Taberna La Montera, Grenada Spain

We tripped upon Taberna La Montera early in the evening, and the place was full of families, with children in prams, and the slightly bigger kids running around between the stools & tables, and the parents all mingling as part of one big community. We slide on in and generally perched by the bar, or if there was a table and a few stools left, would settle there. As Grenada is in the heart of Andalucia, bull fighting is kind-of a big deal around here ... This bar displays all sorts of memorabilia from famous matches, upcoming schedules, photos, and even a few hanging bulls heads - this is how we somehow end up calling this place the Toro Bar for the rest of our visit ....

Loving the whole order a drink, get a free tapas thing they have going on in Grenada. As we also love the wine & lemon soda concoction of the region. 2 x Tinto de Verana, which come in bowl-size wine glasses filled with ice, and a complimentary plate of paella.



We order a plate of the simply described chorizo, chili & fried potatoes. It comes out just so, the chorizo is more a heavily spiced mince, with the paprika and spice you'd expect, but in little bite sized pieces. Sitting to the side is a mountain of fried potato squares, a few blistered & glistening green chili's and a fried egg. It was delicious, I would be happy eating this plate at any time of day and feel it would make a fine weekend breakfast.



Next drink, and next tapas. This time, a plate of vinegary fish that has been fried in a light coating, with some crisp iceberg lettuce dressed with lemon and good olive oil to the side.



More pork, with more potatoes arrives. It's skewered pieces of tender pork, which have been wrapped in smoked bacon (score!) before being cooked on large metal skewers. More of the fried potatoes, and some fried chilis complete the plate.



One last drink before we move on. This time the tapas is a little chicken curry, which is full of spice, and has a chunk of bread on one end for mopping up the juice, but also a pile of lightly salted potato crisps, which seem to work really well with the softness of the chicken meat.



We were very pleased to spot this little place, and quite enjoyed just sitting there and watching the local community gather before heading off for their nightly activities.




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Dar Yacout, Marrakech

For our last night in Marrakech, we take our wonderful Riad owners advice and have booked a table at Yacout. We were even lucky to get a reservation with only a few days notice .... This is where anyone-who-is-anyone must dine while in Marrakech, well so we hear. Having played host to a string of celebrities, royalty and presidents from all over the world. We head down to the Kasbah gate in search of some means of transport to take us well within the realm of the Medina. It just so happens that a horse cart pulls up beside us. We check that he knows where it is, which of course he does. We hop into the back seat, which is surprisingly comfortable. The sun is setting, and the lights over the city are so pretty.



It takes about 20 minutes, darting through busy evening traffic, but having plenty of time to take it all in.



We are taken through winding, pebbled walkways of the medina, barely wide enough for the cart. We all of a sudden stop, when it gets really narrow, and way to busy for us to continue. The driver calls over a couple of young boys, and mutters a few words. We work out that these kids are going to lead us the remainder of the way .... We dart in and out of lanes, being just dark enough to be a little unsettling as you can't really see to far ahead, but we turn one last corner and we are there. We give the kids a few dollars, and thank them for their trouble.

Dar Yacout is quite grand. We walk through some large doors before being greeted by a team of staff, and quickly ushered up to the roof for an aperitif. We look down over the pool, and outside dining area on one side, and then an expansive view of the old city contained within the medina, and the bustle of the new city in the distance.



This is one of very few places that serves alcohol in Morocco. This is also the first time in our 11 day trip that we have any, so decide on a simple aperitif of white wine. It comes served in a beautiful goblet, with a bowl of green sultanas and some lightly toasted almonds.



We are then taken down to our table, and offered local Spring water as well as a selection of wines. We choose a Moroccan Rose. It was light, crisp and a beautiful rose color with the crystal glasses glistening under the dim light.



The usual Moroccan salad component of the meal arrives promptly. Little plates of spiced olives, carrot & orange salad, roasted garlic eggplant, zalouk, artichokes & little crispy pastries. These are all devoured with the infinite supply of soft bread.



These beautifully adorned vessels then arrive and rest beside the table.



The first unveiling reveals the oh-to-familiar chicken, preserved lemon & olive tagine. Shockingly, it is a whole chicken! just for the two of us ... we know there is more food to come, so despite it being delicious have to refrain from eating too much.



There is then a tagine of lamb with fresh peas. A massive portion again, we don't even get half way through it ....



Cous-cous with 7 vegetables is a fine example of this preparation, and a very welcome accompaniment to the lamb tagine.



We see a sweet pastilla placed down on the table beside us while we are finishing our main. They are as shocked as we seem with the sheer size, barely managing to get through a 1/4 of it. We wonder what happens with all of the remaining food .... as grand as each of the dishes seem, receiving whole chickens, or giant pastilla, we could have easily had 2 very hungry guests with us and no extra food. As soon as we indicate defeat against the lamb & cous-cous, it is whisked away. Moments later our table is graced with one giant pastilla.



