Restaurant l'Alqueria

Restaurant l'Alqueria -- c/ Ginesta, 8, Girona; tel. 972221882

This is a restaurant at the central area of Girona, at the Plaça Catalunya. It is famous for its rice dishes. It is situated at a house in a small street. It looks attractive and gives an impression of professionalism when one gets it. It has a quiet reception hall, where one is received by a staff member who has an earphone attached to her ear, giving her a conspiracy look. We went for lunch, and after telling our name, since we made a reservation beforehand, we were told to go upstairs. There is even an elevator within the restaurant. We chose to walk up since our table was on the first floor. When we got there, our arrival was already announced by the modern technology and we were shown to our table. It did make one feel important.

Once settled, modern technology ended. We had to wait for over five minutes to be shown our menu. It was difficult to even catch the waiter's eye, which kept evading us. There is a second floor presumably for the smokers. I had quite a bit of time to examine the decoration; the space was small which fit no more than ten tables but it was pleasant. A glass window showed the back staircase, with each step graced by a pot of flowers. Then I realised that the system was that only the head waiter could give menu and take order. The head waiter, as down at the reception, was equipped with an earphone; but it seemed that our presence did not come to his notice in spite of that.

We were given the menu to study. There was a big selection of rice dishes, paella and arroz caldoso (soup rice), among other choices. Of course we went for the rice. It is recommended to ask all questions to the head waiter before one can catch him again.

While we were waiting for ordering, we were given a glass of vermouth and an appetizer, which came with olive oil and a dish of black salt and one roll. It is not a bad idea, but it looks so mean in a restaurant, that for two people we were given only one roll to share. Among casual acquaintances that might not be too comfortable to have to tear the bread each time. Every time when it was finished, we were offered another one roll portion. I regret that I forgot what the appetizer was, but I took a picture of it, as shown above.

For first dish, we had shrimp carpaccio and buñuelo de bacalao, which cod dumplings. Both were delicious. The shrimp carpaccio has taken up a spot in creative restaurants and it deserves to be.

For second we had soupy rice with shrimps, cuttlefish and clams. As usual, there is a minimum of two people for a rice dish. The restaurant truly deserves calling themselves expert in rich dishes, it was delightful.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to write about our lunch until now, which was two weeks ago, so I apologise for not talking about the desserts, because they simply escape my mind right now.

If you would like to try out some rice dishes while in Girona, this is the place to go despite its deviation from traditional restaurant customs. For two people, be prepared to pay around 100 euros for the meal with a bottle of wine.

Vintages, manjars i vins fins

Vintages -- Cort Reial, 15, Girona; tel. 972206326

Vintages is a small restaurant in the Old City (Barri Vell) of Girona, almost opposite to Cal Ros. It has an attractive front door decoration, which was what attracted my attention in the first place, with postcards and Tiffany lamps. The menu that it shows is of nothing extraordinary, but I decided to give it a try. The only problem was that every time when I planned to go it was close. Eventually I got lucky. As I was told later, it is close only on Monday. The web address that is printed on the card is not correct (www.vintages.es) and I have not been able to locate another one.

The decoration inside is plain and subdue, with shelves that display different types of alcohol, since its most famous feature is it's wine bar. Menu is written in chalk on a board hang high on the wall on top of the door, light is faint, and on the right hand side is the wine cellar. Wine selection is indeed great.

Space is limited and the room is elongated. It is more of a bar setting where one meets friends and chats over a bottle of wine.

We had an Amarone from Speri 2001. It was treated with respect and the first time that both of us were offered to taste the wine.

As for food, the dishes that we tried were all right and carefully presented. For first I had octopus au gratin, which turned out to be a bit too heavy and the taste of the octopus was overwhelmed by the cheese and cream. It filled me up before I tried the second.

Another first dish that we tried was pickled bonito, this one was delicious; the fish was very tasty and the serving quite abundant.

For the second dish I ordered tripes with chickpeas. I knew it was not a wise decision, such traditional robust dish has to be eaten in a wet market, for example, or a dive.

