mmm-yoso!!!

Carcassonne - FloridaBlanca, Aux Croissants des Lices, and Here We Go Again

After spending the morning in La Cité and having lunch at Adelaide we realized that we still had an entire afternoon (and evening) left. So, what to do now? We decided to head into Ville Basse and take a look around. So we headed down the hill and crossed the Aude at the lovely Pont Vieux.

The view of La Cité from here is quite nice.

And we ended up walking down what I believe is one of the main streets in Ville Basse, Boulevard Barbes. Which is named after Armand Barbès, whose statue is found along the street.

What caught our attention was a bit past the monument.

It was a Christmas Fair going on.

We wandered about for a bit, then decided to walk on over to the train station to see how far it was. In the end, we decided to make the 30 minute walk to the train station the next morning.

We were also looking for possible places to have dinner, but of course we were too early for the typical French dinner time and decided to head on back to the apartment. On the way back, we crossed the larger, more modern Pont Neuf. And the view of La Cité was amazing.

Once crossing over we headed to Rue Trivalle to see if we could find somewhere to have a meal....if not, we would just head back to Le Passage. Well, there was another place open, named FloridaBlanca.

By now, there was a steady drizzle going on, so we went on in. The place was buzzing....and guess what? It was another tapas restaurant!

   We managed to get a high-top for two. And along with the standard menu, the menu del-dia was presented. There was a nice, easy going, yet joyous vibe here. Folks were having fun. There was a group of folks, it seemed like employees from a company having a "very" happy hour. They asked me to take a photo of them. Of course, being American, I told them to say "cheese"....perhaps I should have had them say "fromage"?

And so we placed our order and soon enough our stuffs arrived.

This was nicely prepared simple dishes made in that tiny kitchen, prep was the key. The Aubergene Frite, was nicely fried slices of eggplant, nicely done, crisp with a creamy interior. The padrons were simply charred, just like you'd have in Spain.

And you'd play you're game of "pepper roulette" as well.

I saw the Jambon D'Agneau and just had to try it. The Server made sure to tell me; "it is lamb" twice! I just wanted to try this.

My goodness, this was so delici-yoso! Think of all the high points of lamb, good fat, mild sweet-gaminess, that "flavor of the pasture". Man, this was so good, I ordered another plate!

The Champignons Farcis, stuffed mushrooms were fine, but nothing special.

I just wanted more lamb. Look at the little leg compared to a jambon!

We got some Patatas Bravas, but it was served with the sauce on the side and wasn't as good as the frites we had the previous night.

And the Missus even got some dessert.

During our meal, the Missus and I wondered why there isn't something like this in our 'hood. It ain't hard, there are places that "claim" to do tapas, but we're not impressed. Perhaps folks here aren't really interested in these type of simple dishes? And then, we also wondered; what's up with Carcassonne and these tapas places? I know that Carcassonne is one of the stops along the route to Spain, could this be the reason?

Anyway, we had a fun time and enjoyed this meal.

FloridaBlanca
22 Rue Trivalle
11000 Carcassonne, France

As we were finishing our meal, I went and checked our train timetable using the SNCF app and found that all trains out of Carcassonne were canceled. Sigh...so here go again! So once we got back to the flat, I found out that there was a train derailment and all trains had been cancelled. And even though it said it would be for a day or two....heck, this is France..... So, I went and reviewed options and eventually booked us a bus from Carcassonne to our next stop; Toulouse.

The next morning, we cleaned up a bit and headed on out. We'd be walking to the train station where we'd (hopefully) be catching our bus to Toulouse.

We happened to come across this Boulangerie and decided to pick up some sandwiches for the trip and a croissant.

Really nice folks working here! So friendly, patient, and helpful.

Aux Croissants des Lices
4 Rue Georges Clemenceau
11000 Carcassonne, France

Getting to the train station we could see the tracks were taped off. I could also see our bus on the schedule board and confirmed with the very helpful station staff.

It was now time to have my croissant.

Decently flakey, it was a bit too doughy for my taste. I also thought it needed more butter, but it suited me fine.

We watched as a news crew arrived to interview the delayed and stranded.

Soon enough a bus arrived at the front of the station. And we started queuing up. The news team actually came over to me for an interview, but I told them I don't speak French. To bad, it might have been funny having my face on the newscast, huh? Maybe I need to work harder and learn more French?

