Month: June 2014

Unlike  in the Unitied States, in Spain eggs are mostly served as a main course and not just for breakfast.  In many restaurants around the country, you’ll find a variety of  choices like the “tortilla”, an omelet made with potatoes and onions or the “huevos a la flamenca”  , baked eggs with vegetables and ham or chorizo.  But one of the most popular options is huevos fritos or huevos rotos – fried eggs.  They have been a staple of Spanish cuisine for centuries, even renowned Spanish painter Diego Velazquez painted  Vieja friendo huevos – Old woman frying eggs  back in 1618, and playwright and poet Lope de Vega mentions this dish in a letter he wrote to the Duque de Sessa around the same time. Also known as huevos estrellados, this dish  is  served almost everywhere in an assortment of variations.  The trick is how they are  fried, which usually happens to be in plenty  of oil allowing  for a crust to form around the egg white while keeping the yolk runny. La Pepita’s are one great choice served with homemade potato chips, thin slices of Iberian ham –  and chopped asparagus for €10. Just make sure you have plenty of bread within reach!

La  Pepita

Carrer de Córsega 343

08037 Barcelona

Tel 932 38 48 93

Website: http://www.lapepitabcn.com

Smack in the middle of ciutat vella, Las Fernaández will surprise you with its delicious homemade fare. From the outside, it might look like a hole in the wall but wait until you walk through its funky red door. Red walls everywhere – they say this color stimulates your appetite so it might be a deliberate move to make patrons eat as much as they can. But truly, their food alone can make you do it without any help. A menu that is just as eclectic as its decor:  daily seafood stews, innovative salads such as the ensalada de espinacas con confit de pato, fresh spinach with duck confit  and apple  for €11.50 or the rollitos de lacón con aguacate  for €6.50,  broiled pork shoulder ham rolls stuffed with avocado in a creamy béchamel sauce, among many others. I chose the bacalao con alioli de membrillo al horno, codfish fillet covered in a light alioli and quince merengue au gratin for €12.00. The unorthodox combination of the tangy alioli sauce and the quince gives the fluffy meringue a unique sweet and sour taste that will have you coming back for more, even if you decide to blindfold yourself to avoid all that red.

Las Fernández

Carrer de les Carretes 11

Barcelona 08002

Tel: 934 43 20 43

For over fifty years, Alkalde has been serving some of the best in Basque cuisine to local patrons in elegant  Salamanca neighborhood. Right on calle Jorge Juan, showcasing a  lovely  terrace of traditional linen covered tables and hip Ghost chairs, this eatery holds  a cool combination of classic and modern decor. A sort of keeping up with the times approach that is also reflected in the menu where the main stars are old favorites that have been slightly updated like the chipirones served over a bed of caramelized onions, gently braised baby squid  exquisitely tender and succulent, and of course excellent for bread dipping, something you’ll find yourself doing quite often in Spain.

The croquetas de jamón were plentiful delicious morsels of creamy béchamel and tiny bits of ham. And of course we had to order the revuelto de boletus,  scrambled eggs with local mushrooms that have a distinctive nutty punch.  Why would you order scrambled eggs at a restaurant like this? Well, don’t ask and just do it, it’s worth every bite.

For the main course, we chose the foie  a la brasa, light and fluffy liver mousse grilled  over quinoa and a touch of pumpkin sauce.  As far as the lamb dish – cordero prensado, I was very surprised when it was served.  

Although it resembled a terrine, it was simply pressed  in that shape served with a dressing of gooseberries.As I carved my fork through it, moist and tender flakes of meat fell apart onto a light sauce dotted with tiny diced apples. Another great Spanish delicacy!

Alkalde

Calle  Jorge Juan 10

Madrid, Spain

Tel: 915763359

Website: http://www.alkalderestaurante.com