I proved to make all the wrong choices that evening! The other dish was fantastic, lamb with spices, the taste of which was picked up by the mixture of spices. It was delightful.

Not to be unfair I am not going to mention desserts. Though I have the photos I quite forgot what they were and I was at that stage too full to appreciate too much. We were offered a liqueur on the house at the end.

Service was fast and the waiter was friendly. There was only one person serving and from what he said, it seemed that he was the cook also. As said, it is a good and informal place where one goes to taste the wine and has something to eat, in that order of importance.

Albereda Restaurant

Albereda -- Albereda, 9, Girona; tel. 972226002

We visited this restaurant for dinner and caught up with the end of the Setmana Gastronòmica Gironina, an annual occasion in which a group of restaurants design a tasting menu to show off their skills and creative power. The price can range from 20 euros to over a hundred, depending on the restaurant. In the festival webpage one can find the list of restaurants and their respective menus. The festival for this year started from 4 March to 21 March, but due to the storm which created access problems, the duration has been extended to 28 March.

Albereda is situated in the barri vell, the old city, on a street with the same name. It is a beautiful old stone house comfortably and subtly decorated. However, there was a constant humming of the air-conditioner, which would have been inaudible, I surmise, if the restaurant were fuller. There are smoking and non-smoking areas, and it is spacious with tables wide apart. Service is attentive and personal.

We were served an appetizer with couscous, which was light and truly wetted the appetite.

The menu started with oyster bathed in a pear porto-tonic and lemongrass slush. The taste of the sea was accentuated by this light and fragrant accompaniment.

Second was gamba de Palamós, a famous shrimp from the coast from where it gets its name. It came with a cold shrimp soup and trout caviar. The shrimp was sweet and delicate, which was not hidden at all by the strong soup.

Pasta was next, it was accompanied by mushroom and a sauce made with Parmigiano and foie gras. It was good without being excellent and the quantity could be reduced to leave more room for the other dishes.

It was then followed by tuna fish done in Takaki manner, which came with a mixture of fennel, soy sauce, cocoa and nuts. The sauce was very interesting and gave an unexpected taste full of imagination; however, the tuna fish was much too done and became completely dry.

 Next was scallop, grilled and decorated with mash squash, a calçot and its romesco sauce. The sauce was excellent; but unfortunately hid the delicate taste of the scallop.

The turbot was wrapped in a slice of crunchy potato, tomato jam and seafood cream. It was a delicious dish and the contrast was neatly done.

The last was duck, with apple and a mistela sauce with cinnamon. The only problem is by then I was so full that I couldn't enjoy too much this dish and I apologise for the photo which is out of focus.

Dessert was a hot orange cake with chocolate inside and cream with spices. The cake was delicious. Coming with coffee was some petit fours, which unfortunately looked a little sad and didn't do justice to its taste.

One can choose the menu with wine, which cost only 10 euros more, and that was what we did. The whole menu was priced at 65 euros. The selections were Cava Berta Bouzy Montferrant, Hermanos Luton Verdejo 2008, Sinols Coronmina 2005, Sinols moscatel 2009; and our glasses were refilled as soon as they were empty.

I had a visit to their bathroom and it was decorated with care and of course, very clean.

It is a delightful place, service is excellent and the price is reasonable. In a word, it is a good restaurant where one can be sure of being well fed and professionally served.

P.S. I had another occasion to revisit this restaurant for dinner. There was a set menu which cost only 30 euros, excluding drinks. The food was well presented, tasted delicious and pleasantly served. I highly recommend this place for an intimate dinner.

Reni -- Argentinean "fonda"

Reni -- Santa Eugènia, 200, Girona; tel. 972230970

Empanada de Humita

This is not a regular restaurant but sort of a dive owned by an Argentinean couples. If one fancies authentic Argentinean food, this is the place to go. It does not serve anything fancy, but empanadas and pizzas, done in the Argentinean way.

The owners are very friendly, and they welcome compatriotas or travellers who have been to Argentina with open arms. Needless to clarify, they serve all customers with equal warmth and friendliness. The atmosphere is totally informal and familiar. If you fancy something that are not shown on the menu, they are more than happy to prepare them for you.

