked her why she was here. Her answer, "I want to be and work with the best!" She had a great sense of humor as well. When I mentioned how good her English was, she was quick to tell me, "oh, but my Spanish is sooooo bad!"

She guided us around the greenhouse pointing out the various plants…often pointing out the little basket hanging; say, on a branch, loaded with what looked like tree bark. It would turn out to Jerusalem Artichoke made to look like tree bark with a citrus gel……..a bit too strong and somewhat bitter for us.

So was the "peanut" made from peanut butter and cocoa with a pulverized dried mushroom coating. It struck me as somewhat odd in flavor and was quite salty.

And so we explored………with stops for cotton candy and such…..

The best of the lot was the Pumpkin and Sheep Cheese biscuit, which was also kind of salty, but had a really nice flavor.

And this….the avocado pit, which was a delicious chocolate and liquid avocado (think guacamole) bonbon.

It can be quite overwhelming. Like when we returned to the reception area and were asked for a moments pause while our table was readied for us. And out came a picnic basket….it was time for a picnic!

It was Anchovy Mille-feuille….think of it as a anchovy flavored 'nilla wafer. Too much for the Missus, good for me! The roe and dill positioned on a cracker was again a bit high on the sodium scale for me. The most amazing thing was the "CalpiriTxa". We'd heard about Txacoli, the acidic sparkling wine of the region (we'd have our share in San Sebastian) and this was our first encounter. Azurmendi produces its own Txacoli and that is encased in cordial. It had that wonderful sweet citrus punch of a caparinha and was an amazing bite! Simply fantastic, perking up your tastebuds, leaving you wanting more……

Soon a small glass of an hibiscus infusion, tart and palate cleansing arrived.

Followed by a box of leaves? Leaves?

That's right, this is Azurmendi…..

The two "leaves" on the edges were made from walnut and mushroom, two disparate "earthy" flavors that worked really well in crisp form.

After finishing up, we were taken to the kitchen en route to our table.

The Chefs were hard at work….and they scared the crap out of me when they all suddenly turned and greeted us!

The décor of the room is simple, pleasant, and unpretentious, perfect for our needs. The service was excellent, timing perhaps not quite as good as, though more formal than Disfrutar…but all the basics were well taken care of. The Maitre'd; I believe his name is Jon was a joy. As was the view from our table.

Would you believe our table service hadn't even started yet? We chose a bottle of wine from Azurmendi's winery and things got off to a nice start with the Frozen Olive and Vermouth.

Spherification. We'd had the Disfruta de la Aceituna at Disfrutar, but this was even a larger explosion of flavor. The grassy, peppery olive flavors offset by the sweet vermouth….I'm thinking it would have even more intense if this wasn't still partially frozen.

That was followed by possibly the best bite I've ever had in my life….truly. They call this Egg from our Hens, Cooked Inside Out and Truffled.

I love the flavor of eggs, I love onsen tamago, truffle? C'mon, the earthy and savory flavors are among my favorites. Basically an egg yolk that has been infused with warm truffle broth, causing it to cook from the inside out. Oh my………such wonderful flavors and textures, richness, savory-earthiness, all the best of both eggs and truffles. At the end of our meal, the Chef came around and visited each table. When I mentioned how amazing this one bite was, he told me how it was made in detail…..I don't remember it all, but I will never forget this. Never.

I'm thinking this is getting mighty long. I'll stop here and pick it up in another post.

So stay tuned. Thanks for reading!

Bilbao: Breakfast, a Trip to Guernica, and Revisiting La Vina del Ensanche

July 18, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Breakfast/Brunch, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

While most of our stays on longer trips are in apartments. I try to squeeze in a couple of hotels along the way. The Missus really enjoys doing Her own thing, so I tread carefully.

Of course staying in hotels has it's perks; the amenities; the concierge, front desk, house-keeping, business center….even a "rock tower"…..

The Silken Gran Hotel in Bilbao had that rock tower. It also served breakfast on the rooftop terrace.

Being the anti-social folks we are, we got to breakfast early and while there was a very mild chill in the air and a slight breeze, we sat outside.

It was more than enough for breakfast.