We stowed our luggage and boarded the bus and were on our way to Toulouse. And while we would take twice as long to get there; the Missus and I were just happy to be on our way!

We had enjoyed Carassonne. Two nights and one full day was the perfect amount of time for us.

Next stop, Toulouse! 

Carcassonne - Exploring La Cité and Dinner at Le Passage

It was a nice hour and fifteen minute train ride from Montpellier to Carcassonne.

And we arrived on schedule to Carcassonne Station. The station is located in the "Lower City"; Ville Basse and based on Google Maps would be about a 30 minute walk to our AirBnb which was just outside the medievel La Cité. Instead of fussing around in an unfamiliar location, we decided to get a taxi to the flat. The apartment was wonderful, bright, modern, clean, with fast Wifi, something we don't take for granted here. And I had timed our arrival to the self check-in time. We got in, freshened up, put in a load of laundry and decided to do some exploration. I also wanted to make some restaurant reservations for places that I wasn't able to online, so we'd hit up those places on the way back.

The flat was located just down the hill from Porte de l'Aude right next to Eglise Saint-Gimer. So, of course we headed right up to La Cité.

La Cité does make quite a statement when you first see it.....

And looks quite imposing as you walk up Cote De La Cite.

We had purposely chosen to visit Carcassonne during this time of the year to avoid the crowds and well, we sure did! As we saw nary another person on this afternoon!

It is said that Carcassonne has been occupied since the 5th Century BC; first by the Iberians, then by the Gallo-Romans, who started work on the walls of the city, which were completed in 333AD. There are two sets of walls in La Cité, the inner rampart was completed in 485AD. It is said that there were 40 towers and up to 40 entrances to the city.

Look at that moat....no, it wasn't filled with water and carnivorous creatures, but was basically a ditch, and from what I read it was dug even deeper than what is in place today. Can you imagine crossing that bare space? See all the slits and windows? You'd be pretty much an easy target!

To get ourselves acquainted with La Cité, we took a walk across the city, on the silent streets.

And found one of the places on my dining "list"; Comte Roger, which was closed during the week of our stay! Sigh.....

We exited at the opposite end of the city at Porte Narbonnaise. There's an interesting cemetery right outside the gate and we took some time to explore.

Heading back into La Cité, we decided to take a walk along the outer ramparts.

Where we actually saw another "hooman" and his four legged friend having a stroll.

We turned back into La Cité at Place Saint Nazaire and took a quick look at the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus.

This was Carcassonne Cathedral until 1803, when the title was moved to the present Carcassonne Cathedral located in the lower city.

From here we waked along the ramparts, the view was quite lovely.

We could see clouds coming in and the sky was darkening, so it was time to head back to the apartment. I used Google maps and found what we thought was an exit to the city.

Which strangely led us to a dirt trail. Oh well, we scrambled on down.

We eventually made our way back to the apartment and took a break.

When dinner time came along, we headed up the street we were staying on, Rue Barbacane which curved right, then turned onto Rue Trivalle. I had three places on this little street in my "list". No talk about bad luck; all three places were closed for the week. What I didn't know and really didn't find any information on....it seems many places take a winter break during the last week of November! So, I was oh-fer-four right now. We walked along the street and noticed this lively place.

Named Le Passage. A quick check revealed that this was a tapas place. Well, there weren't many or even any other choices left on the street so we ambled on in.....to quite a lively scene.

It was an interesting crowd, obvious locals who knew each other watching the World Cup, folks staying at the hotel above the restaurant, and us. 

The guys working were quite jovial and we ordered some tapas, which were actually fairly large portions.

Starting with the Medallions de Foie Gras (16€ - $17.50/US).

 A very generous portion of terrine mi cuit, with a lovely apple jam. The accompanying sea salt and a touch of jam went well with the lovely, rich and buttery fois gras.

We got a kick of how baguette was served here.....in a tower.

The Missus loved the frites (5€ - $5.50/US) here.

Crisp exterior, creamy inside, the potatoes had a nice starchy sweetness to it. We enjoyed it so much, we got a second order!

We also ordered the Moules Gratinees (10€ - $10.85/US).

   Not a big fan of this dish. The mussels were overcooked and on the tough side and there was a bit of grainy "sandy" bits. Also, we didn't care for the milky creamy flavors which really detracted from the briny - sweet mussels. 

Of course this came with its own "baguette tower" as well.

