MADRID. Five nights in March 2024

[erica1]

I want to finish up comments on the trip I took to Spain in March, beginning in Cordoba and moving on to the area near Vejer, Costa de la Luz, and finishing up with five glorious nights in what may be the best eating city in Europe: Madrid.

We leave next week for another visit to Spain, and I’m busy getting ready for that (Galicia and Lanzarote–interesting combination). So for the section on Madrid, I will be brief and rely mostly on the photos I took at meals.

I arrived in Madrid on a Friday night and stayed in the Almagro neighborhood, a great location close to Mercado de La Paz and also to El Corte Ingles’ outpost one Calle Serrano. One place I regret missing is a shop specializing in anchovies; Maribel will know the name. I discovered it on a walk to ECI but it was shut whenever I passed by. Next time!!

Second night’s dinner (I’m out of order but no problem…) LA CATAPA, booked in advance for an 8pm table. Greeted very warmly by Owner Miguel Angel, a close friend of our Maribel, who placed me at a tiny table at the window and next to the bar. Perfect. (I later learned that Maribel sits here on her frequent visits).

As at just about anyplace I visited on this, and previous trips to the Spanish capital, service was warm and helpful. This strikes me every time I visit the city. Show a modicum of interest in a dish, or the ingredients of a dish, and the conversation flows. The very best way to learn about food in Spain!

The complimentary “amuse,” (Maribel I forgot the correct term for the complimentary starters offered at most restaurants) proved to be among the best sausages I’ve ever eaten. Just over the top fabulous; Txistorra, from Navarra and the Basque region, spiced with pimenton, smoked paprika. Give me a dish of these little morsels any night! Served with house-made (I think) potato chips. (Question: I imagine I can buy these at Mercado de la Paz. Are they already cooked and you need only to grill for char, or are they sold raw??). I need to bring home MANY next time!!

La Carta, LA CATAPA:

[erica1]

My next dish at LA CATAPA is a specialty of the house, Jamon Del Mar, a salazon of tuna dried and cured in a process somewhat approximating the curing process off jamon Iberico. A hefty portion of thin slices arrayed on the plate but, for me, the serving temperature was too cold. I would call this an “interesting” dish but I was not enthused. (One of the only two dishes I’ve sampled and did not care for at EL CAMPERO in Barbate was a salazon of ijar (part of the bluefin’s belly ) which my waiter had cautioned me against, allowing that he thought it would be too strong for me. He was correct. I would have liked to try a single slice of the LA CATAPA Jamon Del Mar, for curiosity, but would not order it again. I did see a similar product for sale at the Club de Gourmets at El Corte Ingles; this is luxury product but was not to my taste. I think my reaction has much to do with the curing process; it was very salty, as was the Ijar at El Campero.

My next course was a half-order of navajas, , and these made up for, and much more, for the tuna. Exquisite is the only word needed for these razor clams at LA CATAPA! I think the photos shows only the empty shells, as I downed them so fast, before I made time to snap a photo:

Last, an off-menu guiso of artichoke, cardoon and jamon Iberico that reminded me somewhat of a vignarola, the Roman springtime staple. A lovely dish that showed off the skill in the kitchen.

)

I declined dessert but was offered SUBLIME chocolate truffles, and a chupito (shot) of a lovely pacharan from Navarra; the brand is Baynes.

Bar area, near my table:

My tab, including a glass of German white wine, was about 46 euro. Money very well spent. This is a restaurant to return to, to explore much more of the menu, and the daily changing special dishes.

Booking in advance is essential.

[erica1]

TASQUITA DE ENFRENTE

This is an odd way to begin a restaurant commentary, but before I begin, I want to say that although this place is a personal favorite, I would not recommend it to most foreign visitors to Madrid. This is a small restaurant closely overseen by by Owner Chef Juan Lopez Bedmar who, after 25 years alone at the stove, now shares kitchen duties with another top chef, Nacho Trujillo.
Nothing escapes his eye, but that does not mean that he takes a lot of time explaining various menu options with all diners. There is an English-seaking staff who will do their best to explain, but this is more of restaurant to visit for diners who are pretty well versed in the seasonal foods of Spain.