Heading out for the day, we of course passed "Fred"…….who was starting to bloom!

And headed off, walking through Parque de Doña Casilda de Iturrizar to the Bus Station.

I believe this is a memorial to Doña Casilda de Iturrizar.

We'd missed enough day-trip possibilities during our time in Madrid and Barcelona. To be fair, we'd been having too much fun. I thought it would be great to visit the town of Guernica. There were many possibilities, so why Guernica? During this trip, I'd been developing an appreciation for the works of Picasso. I had a chance to read about what is probably his most powerful work; Guernica. By turn, I had a chance to read George Steer's account of the bombing of Guernica.

The bus ride to Guernica from Bilbao takes about 40 minutes. We got off at the end of town and followed the "TI" signs…..which strangely led to the other side of town. It then took a turn and went back in almost the same direction we had arrived from….I'm thinking we missed a turn somewhere. Anyway, we arrived at the Tourist Information Office and the really nice woman provided a map and all the main destinations.

There was really just one thing I wanted to see and it was located behind the Gernika Assembly House.

The "Tree of Guernica", the symbol of freedom for Basque people resides on the ground behind the Assembly House. It is also depicted in the beautiful stained glass ceiling of the Stained Glass Chamber.

From times going back to the 14th Century, the Basque and other leaders would swear to respect the Fueros of Navarre, the charters that ensured the rights of the Basque people as an independent kingdom in union with the Spanish Crown. And though the Fueros was superseded by the Spanish Constitution, the President of the Basque Region – the Lehendakari are still sworn in under the tree.

The current tree is the fifth; each is a descendant of the original tree, planted in the 14th century. This little one replaced the previous tree in March of 2015 and is 14 years old.

The most famous; the "Old Tree" is located in the Templet a few yards away. It is quite popular with folks……

We also visited the Basque Country Museum.

The museum is worth visiting. There's also a section on the Chefs who have lead the moderm Basque food revolution.

Of course we stopped at the copy of Picasso's Guernica down the street.

It wasn't market day (which is Monday) so the area was fairly empty……

Except for the "old-timers" hanging out an socializing outside.

We walked back to the bus stop and caught the next bus back to Bilbao. Instead of going all the way to Termibus Station we got off…well somewhere in downtown. Somehow, we found ourselves back at La Vina del Ensanche. Now this was a Saturday and the place was packed….well the bar area was packed. There was possibly room for you….if you were a jamon hanging from the ceiling.

The tables though, were empty. Most had reserved signs on them…except for two. We asked and got one of the tables.

The Missus buoyed by the festive atmosphere ordered a "cava", sparkling wine….but not a glass….a whole bottle!

I ordered the Josellini – basically Joselito Jamon (here's the website in English, scroll down to the part about "Happy Pigs" – you'll love it), Foie Gras, with a sweet glaze on toast. Man this was good!

Rich, porky, sweet, salty, yeasty, crusty, creamy, and all of that mixed into one. I could eat this all day…..

We also got the regular order of the Carrillera de Iberico (braised pork cheeks) . The sauce was great mopped up with bread.

All while watching the ebb and flow of the crowds. The packed bar would start to thin out…..

Then wham! The next group of 40 people would walk in. This place has been around since 1927, so I guess this has been going on for 88 years.

Meanwhile, a family of a mom and three daughters sat at the table next to us. The youngest looked to be about 5-6, the oldest perhaps 10. When the foie gras mousse arrived, the three young girls nonchalantly dug into it and spread it on bread….like they eat this stuff every day! I turned to the Missus and said, "my god……they treat that like butter!" Her response? She turned to our server, pointed to the foie and said, "I'll take one of those." Which is how we had our second serving of foie gras during this "light" lunch.

It was quite good….nice and mildly liver-y and oh so rich……and I've been calling this "Basque Butter" ever since.

The Missus was having such a great time; She even ordered dessert…..

Man…..Basque Butter……

La Vina Del Ensanche
Diputacion 10
Bilbao, Spain

Just like before, we had a rather hard time finding our way back to the hotel….not sure why. But, when we did get back, it was time for a much needed nap!