Overall, this was a fun meal. Nice folks and really reasonable prices. We enjoyed the friendly, neighborly vibe of the place.

Restaurant Le Passage
15 Rue Trivalle
11000 Carcassonne, France

It was drizzling as we headed back to the apartment. We were looking forward to a nice night of sleep.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris - Boulangerie Laurent B, Les Deux Magots, and L’Avant Comptoir

The Missus was starting settle in a bit.....and She needed a "mission"; something to obsess about. So why not croissants? I had always thought that an excellent croissant au beurre is harder to come by than most folks think. I believe our lunch the previous day at Gontran Cherrier had stirred something. The Missus had croissant fever. During our wonderful meal the previous evening at Arnaud Nicolas we had a nice chat with one of the Servers. He said croissants are a very "personal preference" and we should explore.....but we should definitely stick with artisan boulangerie, where strict codes are adhered and the products are made on premises.

So the very next morning we stopped almost right across the street from Le Fontaine de Mars (La Fontaine du Gros-Caillou).

At the beautiful Boulangerie Laurent B.

We loved the vibe and the very "French" design of the shop.

The croissant, not so much. It was doughy, not buttery nor flakey enough.

Boulangerie Laurent B
112 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

We spent the day on the left bank; exploring shops and taking in some of the sights. Nothing major; just kinda having a nice time in the Saint Germain and Latin Quarter. There's tons of shopping to be done here.

And sometimes and occasional sight like the Église Protestante Saint-Jean.

After spending a good amount of time shopping; we needed to refuel a bit.

On our previous trip to Paris; we passed Les Deux Magots ("le do mago") once the meeting place of Paris's literati and the artistic set. Names like James Joyce, Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, and Albert Camus are mentioned.

It is, of course, now a major tourist stop. We sat outside and had our caffeine fix.

Sitting outside; paying a ton for over priced coffee, watching dozens of tourists taking selfies in front of the place.

I went in to take a look at "Deux Magots"....the café opened in 1884 and kept the name of the silk shop that once stood here.

You do have a nice view of the Église de Saint Germain des Prés.

And the people watching is quite interesting.

Les Deux Magots
6 place Saint-Germain des Prés
75006 Paris, France

A bit more shopping...well, then it was time for lunch. We just wanted something small to eat and a tapas bar named L'Avant Comptoir came highly recommended.

We found the tiny shop to be quite charming. It did indeed remind us a bit of those stand-up pintxos places we enjoyed in San Sebastian and Bilbao.

Menu cards hung on the wall; specials on a chalkboard.

The service....was well, brusque and borderline rude.....only to us though.....

It was bit strange.

Though I got a kick out of watching one lady walk in; order a glass of white wine, and chug the whole thing down in one gulp. She must have been thirsty.

I managed to order two glasses of wine and three items from the menu before the guy just turned around and walked away from me.

The first to arrive was the foie gras (remember "Basque Butter"?). This version was served with preserved cherries.

First off; the bread here was nice and warm, it was delish.

The foie gras was overcooked and mealy. The sauce was a bit too sweet for our taste. Very disappointing.

I ordered the Chanterelles with Jamon Iberico.

Loved the textural contrast of the crisp, crunchy croutons and the mushrooms. Wasn't a big fan of the Jamon as it was too lean for my taste.....I must be spoiled by all the Jamon Bellota Iberico Pata Negra I ate in Spain. The flavor was off for us as well; too much sour acidity.

The one dish that was excellent was the pork belly.

Crunchy skin, buttery fat, nicely seasoned; the wonderful porcine flavor shone through.

So; it was one out of three with regards to the food. Perhaps it was an off day? But the lousy service didn't help things either.

It seems we always have one not-so-great meal in Paris. So perhaps it was good that we got that out of the way.

L’Avant Comptoir
3 carrefour de l'Odéon
75006 Paris, France

 

 

Bar Bodega - Happy Hour and Lunch

The Missus really wanted a change of pace; yes, Et Voila is on about every other week, though mostly for Happy Hour (I need to do an updated post), ditto Tribute Pizza. Our last couple of visits to Tiger Tiger were less than pleasing. I've really been missing all of the great food we had in Spain, so I suggested Bar Bodega in Little Italy.

It's a fairly tiny restaurant and yes, it's in Little Italy, but we've been able to find parking rather easily during Happy Hour times; between 4 and 6pm Sundays to Thursdays.

