Shawn just sent me the news that the Madrid Azotea Group (not related to Azotea, Sevilla) has bought EL CAMPERO!!!
Yipe!!! This happened yesterday or the news came out yesterday.
And this is the new NAREA in Vejer:
@erica1 , re: La Castilleria, thanks for the nudge in the right direction, but thanks to your prior posts I’m already on board. Made a lunch reservation a couple of weeks ago, we’ll be there on a Monday in early April. Very much looking forward to it.
I’ll eventually start a thread with comments about our meals . Meanwhile, we just had a very enjoyable first day of tourism. We strolled around downtown Malaga, then checked out the Picasso Museum. We were looking for a place afterward to get a nosh, and I remembered that on @Maribel’s recommendation, I’d loaded the Guia Repsol. I figured we’d find at least a reliably good place that way, rather than just picking randomly among the many, many places that line the streets around the museum. That thing is great! We ended up at Casa Lola, where we had some lovely tapas and vermouth.
From here we head to Granada. We decided to take a later bus tomorrow, so we can spend more time here. We were both sorry we’d gotten out of the hotel too late to get to Ataranzas market before the museum, but given that it was our first day, I think we did well to leave the hotel before noon. So tomorrow we’ll leave our bags here after checkout, and spend some time in the market.
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And if you have a hunger pang tomorrow in the Atarazanaa market, the bar at the very northern end is great for a glass of wine or a plate of shellfish. It´s El Yerno.
You will love La Castillería!
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Funny you should mention it, I was eyeing Bar FM for tomorrow night.
We’re staying four nights in Jerez, but we’ll have a car, so I’m hoping to do day trips while we’re there. I was thinking that we could try La Marea de Marcos the day we get to town (a Saturday), check out Cadiz the next day, Vejer the Monday, and see if we have the energy to visit Sanlucar the Tuesday. The following day we drive back to Seville to catch the train to Madrid for our last night. Gonna see if time will let us take a run (almost literally) at El Prado, followed by our dinner reservation at La Castela.
In Jerez, if you are looking to do a sherry tour consider Bodegas Tradicion. The tour itself was excellent, but the tasting itself was fantastic. You are able to try their full inventory including older and rare sherries and brandies. They also have a small private art museum with works by Gaudi and El Greco.
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Second thumbs up for Tradición, not only for their tasting but also for their art collection.
If Tradición isn’t available we also like the tastings at Lustau, followed by lunch in the lovely, vaulted dining room of La Carboná, easily walkable. In fact, I wouldn’t miss lunch at La Carboná.
In Cádiz I wouldn’t miss strolling down to the Barrio de las Viñas for a stop first at Corralón de los Carros, corner of San Félix, to Taberna Casa Manteca, founded in 1953.
Order their signature tapa, chicarrones Cádiz style (not Sevilla style), which are a sheet of thinly sliced, slowly cooked pork belly doused with lemon and served on wax paper. It’s housed in a former grocery shop, an ultramarinos, and its walls are decorated with photos of famous matadors, flamenco artists, intellectuals, Mandela, who have frequented it over the years. It’s now in the hands of the 3rd generation of the Manteca family–an unmissable classic, a time warp of the best kind, much loved by locals
Then move on to lunch at El Faro, open daily for lunch from 1:30-4:30.
If you do have energy for Sanlúcar on Tuesday, I would stop first at another very beloved taberna on the square, Casa Balbino, to sample their tortillitas de camarones (share an order because they are large). It’s´ known locally and nationally as the temple of the tortillitas de camarones, these irresistible shrimp fritters. It will be extremely busy at lunch time but the veteran wait staff manages the crowds well. The kitchen opens at 12:30 and we’ve learned to arrive just before that hour to place our order.
Then take the pleasant river promenade walk down to the Bajo de Guía facing the Guadalquivir and looking out to the Doñana Nature Park, where you´ll find seafood restaurants lined up in a row with their outdoor terraces.
We like the acclaimed Casa Bigote upstairs (it doesn’t offer its own outdoor terrace despite the sign on the terrace awning below it.) Another fine spot is Mirador de Doñana, which does have an outdoor terrace. It just reopened yesterday after a long winter hiatus.
Both serve excellent seafood and shellfish straight from the piers in Bonanza.
https://casabalbino.es
https://www.restaurantecasabigote.com
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@erica1,
Have you tried the tortas vejeriegas yet at the Pastelería la Exquisita?
Maribel: NO. But I plan to go on Friday before dinner…I have to call to see their hours so I can coordinate with my reservation at NAREA. The hotel staff have never heard of it and they are always asking me to give them ideas on where to send guests, so… Taxis are said to cost 15e between here and the town, so… One place they recommend is GARIMBA SUR; I’ve passed that bar on the main plaza of Vejer but never stopped in. the other place very popular with foreign tourists and just down the road from the hotel is PATRIA. I drove past there last year but am not going to try it. There ARE, however, a couple of simple places in La Muela, the tiny pedania nearby that were very crowded when I drove by last year. And there is a pizzeria, too, with a wood oven; we’ll have to leave those for next year at the earliest!
