Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The title is where we had dinner tonight. Troy coming at you tonight for the first time this blog. I have to say Dawn has really done an awesome effort here. This has been a magnificent trip to date. What is most compelling so far, as demonstrated again tonight, is the gastronomic movement, organically focused, mimimalistic approach these chefs are bringing to the table. Second observation is the amazing wines at unbelievable prices that we never see in the states. The latter experience was similar in Italy. I can’t recall drinking awesome Priotat and Riberia del Duero, with tapas, all night, and spending what little we did for the duration we exhausted.
Tonight we commented, as we emersed ourselves in a 2004 Reserva from Rioja (18 euro, 95% Tempranillo, 100% amazing), that our wine experience has been nothing short of fantastic. Even the dinner last night at an organic restaurant had but one tinto on the menu for like 10 euro and it opened up with really nice flavors to our delight. The wineries have been nothing short of surprising, pulling something out that was unexpected.
In reflection of tonights menu, we were taken back to the minimalistic wonders of our tapas experience at La Tapas Madre two days ago. The attatched picture is of Dawn’s main course, Beans with Baby Squid. This was both an amazing combination but also minimalistic with nothing more than onions, beans, calamari and maybe some tarragon – outstanding. Dawn commented and Troy agrees, the cooking here so far is like our cooking at home only substituting garlic with more onion reductions.
We also decided to go all out on dessert tonight, something we have not given much attention to- WoW!!!
Dawn orders this simple goat cheese with honey. The goat cheese is like a cross between ricotta and goat with the creamiest of textures and the honey was out of this world. I go with chocolate stones- I am thinking this could be anything rocky, hard and chocolatey- NO, this is the greatest genache, formed in the shape of rocks and dusted with cocoa.