Service here on all our visits has been cheerful and friendly.

On our two visits we tried a couple of happy hour items and a regular menu item. I really wouldn't call this tapas in the traditional sense; it's basically Cali-tapas.

The Missus's favorite dish; we ordered this twice, were the Albondigas ($10 - Happy Hour).

The first time it came with a baguette, the second time without. The Missus loved the hint of "heat" in this and also the texture, which hinted at having a decent amount of filler. Not a bad thing mind you. I really like the tomato sauce, great acid, slight sweetness....I wish we had bread the second time around.

In addition to being quite photogenic, we enjoyed the rather petite Lamb Barbacoa Tacos ($8).

Decent gameyness, not too salty, good spice, that avocado puree was an excellent foil for the rich meat. We really didn't care for the blue corn tortillas; which were beautiful, but very crumbly and not up to the task of being a vessel for the lamb.

The Roasted Brussel Sprouts  ($8 - Happy Hour) were a mixed bag.

We both enjoyed the croutons which added a nice crunch to the dish. The brussel sprouts were a bit over-cooked for the Missus....but that's the case at most places. The brussel sprouts were tossed with what seemed like Caesar Salad dressing with shaved parmesan cheese which added salt to the dish. Still, in spite of the dressing, this could have used something more savory and salty....I use lardons and bacon fat for my brussels.....I think the Missus was looking for that kind of flavor and richness.

The Patatas Bravas ($6 - Happy Hour) were interesting.

These really looked like what I do with my garlic potatoes; boiled first and in this case deep fried. The crunchy-creamy texture was lovely. The sauce was a bit too mild for our taste, not enough garlic, heat, smokiness. Good portion size though. The sauce was also on the side and the potatoes weren't nicely coated with it. Making it more like an aioli for frites.

We were split on the Devilled Eggs ($5 - Happy Hour).

The Chorizo is quite tasty, but this was really salty. And for some reason it tasted like pickled eggs, which I love; but just not for devilled eggs. The Missus loves devilled eggs in almost all shapes and forms, so in spite of being sodium heavy, She still enjoyed this.

On one visit we ordered the Champignons Al Ajillo ($8)

While the mushrooms were nicely prepared, the sauce was really acidic, which pretty much killed any other flavor in the dish. We had to ask for some olive oil to temper the acidity. I'd also have appreciated more garlic flavor.......and not needing to add olive oil.

To be perfectly honest, my favorite part of both meals was the Vermut Blanco......the sweet, floral, tones with a hint of spices took me back to our favorite meals in Seville.

The Missus also enjoyed Her sangria here as well.

A few weeks after these visits, I had to take my car in for servicing. Like I mentioned in my post on Pho Xpress, these days, the visits have to be either on holidays or weekends. On this day, I knew it was going to take a while for my car, so I caught the trolley and eventually ended up in Little Italy. I decided to grab lunch at Bar Bodega.

Because of the season, I was a bit hesitant when ordering the Gazpacho ($8). But it was fairly warm so I thought it would be great item to have with lunch.

Man, this was super thick, thicker than my Salmorejo. It was way too pasty. It was also much too salty and the cheese in this made it even more salty. It definitely needed more cucumber to balance out the flavors. The avocado was a nice touch, but I really didn't care for the texture nor the amount of salt in this dish.

In direct contrast, the pulpo in the Octopus Tacos ($8) could used more salt.

But the texture of the octopus was perfect; it just needed some umph..... At least due to the low amount of moisture in the fillings, the tortillas held together.

So, what to say about Bar Bodega? We loved the service, the Missus enjoys the albondigas. The items seemed a bit hit or miss in terms of seasoning, though other than that gazpacho, the technique and presentation was very nice. We may drop by again one of these days.

Bar Bodega
1980 Kettner Blvd
San Diego, CA 92101
Open 1130am - 10pm Daily 

Madrid - El Rincon Asturiano II

We arrived back in Madrid on a rather, at least the time quiet late Sunday afternoon. In spite of really enjoying Seville we were pooped....and headed home the next day. Just as on our arrival, we stayed near Atocha Station at the AC Carlton in walking distance to the train station and bus to the airport.

We decided on something close by and the front desk folks recommended a steakhouse named El Rincon Asturiano II which was close by.

We walked in....there was a grill near the doorway and was met with quizzical looks. The folks asked if we had reservations and we said no, so they whisked us down the block to another El Rincon Asturiano II??? Go figure. Though this place looked a lot more, well, local....with a bar set-up.