I hope to try VENTA LA DUQUESA tomorrow (Sunday) for a late lunch. After some very good weather, it’s now rainy on and off, and has been for the past three days but the forecast looks good for the coming week. I have unworn t-shirts in my suitcase and keep wearing the same cotton, sweatshirty-type top. Have not worn sandals at all, but it’s not at all cold.
The rain poured most of yesterday so I stuck around and ventured out for a late afternoon snack at VENTA PINTO. It’s great to have this place nearby (it’s one of several ventas within a ten minute drive and these of course, include VENTA AL TORO, very famous for their eggs and where I will try to stop in while I am here). And no reservations are needed and they seem to remain open from morning until at least early evening on weekdays, longer on weekends. I see a lot of action whenever I pass VENTA PINTO, VENTA EL RAYO, and the others along the nearby roads.
I hope Maribel will explain the word “venta,” because it seems to me that I see it used much more often around here than further north, or east. As I understand it, a venta is an informal “tavern” type restaurant/bar, similar to what in the US we would imagine as a roadside inn. (But not a truck stop) Menus offer a range of local dishes in varying sizes, often at very reasonable prices. You can sit at the bar or at a table, as some have dining rooms.
VENTA PINTO occupies a series of rooms in a whitewashed building at an Important intersection of roads where (I think) the bus to Vejer stops. There is lots of parking both next to, and across the road. Inside is very cozy with the hams hanging and the day’s specials written on blackboards; lots of dark wood beams, well-worn terra cotta-tiled floors…
I wrote before about the famous manteca colora, red lard, of the Vejer area, and THE thing to order here is a bocadillo of pork loin (lomo) smeared with red lard and heated in the oven. The combo of pork and lard is kind of sweet and the sandwich (4.50 euro) is delicious!!! I ordered it to go so the barman suggested getting it cold and heating it up just before eating, so that’s what I did. I could only finish half yesterday and have only this morning finished off the re-hated second half; it barely suffered from being left in my room overnight…even the bread was perfect. And this is just a basic, plain roll of the type that I see everywhere. Why is even this so far superior to what I can buy at home without going to a specialist bakery??
I sat at the bar at VENTA PINTO. I was excited to spot “ortiguas” on the menu. These are sea anemones particular to the coast of Cadiz and Malaga. They look pretty but strange in photos taken in the sea. The usual preparation is lightly fried in oil and the result is very delicate with a slightly crisp exterior and a soft, somewhat vegetal and goo-ey center. (But NOT at all slimy). Last week I was given croquettes filled with cheese and something described as “alga,” and looking back, I think it was orteguillas.
VENTO PINTO’s version was delicious, so light and with a squeeze of lemon. I think I have to go back and get the full racion next time…they do not take up much space in the stomach!!! For the first time in goodness knows how many years, I had a Coca Cola!! Made with real sugar and served in the bottle. It was great!!
Here are a few photos I took yesterday, and one from this morning, of the partially eaten bocadillo:
Here are a few more photos; these are from last year but everything, including prices, appears the same; the last photo shows a package of ‘lomo en manteca,’ sold to take home and heat up, in their little shop next door to the restaurant.
There are photos off the ortiguillas (sea anemone), raw, in this article:
They have almost no calories but lots of protein, collagen, and B vitamins; there are more photos here:
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What is a VENTA (taken from my Cádiz Costa de la Luz dining guide):
" A venta in Andalucía (coming from the verb vender=to sell) is a traditional roadside eatery, family owned, offering travelers and truck drivers (camioneros) on the region’s highways a place to eat unpretentious fare, served with love, at a low price. Some are humble, no-frills, offering simple home cooking, some have become fancier over the years.
The more modest ones offer cheap, hearty meals for passersby and the area workers, while the fancier ones have even achieved gourmet status, like Venta la Duquesa on the road to Medina Sidonia and Venta Melchor on the road between Vejer and Chiclana.
Some are located on major highways, some hidden away in hamlets like Santa Lucía."
A note about those tortas vejeriegas from my dining guide (I think I sent it to you at some point)
"Confitería La Exquisita, Hijos y Nietos de Galván at Altozano 1 is considered the best sweet shop in town and has been going strong since its founding in 1942 by José Galván. It is now in the hands of the son, Pepe Galván, age 71. It’s famous for its round tortas vejeriegas, made with cinnamon, flour, lard and sugar, placed in the oven for 10 minutes. These are the emblematic pastry of this pristine white hill town. Pepe, with the help of his son and niece, makes some 250 each day down in the basement obrador.