It is absolutely delicious, layers of crisp, flaky pastry with toasted almonds and sweet milk. We manage one slice each, before a pot of mint tea and a tower of fresh baked sweets and cookies completely wipe us out. Oh .. so .. full!

An absolutely amazing setting, the pre-dinner drinks in the upstairs bar with a view of the city a highlight. The food was nice, but next time we will be sure to enjoy it with a few more people ....

Put a spike in it - Pintxos in San Sebastian

We arrive in San Sebastian, the food mecca of Spain if not the world. The first thing that comes to mind is pintxos. And when you think pintxos, you think bars & counters lined with plates of little snack foods. The word pintxos means spike, aptly so as mostly these little bites are spiked with a skewer. At some bars the pintxos spikes are collected, either on the side of your plate, straight on the counter, or in some cases in a little cup like device on the counter - these are then counted and then billed per piece. If they are not needed for counting, the tradition is to just throw them on the ground, along with any napkins & debris, which makes for an interesting idea as the night goes on ....



Gildas are the most common, found in almost every bar and usually just sitting on the counter. Gilda means lollipop, and is an assembly of a Spanish Guindilla chilli, a plump olive and an anchovy all spiked on the end of a skewer, or pintxos. “It is said that it was invented at a San Sebastián bar and named after Rita Hayworth’s spicy performance in the 1946 film of the same name.”



The combination of salty & spicy is harmonious, and with a crisp Txakoli is the perfect aperitif on a Sunny San Sebastian afternoon. Txakoli is another staple of the Basque country. It is a white wine that has a light spritz, due to the way it is poured into tall glasses from great height, with a special aerating spout. The wine is crisp & dry, with a pale green colour. It is always drunk young, never more than a year old ... not that it's likely there would ever be surplus lying around, it's just that good !!



One variety of pintxos sure grabbed our attention. It was like a bridge .. leading to where we are not sure. Slices of tuna were sandwiched between 2 half gherkins and all fanning out from half a raw onion. We didn't try one, but it sure was a spectacle.



Some versions are crafted on slices of toasted bread, and don't actually have the spike.




Even Arzak serves pintxos with their appetizer. On our visit we had a delicious anchoa y fresca.



Upon our pintxos crawls, as well as enjoying litres of Txakoli, we also discovered a new drink while are at A Feugo Negro ... Kalimotxo which is a blend of Spanish Rioja red wine with coca-cola. Served over ice, it is very easy to down several of these with their cherry-cola similarities.



Ah, a culture that basis itself around eating and drinking ... this is what I am talking about !!

Taberna Doña Casta, Zaragoza

€15 each and we were transported to another dimensi..., er I mean region of Spain. We took the bus from Barcelona Nord bus station to Zaragoza. The trip in total took just on 4 hours, which of course included a little road side stop for snacks and drinks along the way. We both had a bacon & roasted green chili bocadillo from the said road side stop that was cheap yet truly delicious.

We are both exhausted from the trip, so once we arrive to this beautiful Northern region of Spain, the first thing on the cards is siesta. We wake around 6pm and are ready for food. The kind young gentleman at our guesthouse starts talking to us ... nothing opens until 9pm to eat? What?? nothing? We head out to investigate.

We make it to the centre of town, turn the corner into the main square, and both gasp in awe. The sky is an electric blue, the sun slowly disappearing, and the San Pablo church is aglow.



We just gaze at this monstrous & beautiful structure before us, and before we know it 8pm has struck. We head off in search of food. Things are just starting to open up, lucky if you could find somewhere just to have a drink. We spot a little Taberna which has just opened it's doors. Within minutes the place is full. We squeeze on it, the counter full of tapas and people drinking, talking, lauging & eating.



There are sets scribbled all over the wall in chalk, involving bottles of wine and varieties of food. We take the 6 tapas with a bottle of Red Wine for €26 option. It's just a point or nod at the 6 things we would like from the counter. A few croquettas, some random deep fried things and some grilled bread with toppings.



Value for money local wine & tasty food combo. We're off to a good start in Zaragoza.

Taberna Doña Casta
Calle Estébanes, 6
(El Tubo)
Zaragoza, 50003 Spain

Trattoria Giggetto, Rome

Many people travel the world to admire the architecture, natural wonders & differing cultures. While we definitely appreciate all of these things, when approached with a new destination, the first thing we're researching is where to eat, what are they famous for in that area, whether we should be drinking coffee or mojito's - or anything in between, and where & what the local's are eating.

Our first morning in Rome we do decide however to head over to the Colosseum. It's a gorgeous sunny day in Rome, and about 100,000 other people had the same idea as us. We buy our tickets and wander around the Colosseum and surrounds for a couple of hours. It's at exactly the same time Kim and both decide to bust away from the crowds and head down to the Jewish quarter for a long, lazy lunch. The place we are hunting out is Trattoria Giggetto.



We start with a litre carafe of Frascati Secco, a light and fruity dry Roman white wine.



A selection of fried appetizers were selected to start.