I just read one review on TA that made me laugh:

<<<My wife and I were looking forward to an exciting 10-course tasting menu at the Guide Michelin restaurant La Tasquita de Enfrente, conveniently located near Gran Via in Madrid. The following dishes were served; 1 Tomatoes. 2 Potatoes. 3 Prawns. 4 prawns in soup. 5 Mushrooms. 6 Octopus. 7 Fried eggs. 8 Tuna. 9 Meatballs. 10 Panna cotta. This was the worst menu we have ever experienced. Not recommended!>>>

This guy was probably not wrong; many plates DO consist of, as an example from my last dinner, 2 red prawns. Nothing else, except flake salt. Now, if you are dining there and know nothing about prawns, you might feel just as this poor fellow did: “Two prawns at 17euro APIECE??? I can get two dozen prawns for that price at home!!!”

But if you know that these are very special prawns, from Garrucha, near Almeria, considered some of the finest in Europe, you might have a better appreciation for those two prawns on your plate. (by the way, one online vendor I just looked at charges 72 euro a kilo, plus shipping)

Here’s some opinionated commentary on those prawns:

https://euroweeklynews.com/2017/10/2…from-garrucha/

The same sentiment goes, for example, for the peas. If you do not know anything about the peas from Catalunya’s Maresme coast, north of Barcelona, whose season lasts but a couple of weeks beginning in late March, you might exclaim: “44 euro for a plate of peas!!!” And I could certainly understand this. But taste just one of those tear-shaped beauties, known as “green caviar,” or “the green pearl” and you might close your eyes and wonder if you’ve ever tasted such a wondrous vegetable. The Maresme coast even has a pea festival, in early April!

So you get the idea: TASQUITA DE ENFRENTE focuses on fine product that you will not see in many restaurants more than a few miles from their local orchards or seas. Not all of their dishes have so singular a focus; the menu changes daily and the night I was there, you could have chosen meatballs, or a terrine of pig ear, or hake cheeks (like the ones I photographed, raw, in the market earlier that day). Where the product is the star, the kitchen does very little manipulation is the way of sauces or anything else that would interfere with the purity of flavor. (The peas are cooked with a bit of jamon Iberico, but not much)

The dining room is small; there might be 12 tables and I was seated in a very nice one, in the rear corner of the space. The dining room is windowless, with almost every inch of the white walls being covered with art: Interesting art!! Art that you might want to hang on your own walls, with the majority being drawings. I’d liked to have had the room to myself just to look at them all!!

The proprietor, Sr. Bedmar was much warmer on this, my second visit, and he did explain the origin of the prawns and the peas, and helped me create dinner from the a la carte menu (they also offer a fairly reasonably priced tasting menu; when I say “reasonable,” I mean that it costs 100 euro, rather than the almost 200e charged for tasting menus by most of the top restaurants in the city. And he suggested that I order only a half portion for most of my dishes, so that I could sample more tastes.

Happily, Maribel has altered me that Sr. Bedmar has a hand now in a restaurant on Lanzarote that we hope to visit this month.

Although some of my comments may sound off-putting, I like this restaurant very much and hope to dine there again on my next Madrid visit. (I first read about this restaurant in the NYTimes article written by Mark Bittman probably twenty years ago. I always kept it in mind but many reviews were so off-putting (most of these written by foreigners perhaps unfamiliar with Spanish delicacies)…I took the plunge last year (2023) and it was the first place I booked on this more recent, 2024 visit. And it will probably be the first place I book if I am fortunate enough to return to Madrid within the next year.

[erica1]

Now that I’ve described the restaurant and the style of putting product over all else, I’ll get to my dinner that evening. Before I do, know that is located on a small nondescript street north of the Gran Via. If you walk past when the place is closed, you will see a dark wooden front slathered with ugly graffiti. Even when open for business, potential diners will find little to entice, except perhaps the array of Michelin and Repsol stickers on the glass panel of the door.

My dinner on that night; by the way, advance booking is essential:

1.Half order of canyuts, very similar to navajas (razor clams), canyuts come from the Ebro Delta in Catalunya, where salt and fresh waters “embrace.” Canyuts are slightly smaller, more yellow, and with more intense flavor than the more common razor clams featured on many Spanish menus. 18 euro for media racion of some of the most delectable clams I’ve ever eaten…was money well spent…they had a pleasing, springy texture and a pure flavor of the sea. Absolutely marvelous; I was sorry I did not oder a full portion.

TASQUITA DE ENFRENTE…photos:

La Carta:

Dining room, with owner, Sr. Bedmar, standing in rear:

Canyuts, relative of razor clams, from Catalunya: Irresistible. Do not miss if they appear on the every-changing menu:

Second course:

.A pair of Gambas Rojas de Garrucha (Almeria). Dusted with large flakes of sea salt and nothing else, these were also sublime. They are priced by the piece, which is usual in many Spanish restaurants (you can often order croquettes by the piece, oysters, of course, by the piece, etc). The prawns cost 17 euro each and they were quite large.

