On the Spanish app table:
For dessert:
The first night I was there, she took me to a place called Tapas & Tini's, which was quite fitting since I'm completely in a Spanish food deficit. While the tortilla (Spanish potato omelette) was not quite what I'm used to, I must remember what a friend told me last year. ("It doesn't matter how you make it, because everyone makes it differently. There's at least one person out there who has made it the same way.") The empanadas were quite delicious, filled with tender chicken and potatoes, and wrapped in a flaky and brightly colored (sweet potato?) dough. We also enjoyed the tomates adobados, or marinated tomatoes, which were served on zesty slices of toast. Of course, I felt compelled to order a martini, so I chose the Hendrick's Cucumbertini (pictured here), which reminded me sharply that I have not had gin in quite some time. Overall, it was a meal to be repeated!
While I was in the Berwicks, I also visited Dairy Queen for the first time EVER, and my friend introduced me to a delicious chips & dip combo. It's somewhat of a local product combo, as both the artichoke dip (not your typical artichoke dip!) and the tortilla strips are made in Concord, NH. They're made by Mitchell's, and the artichoke dip is to-die-for! It's not as heavy as traditional spinach & artichoke dip but is just as addicting. The tortilla strips are perfectly seasoned, slightly nutty, and a welcome break from mass-produced supermarket tortilla chip. Mitchell's claim to fame is their Fresh Salsa, but they offer 10 fresh sauces/dips/salsas in total, along with their tortilla strips. Of course, I had to take some strips and dip back to VT with me. =)
In Madrid, Paulino's new restaurant (c/ Jordán, 7) serves up entirely different food than its counterpart on calle Alonso Cano. This upscale dining experience is definitely something special. His new space has an unfinished, but lived-in feeling, and his glassed-in wine cellar showcases his incredible winelist.
As for entradas, try the roasted artichoke pastry with caramelized foie gras (*photo 1*). For main dishes, try the lubina (seabass *photo 2*), the tuna (*photo 3*), or the milhojas de buey (a delicious play on the classic 
pastry "milhojas" or thousand layers -- made with many layers of tender beef and topped with parsnip chips *photo 4*). For dessert, the leche frita cannot be passed up. It's a traditional Spanish dessert infused with citrus and spices.
As for entradas, try the foie gras with vinaigrette (con pan tostado *photo 1*), roasted vegetables with goat cheese *photo 2*, gelatina de tomates con anchoas (tomato gelatin served with anchovies), or pastelitos de langostinos y gambas en su jugo (little pastries of prawns and shrimp in their juices -- my favorite!!!).
For main dishes, I highly recommend the lubina con salsa de puerros (seabass with leek sauce -- it literally melts in your mouth!), atún rojo (grilled red tuna that comes with a delectable tomato confit), or the secreto de cerdo (literally means "secret of pig", and just may be the best bite of pork I've ever had *photo 3*).
As far as dessert goes, you really can't go wrong. Everything that I have had has been delicious. Try the tarta de queso con salsa de arándanos (cheesecake with blueberry sauce), tarta de chocolate (decadent chocolate cake), helado de almendras (almond ice cream), mousse de albaricoque (apricot mousse -- served with crispy pralines), or pralines con mousse de maracuya ("pralines" served with with passionfruit mousse -- very difficult to describe, but delicious -- not pictured).
he flan. Trust me, it's all good... =) Scroll down for pix...
They're famous for their sidra (cider), which they pour into the cups from about a three feet height (to break the cider). Simply put, the food was delicious. We ordered an ensalada mixta -- which came loaded with veggies and oil-packed tuna, chistorra con patatas -- a sausage similar to chorizo in taste but smaller in size and served with french fries, and patatas con juevos revueltos -- literally means potatoes with scrambled eggs, but it's more like potatoes, green peppers, and Serrano ham, with
sunnyside-up eggs. Before serving, the eggs are broken, thus making them "revueltos". Everything was delicious. Unbelievable taste, quick service, and it ended up being only about 6 euros per person (we split the food between 5 of us, and there was more than enough to go around).
For lunch today, my host mom made me pimientos del piquillo, rellenos de bacalao -- red peppers stuff with a codfish filling... Similar to the ones I had at Dalí. We also had paella -- a traditional rice dish, made with a mixture of chicken, shellfish, vegetables, and saffron. Tasty! :)
Posts
All Comments