The empanadas, a famous dish in Argentina and reasonably so, as mentioned, are delicious, with a variety of stuffings: meat, chicken, ham, Roquefort, humita, etc. Pizza, which is a prominent food in Argentinean culture inherited by Italian descendents in the Latin American country, is nicely made, and you can ask them to put two different toppings, as habitually done in Argentina.

There are also meat dishes and set menu. The French fries are very good also, which can beat McDonald's easily.

It is frequented by customers who have become friends of the owners and you feel like you are eating with a big family. On soccer night it is especially busy. Pizzas and empanadas can be taken out.

La Columna -- Second Review on Dinner

 La Columna -- Baix 40, Girona; tel. 972237777

La Columna

As promised, I got an update on this restaurant. This time I went for dinner. Different from many other restaurants in Spain, La Columna serves dinner as early as 8:00. In the evening, they light their impressive parrilla. It proved to be nice and comfy to sit near the huge fireplace.

Corner of the fireplace

A fire was kept at the corner and amber was taken out for cooking as needed. The whole atmosphere of the restaurant was informal and relaxing, with a TV in the background.

Grill

This time I tried their Calçot menu: 10-12 calçots, a platter of grilled meat, dessert and wine, which costed less than 20 euros.

Appetizers

An appetizer was served, with cheese (queso curado) and sausage (chorizo) on a piece of bread.

Calçots

However, I had to wait for quite some time before the calçots were served. Some friends of the chef came after us, and somehow they got their calçots before me. We received a half-hearted explanation that it was because they had reserved their calçots beforehand. It was not a big problem, but it certainly affected the overall impression of the service.

Graellada de carn

The second dish, graellada de carn, with 2 types of sausages, chicken, pork ribs and bacon. It was disappointing. The meat was a bit dry and quite salty.

Entrecot a la brasa

My companions had entrecot a la brasa, grilled beef steak. They were good.

Coulant de chocolate

For dessert, there was not any more surprise. I did not fancy the pineapple again, and had an ice-cream. We tried a coulant de chocolate, which is a good dessert (if you like chocolate) with runny chocolate that flows out when you open the cake; but this one was cold, and it tasted more like ice-cream than what we were expecting from a coulant.

The chef was on the whole friendly when he was going in and coming out from the kitchen to attend to the grill. His wife, who was the waitress, was helpful and very pleasant. The other associate was also very pleasant.

I think the fish dishes fare better than the meat, and my high hopes built from the lunch experience were unfairly imposed on them. It is a good restaurant for relaxing and informal family meals, as it intends to be.

Update:

I had another occasion to try another menu with mussles, paella and dessert, which includes bread, wine and water. The mussles was elaborated with a wine sauce. The dishes were delicious. I think definitely fish and seafood are the chef's strength. For the same menu, other options are available: salad and fideuà. It costed 14 euros.

La Columna

La Columna -- Baix 40, Girona; tel. 972237777

I have been to this restaurant a couple of times, and it hides a most pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, in none of the two occasions did I have a camera with me. But I plan to try dinner there, so next time I will be more prepared for a fuller report.

This restaurant is out of the way of the city centre of Girona. It is near a main street Santa Eugènia, almost to Salt. It is unassuming and I just wandered to lunch there. However, for those who want to visit the Hortes de Santa Eugènia, this would be a good place to stop for midday meal.

Hortes de Santa Eugènia

Wetlands

The Hortes are pieces of land which residents can rent to grow whatever they want, tomatoes, cabbages, lettuce, etc. It offers a fantastic place for cycling and walking. A part of it is preserved as Wetlands Park, which keeps the humidity for the city. There are benches and tables in the park area for picnic. Once inside the Horta, one can breathe freely the clean air and enjoy a quiet walk along the canals and fields.

