Luckily, Mr. Needy Chef shares this passion. We are very fortunate to be able to travel frequently, and are quite excited for our upcoming trip to Japan in two weeks. Awhile back, I began taking pictures of a good portion of the meals I ate when travelling. I firmly believe that the number one way to experience a different culture is through their food. Considering I will try anything once, my trips become incredible gastronomic adventures.
In August/September 2010, we went to Spain for ten days. We began in Madrid, had a wonderful couple days on the island of Mallorca and finished up in Barcelona which quickly became my favorite European city. I know a lot of people who say they dislike the food in Spain. I could not disagree more. I ate and I ate well and I ate a LOT. A few of my favorites below...
The trip began in Madrid. Breakfasts consistent of a croissant and cafe (con leche for me, solo for Mr. NC). Lunches would usually be a bocadillo (frequently from el Museo de Jamon) or an easy tapas/wine sit down lunch. One lunch in particular is still talked about to this day. Casa Lucio was actually a recommendation from Mario Batali (courtesy of Spain: On the Road Again).
We started at the bar, drinking Mahou. I fell hard for Mahou beer. I have yet to find it in the States (please let me know if you know where to find it!). We got a small plate of sardines and a dish of olives. Sardines and olives are everywhere in Spain. I've always been a big olive fan but sardines (and anchovies) not so much. That changed on this trip. I really learned to appreciate the unique flavor and the wonderful pairings.
At our table, the menu consisted of jamon iberico (a staple at every meal), chorizo, shrimp in garlic sauce for me, and their signature steak for Mr. NC.
The ham was great, of course. We ordered this as an appetizer at a number of dinners and it never disappointed. Thin, salty, perfect combinations of lean and fatty. Also ordered the chorizo. Let me tell you something. Chorizo is amazing. When it is thin, perfectly charred, tender...it is really delicious. There is actually a restaurant on Greenwich and Horatio called El Faro that has food very similar to Casa Lucio and the chorizo is just as good.
I then ordered a favorite dish of mine, shrimp in garlic sauce. A few restaurants around here make it well: El Faro, La Paella on 9th between 2nd and 3rd and Don Pepe's in Newark. The garlic really stood out, and the only way to describe that garlic, oil, butter combo is succulent. There were also big chunks of charred garlic that were so sweet I ate them whole.
Clearly, the best part of the dish comes from dipping bread in the sauce. I think I went through a loaf of bread and briefly considered ordering a second dish just to have more dipping juices.
Mr. Needy Chef ordered their signature dish which is steak. The way it was served is my absolute favorite: the plate is sizzling so you can literally slice your steak and run it along the plate to cook it more (Wolfgang's and I believe Luger's do the same thing). I am not one to order steak unless I am at a place known for it, and this steak was worth the reputation. Immensely flavorful, very lean.
The other standout meal in Madrid was at a seafood restaurant called el Telegrafo. We are late diners; weekend dinner reservations are usually made for 9-ish. Yeah, we have nothing on the Spaniards. It was a Tuesday and our reservation was for 9 or 9:30. The place was empty! Didn't begin filling up until closer to 11. Loved it.
I started with an anchovy and avocado dish, lightly drizzled with olive oil and lemon. I would have never thought about pairing anchovies and avocados, but it was fantastic. The avocado somehow cut through that shock of flavor in the anchovy.
Mr. Needy Chef ordered a squid dish (another of our go-to choices in Spain). It was pretty simple with potatoes, dusted in cayenne. What struck me about it was how well the squid was cooked. It is so easy to overcook squid (I have definitely been guilty), but this squid was thick and tender.
For the main courses, we did something that we rarely do which was order the same thing. This was the closest thing to paella we had while there. The problem with paella in Spain was that it is everywhere, and it is hard to know what is just a tourist trap. It is like a slice of pizza in NYC. Paella is surprisingly easy to make and I will have to remember to make it sometime soon. As a side note, the best paella I ever had was at a restaurant called Aquaviva in San Juan.
This dish was almost like a paella stew. The lobster, clams and squid were in a bed of creamy rice with a bit of flavorful broth. Wonderful.
Before I get to the meal that literally brought me to tears, I want to make brief mention of Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. This place is famous and for good reason. You are basically on sensory overload the entire time. They had everything from fruits to olive oil to fish to testicles (yep). Counters where you could eat, spice stands. I am posting a few pictures below. What struck me the most was the presentation, specifically of the meat. Spaniards are not squeamish. I am not a vegetarian, but I believe Americans are desensitized when it comes to acknowledging where our food comes from. For example, hanging pig legs would still have the hoof attached. You would never see that in a butcher shop here, lest consumers remember that our Easter ham was once walking around on a farm.
If I had prepared more, I would have done everything and anything possible to visit El Bulli. Since that didn't happen, we decided to go TapaÇ24 which is run by El Bulli alum Carles Abellan. This is a very small tapas restaurant that we had dinner at two out of three nights. Mr. NC wanted to make sure I realized there were other restaurants in Barcelona. I realized, I just didn't care. The first night we enjoyed a foie gras burger, squid etc, but it was when we went back the third night (we went to another great place called Bar Mut the second night) that we officially pigged out (accompanied my sangria and Mahou of course):
Pan con Tomate
Prawns
Jamon Iberico
Squid Stuffed with Ink
Grilled Sardines
Chocolate Mousse with Caramel and Salt
As for the tears, this was the last night on our trip, the meal was SO GOOD and the thought of leaving was just too much! Thank the sweet Lord there is a restauarnt a few blocks from our apartment (Mario Batali's Casa Mono on 17th and Irving) that serves dishes just as good as what we ate in Spain.
Overall, I think the reason why I love eating in Europe is the simplicity of the food. By simple, I don't mean unsophisticated. For lack of a better word, they don't put shit in dishes. They use real ingredients, no chemicals or preservatives. I try to remember this when I am at a loss for what to make: keep it simple, make it fresh, and it will likely taste great.