Inside you’ll find vintage photos of the town and original pastry making instruments, like a little house museum.
And the shop has a sort of tea salon where one can sit, borrow a book from its library and enjoy his creations, including his dulces de chocolate and cuadritos de hojaldre. "
Also from my guide,
"VENTA EL TORO— very close to La Castillería in this tiny hamlet of Santa Lucia you’ll find chef José Andrés’ favorite breakfast/snack place that he loves to frequent for owner Maruja Gallardo’s acclaimed fried eggs.
She’s been frying up (or rather poaching up) these ecological eggs and locally grown potatoes with extra virgin olive oil in her cast iron skillets for 40 years. When her mother died when she was only 13, she dropped out of school and became the cook for her father and many siblings.
Maruja’s modest kitchen doesn’t have a microwave or a deep fryer. Each day she serves up at least 40 servings of her eggs and potatoes at 6 euros each. Each additional topping costs €1.50. Andrés orders them topped with chorizo, morcilla from Ronda and Iberian ham as an “appetizer” before dinner at La Castillería!
For many, this is a 3-story dish with potatoes on the bottom, topped by a fried egg (but without the crunchy edges-the regulars don’t want them) and finished off with slices of Iberian ham from El Arahal in Sevilla.
She also offers traditional stews such as chickpeas with spinach and the locally famous pork sandwich, lomo en manteca.
This modest spot began in 1945 as a wine dispensary and was soon discovered by bullfighters, such as Paquirri, (thus the bullfight posters adorning the walls) and a few famous Spanish actors and now has added a small, plant filled outdoor terrace and another outdoor dining spot across the street, next to the brook.
It’s open from 9:30 am-9:00 pm daily except Tuesday."
Edited to add that I believe Maruja may have now retired but her son, Antonio Esquivel Gallardo, has carried on her torch.
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@erica1
I’ve eaten at GARIMBA SUR, but the new spot getting a lot of solid reviews in the gourmet press and nods from Michelin and Repsol is EL MURO. I would prioritize it over the former.
This is what I wrote:
"EL MURO is Vejer’s new kid on the block, opened in 2022, sitting on Paseo de las Cobijadas, at the end of Juan Bueno where it meets Calle Trafalgar. Native son chef, Francisco Doncel, returns to Vejer after supervising the opening of Ibis in the Montenmedio complex on the highway.
This 33-year old chef trained with 12-Michelin starred Martín Berasategui and at Michelin-starred Casa Gerardo in Asturias. Among the dishes sometimes found on his small menu—Retinto beef and almadraba-caught bluefin canalones, tuna carpaccio, dogfish ceviche, salmorejo, medallions of Iberian pork, and of course, a rice dish prepared with Molino Roca Valencian rice. The artisan bread comes from La Noria. El Muro comes Michelin and Repsol recommended.
Closed all day Tuesday and Wednesday"
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Maribel please forgive me–you had all that in your ESSENTIAL (!!) guide to this area and I forgot all about it!
I did consider EL MURO because your advice on that restaurant DID stick in my mind… I was carrying the idea that taxis from here to Vejer cost a lot more than the 15 euro I was told the other day. And to VENTA EL TORO, the drive from here is simple, as you know.
I’m now going to do another read through of your COSTA DE LA LUZ dining guide. I don’t think I’ve followed any restaurant recommendation in Spain over the past 15 years or more that did not come from you. And I know that I would have far less appreciation of food in this country had you not been my guide!!
erica1,
That’s not a bad price at all for a taxi from your pedanía to Vejer, and it certainly saves searching around for street parking, which on weekends is impossible or paying for garage parking on the Corredera.
I’ll be really eager to read your take on Vejer’s newly minted Respol sun, NAREA. The bonus here is that they serve half portions. And a tasting menu of 7 small courses for only 38 euros.
And the young chefs (I think they’re 27 and 31) have trained with some of Spain’s best—the Roca brothers, David Muñoz, Ramón Freixa and Madrid´s Triciclo group. But lots of dishes are fusion–Argentina, Andalusia and Italy.
We make a habit of trying out newly minted Repsol suns, especially those young chefs who choose to bring their talents back to their small hometowns. This is happening all over Spain these days–a great trend.
The restaurant Patria has never called to me, I suppose because I don’t feel it as “home grown”. But I may be missing something…
You have mail…
Late lunch (4pm) on this Sunday was at VENTA LA DUQUESA, just off the main road linking Vejer and the stunning white hill town of MEDINA SIDONIA.
This town looks like THE quintessential movie set of Andalucia, and there was not one tourist in sight when I drove through after lunch.