My third course=a half racion of segments of cardoon, lightly cooked in almond milk and showered with bits of of black truffle. I had the same dish here last year and loved it; this time was no different and, as I mentioned before, the price was the same as it had been a year ago.

We rarely see cardoons in US restaurants and they require a lot of work to prepare at home, so I like to sample them whenever I see them on menus.(I had them the previous night at LA CATAPA, with artichokes and ham). This is a signature dish of LA TASQUITA DE ENFRENTE. 34 euro for a racion; I had a media racion, priced at 17euro.

Guisantes del Maresme (half order). These are the absolutely out of this world peas, the “green pearls” which I discussed, above. Half order: 22 euro. To take the first bite of one of these tear-shaped nuggets is to understand why they are so coveted. Note the gossamer sheet of jamon Iberico draped over the peas to add even more flavor. Unforgettable.

Chipiron de Potera, a variety of small squid that are taken from the sea in a manner that does not damage the animal. (Potera refers to this manner of fishing). A media racion consisted of two chipirones, priced at 18 euro.

I passed, sadly, on the honeyed panna cotta; the total for one person of 118 euro with one glass of wine was one of my most expensive meals of the month (less than NOOR and on par with one lunch at ANTONIO)…excellent price/value ratio.
Interesting that prices had not risen from those of one year ago.

Earned a place on my permanent list for dining in Madrid.

[THECHARLES (Charles Yu)]

I too love pairing most Spanish food with a nice German White!

[erica1]

Charles, I am no wine expert but I adore Riesling, especially the ones from the Mosel…

Waiting for more from you!!!

[THECHARLES (Charles Yu)]

Exactly what I would have ordered! Cannot have enough of those Razor Clams and Red Prawns!
BTW, the giant Red Gambas I had in San Sebastian was even more costly…28 Euro each!! albeit quite huge! But, considering its a once in a blue moon thing! What the hack?! And sucking on that HEAD

made it all worthwhile!!

[erica1]

Agree 100%!! The head!!

In USA we don’t even see prawns with heads in most fish markets or even in good restaurants in New York City…what?? People are too squeamish to enjoy the best part!??

LAKASA…a restaurant to put on almost anyone’s list for Madrid; Chamberi neighborhood:

Although it’s located on the ground floor of a modern residential complex, a cozy and welcoming feeling embraces you once you enter the fairly large, modern restaurant. Lighting is beautiful and seating is plush and comfortable. I liked this place as soon as I entered. I was seated at the end of a row of banquettes facing the vast wall of windows that overlooked a courtyard outside.

The amuse that night at LAKASA, THE best celery dish I’d ever eaten touched with confuted spring garlic.
Who knew that ordinary celery could be transformed into such a marvelous confit???

This was a good harbinger of things to come!

My first course were the little “bunuelitos,” little purses, stuffed with warm, melting Idiazabal Basque cheese.

Those little “purses” were just what you’d expect from warm melty cheese, lightly fried…just smashing! A quarter of an order: 9 euro

Perfect, rustic, coarse pate of guinea hen, served with toast; essential dish here:

I ordered the Maresme peas, again (can never get enough…such a fleeting season that you want to try whenever you have access to the wondrous vegetable)

At LAKASA the peas were topped with flies of mackerel crudo. I loved the peas but I’m shy about some of the raw “dark fishes.” I would have liked the peas without the fish and, indeed, I passed over much of the fish. This is a result of my own tastes, not any comment on the quality of the mackerel:

Close up of those peas (without the fish) I’d heard of them for so many years but this trip was the first time I was presented with an opportunity to eat them. Unforgettable in the world of vegetables.

Final course; Artichokes!!! Again, draped with supply carved slices of the thinnest jamon Iberico and, yet again, fantastic.

This is a restaurant to keep on the Madrid list for a sure-to-please meal. They offer a special of beef Wellington, with advance order, on Fridays and Saturdays at lunch, popular with local diners, according to my trusted source!!

Advance booking essential.
Another addition to my compilation of sure-bets for the Spanish capital.

Bill, with pan/cubierto and a glass of Manzanilla: 60 euro for single diner.