The first being the famous Carciofo alla Giudia - fried artichokes in the Jewish way. The artichokes are blossoming, each leave a golden colour. We tear the leaves out one-by-one, sucking the soft artichoke heart from the base before crunching the whole thing. We're off to a great start!



The next of our fried delights are fiore di zucchina rupiena - fried zucchini flowers filled with mozzarella and anchovies. The delicate flowers are contained in a light batter, and when punctured explode of a gooey mozzarella delicious mess. The anchovies are generously loaded throughout, giving a nice salty punch with each bite.



Suppli al telefono - rice balls with tomato and mozzarella, are the last little morsel on our fried plates. These little rice balls are called just that as when they are cracked open, the mozzarella strings like a telephone cord. Regardless, they are damn tasty!



Ligua di Vitella in salsa verde - ox tongue with salsa verde is triumphant !! The tongue is so soft, yet so full of flavor. It's like it's thinly sliced roast beef, and is doused in the most fresh and vibrant salsa verde I've ever tasted. A brilliant combination.



Our pasta choice for today is a Roman specialty, bucantini all'Amatriciana. Hollow spaghetti tubes are coated in a tomato, bacon & hot pepper sauce with Roman cheese. The pasta is cooked so well with the sauce coating every piece. The thing I love most though, is that it's just piled into the plate, leaving splotches all over the rim. But that's okay, beacause the way it tastes does all the talking necessary ...



Arbacchio arrosto - or hunk of roast lamb, is the last of our savory choices to hit the table. It is just that, a hunk of lamb. Cooked until the meat is falling from the bone, and with the fat crackling to a beautiful golden crust. There's a light ladle of sauce and a giant knife for hacking it up.



It's all been so good, it's hard for us not to take back the menu and order more .... but we know our afternoon ahead will be packed with food regardless.



We do manage to find room for some wild strawberries with milk gelato, and are oh-so-glad we did.



Via del Portico, 21/A
00186 Roma (RM)
Tel (+39) 06 6861105 Fax (+39) 06 6832106
info@giggetto.it www.giggetto.it

Solociccia - completing the Dario Trifecta

Our last night in Tuscany, we were daunted by the idea of having to choose our last meal. Until of course the words 'Solociccia' were sung. This was the last of the Dario Cecchini trifecta, so seemed only fitting to farewell Tuscany with a bang..

We again arrived a little early and were only to pleased to bask in the generous hospitality of the man himself just across the road in the base of the butcher shop. House wine was poured in tumblers, lardo & salami along with crusty tuscan bread lined the right side wall - and all of a sudden we are mingling with 30 people who are all about to become our friends.



We are sitting the 9pm seating at Solociccia tonight, so when a gush of people are seen dispersing from across the street, we know our time is near. A quick re-set and we are all ushered over. At the door our names are checked, and seating assigned in little rooms on street level and below. We notice our name in the book with a big VIP beside it (*Squeal*). We are lead down the stairs, and off to a little table on the side with full view of the kitchen. We are sitting amongst vat's of olive oil and mineral water on tap, and get to look into see all the magic happening in the kitchen. There is another couple who are sitting with us. She works for Microsoft and he has a large sausage casing factory somewhere on the West Coast. He supplies sausage casing's to Mario Battali (which is how he got the booking, and the VIP seat). They were extremely lovely, and was a pleasure to share company and tales with two passionate foodies.



The table is set again with bowls of crisp, fresh vegetables, that are dipped in local olive oil, red wine vinegar and Dario's salt along with bowl of crusty Tuscan bread. We start on carafe's of red wine, and are informed if we need anymore we can top up from the vat's behind us.



Then a plate of toasted bread topped with ragu arrives.



The day's fritto misto arrives, which is a bowl of treasures. We found squid, octopus, fish, cauliflower, onion, fish and little bite sized pieces of crumbed veal.



The plates just keep coming, next are little morsels of beef that have been minced and seasoned that are threaded onto sprigs of rosemary. They are generously doused in lemon juice and olive oil and are just divine.



We see some big chunks of meat being sliced in front of our eyes. The other great thing about being on this table is that we received first plate of everything that left the kitchen. I think it would have been torture otherwise .....



The perfectly rare beef comes dressed with sage, rosemary, salt & olive oil. Bowls of white beans are a great accompaniment.



Pork arrives nestled under a salad of crisp carrot, red onion & celery. The pork is so soft and tender, the perfect contrast for the fresh, crisp vegetables.



The slow braised beef is dark and rich with chunks of sweet red onion throughout. There's no doubting that any meal attached to the master, Dario Cecchini, is bound to be packed full of meat !!



The meal ends with Military liquers,



Coffee & olive oil cake.



This ritual seems all so familiar now, and neither of us would have any problem repeating again soon.



Via XX Luglio, 11 Panzano in Chianti Firenze
tel.+39 055 852727
fax +39 055 852700
È MEGLIO PRENOTARE

monday / tuesday / wednesday: closed
thursday / friday / saturday: 19.00 or 21.00
sunday: 13.00
reservations advised