It’s frustrating, at times, being solo, because I’m so limited in the amount of dishes I can try. But I did well here; sat at the bar and the place was bustling, with waiters running here and there on this late Sunday afternoon. This was the first place I did not book ahead but it was no trouble finding a seat at the bar. The place is atmospheric times ten–bullfight posters, reviews of the restaurants and its female chef, one in a long line of family members who have helmed the kitchen…
I’m always amazed at how the food changes in Spain so quickly from not only region to region, but within twenty miles. LA DUQUESA is under 45 minutes removed from the ocean, but the food here is based not on seafood but on products of the land, and the hunt: Partridge, rabbit, and the local Retinto beef dominate the menu and seafood, although present, is not featured much.
I began with pate of partridge; this was a huge portion, served with crackers. It was delicious but I would have preferred some rustic bread, toasted. I was too shy to ask but if I had, I am almost certain my request would have been honored. Next time!! I could only manage a third of the fine pate, served with a puree of (I think) apple. Reminded me of applesauce back in the US.
Beautiful plating here, which immediately distinguished the restaurant from the more rustic ventas like VENTA EL PINTO, where I had lunch yesterday. You could see from the pate alone that there was a talented hand in the kitchen.
I wanted to try their Rabo de toro but I knew I could not make even a dent in what I was sure would be a huge portion of meat. So I was happy to see “tortillas de rabo de toro” on the bar carta. I had no idea what these would be but happy to see four crescent-shaped fried patties on the plate (a half order); not dissimilar to croquetas. These were very tasty morsels that I ate with my hands, dipping them into a surprisingly spicy salad of cubed tomatoes; once again the chef showed her hand in the beautiful plating and the piquant tomato salad. There was a lot of black pepper along with good oil in those tomato cubes but I think there was another, mystery ingredient. I wish that I had asked about this, but the place was so busy that I felt a little tampered in my usual curiosity.
Last: A consomme, without the rice which was optional. Excellent! I suppose that you can tell a lot about a restaurant from their consommé (did Jaques Pepin not say that the omelette was the test of a good French kitchen??)
This was so tasty, and a good way to finish my lunch. I was sad not to be able to fit in one of the famous sweets that mark Media Sidonia’s place on the Spanish culinary map, but I will look for them when I go shopping in Vejer, following Maribel’s lead, as usual… Two of the women working at my hotel are from Medina and both have offered to bring me the pastry of my choosing. Maribel: Any ideas here on what to ask for?? I’ve seen, but not sampled, the alfajores–so different than the ones I’m familiar with, from Argentina!!
Here are a few photos of my lunch today; I also took a video of the scene at the bar but not sure if I can post that:
The bar menu at VENTA LA DUQUESA, outside Medina Sidonia, Andalucia:
Among the tapas at the bar was pork lion in lard; note that the lard here is white, as opposed to the red lard I had yesterday at VENTA PINTO near Vejer. So even the choice of lard varies from town to town!! It may look like icing for a cake, but I am pretty sure this would be delicious!!
Notice the beautiful plating of the pate of partridge, one of many products of the hunt served here:
Tortillas de rabo de toro; impeccably fried and very, very tasty; this is a tapa-sized portion and the tomato salad was unusual and usually spicy, and excellent!!
Finally, the lovely consommé:
First video I’ve ever posted and one of the first I’ve taken!!
Never mind: Error in posting!! Will try once more in a new reply to this thread!
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No luck posting the video!!
Note the “reserved” sign at my place at the bar. The hotel had phoned to inquire how late the kitchen was open, since I wanted to have lunch as late as possible. I can only imagine that she must have told them that a hotel guest was headed their way, because I was ushered to the reserved spot when I walked inside.
the restaurant was absolutely heaving with patrons at 4pm on this Sunday.
The town of Medina Sidonia has always been known for its pastry making, following centuries old recipes brought to these lands by the Moors—alfajores, roscos de vino, mantecados, amarguillos, tortas pardas. It is often proclaimed the “pastry making capital of Andalusia”.
I don’t know which of these sweet treats and which labels you’ll find in the Vejer shops.
I know that the Colmado of Venta el Pinto sells the “Aromas de Medina” label.
The “Sobrina de las Trejas” is the oldest confitería in the town, dating from 1852.
I will try to return to Medina one morning when I can visit the Sobrina de las Trejas.
It’s incredible to me that Medina Sidonia, which must be one of the most beautiful towns in Andalucia, is never mentioned on any of the English-language travel forums that I’m familiair with. Tourists flock to Ronda and to a lesser extent, to Arcos and a few other “white towns,” but few have any idea that these towns are scattered over the region, and many seem to be almost "undiscovered’ in the sense that they are not included on bus tours or even in the plans of tourists with a rental car… Even Vejer, which has to be among the prettiest towns in all of Spain, draws very little tourism from the Americas, at least as far as I’ve noticed. I’ve seen it mentioned once or twice on Fodor’s but almost never on TA… Yet Ronda, Ronda, Ronda…(??)…I imagine because Ronda is close to Malaga and accessible even without a car…