[erica1]

A reason that I skipped dessert at LAKASA was that I thought I could make a small detour back to my hotel and pop into ALEX CORDOBES, whose name has become synonymous with cheesecake in Madrid for a few years now. This would be my second attempt but, like the first, it came to naught as the bakery was closed by the time I reached it. (The first time I went, the line was too long for an this impatient traveler New Yorker to even contemplate…customers were exiting with the giant, trademarked black bags that looked as if they contained 5 or 6 full cheesecakes…I had never thought of Madrid and cheesecake in the same sentence before being alerted to Alex Cordobes

The following day, Sunday, I set my alarm and walked through the hotel lobby with a mission to buy an individual slice of cheesecake that I could enjoy for a finale in my hotel room, after my main course of RIO FRIO caviar (in my mini bar, with ice packs, all delivered Saturday afternoon, packed on ice, by the fine MANTEQUERIA BRAVO emporium. I wonder how many know that Spain is a top caviar producer and although my knowledge is pretty much nil, I felt quite decadent when I did, in fact score the cheesecake and with it, closed my lunch of caviar with cava, and Alex’ lemon cheesecake. But that was on Monday.

For anyone with an interest in local food, like myself, I would advise looking into tours of the RioFrio estates, in Granada province…that’s one food tour I would like to take!

Meanwhile, Sunday night proved to be a problematic choice. Both the day, Sunday, and the time of meal, dinner, combine to limit the selection of restaurants that open their doors during this date and hours. It is probably the worst time to plan dinner out in Madrid (as it is in many Spanish cities and in many Italian ones as well). Monday is not too far behind.

One well-reviewed restaurant, in Salamanca, on Calle Jorge Juan (an elite street; on the order of the far west Upper East Side in Manhattan…but with much more interesting architecture, is LA BIEN APARECIDA, which Maribel so kindly alerted me to after my Sunday dinner favorite, RAFA, was no longer open so late on Sundays. Entering this neighborhood is leaving your canned impressions off Madrid behind…here you might be on the Via Borgognona, or the Via Montenapolene, or other of that ilk.

This is an address to keep on your list, should you find yourself hungry and despairing on a Sunday night. Of course, there are probably hundreds of Madrid restaurants open on Sunday night but I am very focused on finding the “best,” for food but not luxury, and willing to try almost anyplace if the recommendation comes from a trusted source. I am not going to drop into a tapas bar that gets raves on TripAdvisor.
Bash me or ridicule me, that’s the way I work with restaurants whether they be in New York, in Medan, or in Madrid. I am certain that I miss spontaneous discoveries…I will take that chance…

LA BIEN APARECIDA

Sleek contemporary restaurant with obvious money spent not the decor. You will not receive the welcome that I enjoyed and LA CATAPA OR LAKASA, but once the back and forth with the waiter, begins, it’s kind of up to you. Ask some questions, espztblish some kind of rapper, and you feel right at home, At least that was my experience. It does seem a bit like a corporate entity but that comes with swift and attentive service and, as I said, if you can forge an interchange with the wait person, all the better.

Street sign:

La Carta, #1 page:

La Carta, #2 page:
![IMG_1405|525x700](upload://5LbaTTenEJrfFwkoWDL7BiJkQap.jpeg

Easier to read:

https://restaurantelabienaparecida.com/carta/

[Maribel]

In the trés chic Jorge Juan street restaurants (the restaurante street of “la gente guapa”–the very monied “seen and be seen” crowd), one doesn’t receive the warm welcome that one does at the neo-tascas of the Retiro district, as it’s a very different environment, dealing with a very different clientele, again ¨la gente guapa del barrio".
We do go there often on the weekend for our aperitif (wine and complimenary aperitivos) at La Máquina or at Dani García’s Lobito de Mar. But we’re not recognized as “regulars”, as we aren’t denizens of this very well-heeled neighborhood, as we are at our favorites in the Retiro district. Just a very different vibe, a very different clientele, of which we aren´t a part.

La Bien Aparecida is a “sort of” corporate entity, in that it belongs to the excellent Paco Quirós of Santander’s group that has several established restaurants in Madrid.

In addition to the La Bien Aparecida on Jorge Juan, there´s his mothership Cañadío (as in Santander), which we like a lot, his 3 now La Marucas (one on Velázquez that we frequent often at the bar or with reservations in the dining room), his Gran Café Santander at Alonso Martínez (not a fav due to the indifferent service) and his La Primera on the Gran Vía.