For lunch, La Columna offer a set menu with drinks for 10 euros. For appetizers, we were served a green salad with a sunflower seeds dressing. It was fresh and tasty. Then there were several dishes to choose from. I have tried onion soup and noodles for the first, both were good. For second, I had fish, dorada, which was nicely done in a simple way. 

I have seen a group ordering paella, but it has to be reserved beforehand. At dinner, they offer more choices and the fire would be lit for grilling, a la brasa. Now is the calçots season and they have calçotada. Calçot is a type of onion and eating it is a ritual. Very often in each neighbourhood they have an event every year to gather together to eat calçots. You grill them directly on fire without cleaning them, usually they come with a lot of earth. Then you put some in a piece of newspaper for each person. What you do is to pull from the top while holding the bottom of a calçot and get the most tender part out and eat it starting from the bottom holding it with your fingers. It is dressed with a sauce called romesco, the preparation of which is a very serious business. Families are proud of their traditional recipes.

This dish is available in some restaurants throughout Catalonia, and usually they announce it at the door. It is definitely worth trying, since eating it is a whole experience. Once I had calçot a la romana instead, which is calçot fried with a light batter. It was delicious and less messy to deal with. The deep fried dishes in that restaurant are very well prepared. It is in Barcelona and I will write about it another day.

Back to La Columna. For dessert I had pineapple in carpaccio dressed with kirsch and vanilla ice-cream. It tasted fresh but the alcohol was a bit overwhelming for me, which turned the pineapple a bit too bitter.

The house wine went well with the dishes, and it was included in the menu. For 10 euros it is more than a good bargain. Service is fast and friendly. Certainly if ever they decide to dress up the restaurant a little bit, it will have a lot of potential. As it is now, it is an excellent place for neighbours and casual wanderers.

Can Tiranda --Traditional Food in Spain

Can Tiranda -- Camí d'Ull de Ter 1, Setcases; tel. 972136052

Can Tiranda

This restaurant is situated at an interesting small town in the province of Girona. Roughly two hours from the capital city, Setcases literally means "seven houses." Its origin can be dated back to the 10th century when the seven houses were built by a father and his seven sons when they were stuck with their herds at snowfall. Throughout the centuries, the population kept its low rate, until the ski resort Vallter 2000 opened in 1997, which boosted tourism in this enchanted place. At the bottom of the mountains, Setcases becomes the closest stopover for visitors. 

Setcases

The town keeps its stone houses and winding streets, littered discretly with hotels and restaurants. Can Tiranda is one of them. It offers a magnificent view of the mountains. We had lunch looking at snow flakes wavered leisurely creating a lyrical blanket. 

There are two sections, a bar and a restaurant. The restaurant is smoke free. For smokers they can go to the bar or simply go outside with the majestic mountains at the background. Service is fast and warm, typical of a small town. It was time to try some traditional Spanish mountain cuisine. For starters we were offered an assortment of local sausages and olives. 

For the first dish, we shared a salad and trinxat, a typical Catalan dish, which does not sound much, made with potatoes and cabbage, but when well cooked it is fit for the most picky palate. Certainly they kept up the tradition in Can Tiranda. 

For second, we chose civet de senglar, wild boar in a stew, which is available only during the first months of the year. It was the best I had tasted, though my favourite is still grilled wild boar that I had in Argentina. I have not seen it grilled in Spain though. This stew was strong and robust, and the potatoes were full of fragrant. 

Other typical dishes worth trying are carn a la brasa, meat grilled on fire. They offer a mixture of sausage, lamb, quail and chicken, and grilled artichoke. 

For dessert, I tried mousse de ratafia, which was nothing to write home about. The one that is definitely worth trying is their flam blanc, which is a flan made with milk and berries. 

We had their house wine, which came in an unlabelled bottle with a stopper. It was surprisingly refreshing.

The air is clean and fresh. It is one of those places that worry simply disappears. Children roam the streets without any problems.

It is a good place to have lunch after skiing and getting down the winding mountain roads in the thickening afternoon fog. We were told that during summer months the surroundings were equally enchanting, famous for its trails and the scene full of green must look quite different then.

Beside the bar and restaurant it also offers apartment accommodation.