The more informal ones (for everyone) , like the La Maruca ones, are famous for their “comfort food” like calamares (“rabas” in Santander), their famous tortilla, wonderful cheese cakes and their flan for dessert. It´s comfort food at its finest in these, his more informal places.
The Cañadío group of Santander is not as corporate as say the DANI GARCÍA group, but it´s now well established in Madrid and in general a very safe bet for good dining. it’s hard not to like the Cantabrian comfort food served at his informal restaurants. La Bien Aparecida is a step above.

This is the menu from our favorite, Cañadío in the upper northeast corner of the Salamanca district.
https://www.restaurantecanadio.com/carta-madrid/

[PedroPero (PETER)]

I spend 2 days in Madrid(Sat,Sun) before my flight back on the, Monday so this is excellent information. Thanks!

[erica1]

My first impression of walking to the sleek second floor dining room was that it was VERY HOT. But just a quick exchange with my waiter resulted in the a/c turned up, since the windows next to my window table could not open.

My entrance encompassed that looked like an egg the but once It burst open at the tourchof my fork , I understood that there was treasure hiding behind the shiny white oval…Lovely dish, an approbation of a cooked egg while spilling the goodness of bonito del Norte mixed with tiny cubes of tomato…ingenious and delicious, it was accompanied by wonderful olives and black bread.

I’d not seen this anywhere else and, apart from the visuals, it was a delicious cold starter.

I followed by an excellent rendition of the alcachofas splayed out over a painstakingly pureed mash of potatoes; this was half an order and it was a dish I’ve committed to memory!
Look at the textural contrast between the creaminess and the char.

[erica1]

My final dish was arroz meloso, with clams, a half order, which was not at all skimpy.

This, however, is where I probably went wrong. I expected a rice dish with soccarat and did not realize beforehand that I would not find this with arroz meloso, which proved to be a fairly loose mound of clam-flavored soft rice dotted with medium sized clams. The texture was closer to a risotto than a paella, yet different from both of these.

The interesting thing was that the rice sat on a thin disc of vivid green that puzzled me as soon as the plate was set down. It turned out to be a concoction made from green pepper that acted like vessel for the rice. It did not have much flavor but it looked very pretty.

The rice was good but again, I should have done more research on what to order, because the dish did not stand out for me in any way and since I have no almost no experience with rice dishes in Spain, I can’t even tell if this was a good rendition or not. I expect it was, given the rest of what I sampled, together with the reputation of the restaurant.
The fact that LA BIEN APARECIDA is open for dinner on Sunday night is definitely a fact to keep in mind if your visit spans that evening.

My bill, with a glass of wine, was 41.60euro.

I had one dinner left, at SACHA, the following night, and will write about that meal as soon as I carve out some time.

[Maribel]

Arroz meloso will never have soccarat; it will be very similar to risotto. Meloso=creamy, so without the soccarat.

Your bill was very reasonable for the caliber of La Bien Aparecida.

[erica1]

Yes, Maribel…very reasonable and a lovely spot, especially to keep in mind for a Sunday but any other day if in the area.
I need to educate myself on the rices before heading to Lanzarote!

[erica1]

SACHA, Madrid

SACHA has reigned as favorite of locals and tourists-in-the know since its founding in 1972. Young Sacha Hormaechea paid his dues at his family’s “bolletin y fogon,” working under his parents, who had brought their concept of a Parisian bistro from their Parisian residence to the then out-of-the-way wilds of Chamartin, far to the north of the Madrid restaurant scene of the era.

Fast forward about sixty years and Sacha now presides over some of capital’s most coveted tables, bookable only online and apt to sell out minutes after they become available. I had missed my chance last year so was determined to be ready to pounce as soon as my date opened up, about two weeks in advance.

The entrance is hidden at the end of a pedestrian lane; get directions before you alight from your taxi or you might find yourself having to make one or two calls to the restaurant, as I did, for guidance as to how to find the entry door.

Cosseted is the feeling I would describe upon entering. Lighting is golden and flattering, talk is somewhat hushed but the place feels relaxed rather than the slightest bit stiff. I spied one table of non-Spanish speakers but upon eavesdropping, I determined these to be residents of the city.

Sr. Sacha is still much in attendance in this small and cozy space which did remind me of an old-line Parisian bistro, albeit one that had been updated in both menu and decor. (The patron, however, does nothing to encourage chatting but, rather, bustles around supervising staff and presentation of dishes; my feeble “Hola!” went ignored!).

If Sacha did not emit welcoming vibes, my server very much did so and I felt taken under the wing of a knowledgeable and competent woman who, I imagine, had worked there for years. A mistake on my part, however, was yet again not to acquaint myself with the dishes on offer; although the bulk of the menu changes daily, there are a few long standing dishes on a separate brown paper carta.

I knew I was in trouble when the basket of bread arrived. Next to excellent focaccia, loomed a stack of carta di musica, which I knew to be Sardinian but on further thought, realized the connection between parts of Spain and Sardinia. History aside, these crispy delights were impossible to stop eating. The most addictive bread of the trip so far. These were fresh, a very different quality than the ones you may have seen, packaged in an Italian market in a large North American city.

I always try to sample seasonal dishes that are new to me.
That night I was fortunate because a salad of corujas was on the daily menu; I ordered a half portion of this very delicate and slightly bitter green whose fleeting season allows it to draw very high prices at markets. The server described it as similar too watercress but these tendrils were more delicate, spiky and only slightly spicy; the lemon dressing proved an ideal foil but for me there was too much salt in the form of large flakes (and I am a salt lover). Despite the saltiness, I was very happy to sample corujas, of which I had never heard. I later read that regulars at restaurants known to serve this raw spring green will often place their order days ahead of their reservation so as not to be disappointed. (1/2 order 7.80 euro)

A few photos before I call it a night, with more to come soon:

Entrance, at the end of a narrow walkway, hidden from the street:

At the top, those crispy, olive-oil-scented cracklings of deliciousness, Sardinian Carte di Musica:

Daily, changing carta:

View of small dining room, from my table:

Half racion of Ensalada de “Corujas,” one of many examples of how Madridlenos (and Spaniards in general) take advantage of the most fleeting seasonal delicacies and restauranteurs bring them to the forefront for fortunate diners. It’s always a good idea to inquire as to whether there are any items “off the menu,” if this option is not presented to you.

[erica1]

Second dish–a half order of fried artichokes (9.25 euro) --was a miss. A tangled mound of razor-thin slices, crisply fried, that my waitress instructed me to “chuparse con los dedos,” to eat with my fingers. All well and good so far, but these were sadly lacking in salt. A touch of lemon also might have helped but as it was, I struggled to finish half of the half order, and I adore artichokes. This might have been a very rare kitchen fail, cause it’s hard to believe that the dish was intended to be served as such. I made a mental note to do more reading so that I could choose more wisely there second time. I want to further explore the menu to uncover why SACHA has held the status of a classic for so many years.

The finale of small suckling-fed rib lamb chops rescued the meal. (27.50 euro) Although these fell far short, in both taste and portion size, to those at LA CASTILLERIA near Vejer, I was very happy. Served with patatas fritas and spring greens on the side, and topped with lovely charred young garlic shoots.

The total, with a glass of Godello (4.70); cover and bread; and water, was 56 euro.

This was the only eatery I can remember on this trip (apart from the bar at VENTA PINTO) where I was treated neither to an amuse not to a final chupito. (I mean this just as a statement, not a criticism.).

[Maribel]

A standard menu classic to order next time you visit Sacha:

His tortilla vaga (vaga=lazy), which isn’t flipped at all, and which has been much imitated by other chefs.
It was a request to Sacha made by architect Rafael Moneo, like the tortilla that his grandmother used to make. It can be topped with many different ingredients: chorizo, butifarra, queso, verduras, cebolla confitada, jamón ibérico and on and on.

Arzak didn’t like it. He requested a French omelette instead.

[PedroPero (PETER)]

Spider crab ravioli
Sole meunière
Tortilla vaga
“Broken cheesecake”
Sitting in the garden on a beautiful, warm night made everything taste even better
I stuck with the classic “hits” and loved everything.

[erica1]

Peter?? That was at SACHA? I see you did your reading, which I did only a few days ago, long after my dinner there.
I never can allow myself to order eggs at dinner…but it looks as if I need to get over this prejudice…

At an adjacent table, a young couple ordered the oreja, which Sacha himself served to them. It was a long thin rectangle of, I imagine, pounded ear…I’d never seen anything similar and was of course, miffed that I missed it, although I over heard the couple’s comments and they were not thrilled which, of course, means nothing in the end…

I am more convinced the ever that there are certain restaurants where advance reading (not inane reviews on a certain popular review site) is most definitely in order and while I usually research restaurants to the point of exhaustion, I “fell down on the job” with this one. Like many another classic restaurant, first-time diners might not get it right but more the reason to return, especially a long-running and well-respected address such as SACHA.