We were told to return in 15 minutes and a table would be made ready. So we took a stroll and returned and they indeed had a table ready.

Like I said before; El Rincon is basically a steakhouse who raise their own cattle from the region of Asturias in Northwest Spain. We decided to order a couple of items that the Missus was interested in and try out one of the "smaller" steaks.

Things started out with a gratis chorizo wrapped in pastry.

The Missus wanted the mushroom with jamon - Setas asturianas con jamon iberico.

A rather simple, but satisfying dish....the jamon added a nice saltiness to things.

Seeing it on the menu; the Missus had to get the callos.

This was a meat lover's version of Callos Madrilenos (tripe stewed in the style of Madrid ). It was quite thick, though very mild in flavor, the tripe quite tender, the morcilla - blood sausage, was fairly bland. It was nice and hearty, but the Missus still preferred the version from Posada de la Villa. 

I wanted to try the beef and went with a smaller portion of Solomillo a la plancha, basically sirloin, "en su punto"; medium rare. Which it was.

Well, perhaps more "poco hecho" (rare) as it was "vivo, que muja".....alive and still mooing! The steak had all characteristics of grass fed beef; an intense beefiness, with a chewy, toothsome texture. It was nicely salted without much else, which I enjoyed.

The chips were quite routine.

The Missus had a couple of glasses of wine; I had a couple of beers.

Quite a restrained last meal in Spain....but we wanted it that way.

El Rincon Asturiano
Calle Delicias 26
Madrid, Spain

I mentioned how much we really didn't care for the cattlepen like international gates at Madrid-Barajas Airport. So we decided to do what we usually do in Spain. Search for some Jamon Bellotta Pata Negra, bread, and olive oil to sustain us. We decided to walk up to Puerto del Sol.....

Along the way we passed a very peaceful demonstration.

And the Missus got to see what might be Her favorite landmark in Madrid; the Tio Pepe sign at night.

Unfortunately, our go to for jamon; Ferpal was closed. Luckily, we had a "plan B". The department store, El Cortes Ingles was open....just like Japan, there's a market/food area in the basement. One of the gourmet stores sells "5J" Jamon Bellotta Pata Negra and we picked up a pack of single use olive oil as well.

We wandered about the square....you never know what you'll see here. Like the guy I call the "Electric Cowboy". All lit up and shining brightly. I was a bit concerned that the drizzle was going to turn him into the "Electrocuted Cowboy", but he was safe on this evening.

We walked back to our hotel...passing familiar sights, like the "Vertical Garden" on Caxia Forum Square. All lit up brightly at night.

Things seemed so familiar now.....

As, unfortunately were the international gates at Madrid-Barajas Airport. But, having been through here before, we were "saved by the jamon" again!

Next stop....home.

Thanks for reading!

Seville - A Return to La Azotea (Zaragoza) and Other Stuffs

It was our last evening in Seville. And to be perfectly frank; this wonderful gem of a city really charmed us....relaxed, friendly, warm, and fun. For our last dinner, we headed back to the scene of our favorite meal in Seville, the Zaragoza location of La Azotea.

Like I mentioned previously; if you want tapas sized portions at La Azotea, you need to sit at the bar. We arrived right after opening and was greeted with a smile from the very efficient bartender Pablo, who recognized us from our previous visit.

After having some really delicious navajas (razor clams) on our previous visit, the Missus was all about the seafood here.

We started with a media racione (half portion) of Coquinas a species of Donax (small clams) served with fried baby artichokes.

That garlicky white wine sauce was so good and the clams nicely sweet, briney, and tender.

The Calamares was the weakest dish of the evening. Tender, but really nothing special in terms of flavor or how it was fried.

Sticking with the bivalve theme, the Almejas (Clams) en su Salsa (cooked in their own juices) was excellent.

Nice oceany flavor, cut with a bit of acid. The clams were very tender as were the shrimp. Another sauce just made for bread!

And of course, our favorite from the previous evening; the Foie Gras ala Plancha.

Which was just as beautifully rich and decadent as what we had previously. Great balance of sweet and earthy tones, crisp on the outside, molten and quivering inside. Just lovely.

We finished with a nice Vermut. What a nice way to end our stay in Seville!

La Azotea - Zaragoza
Calle Zaragoza 5c
Sevilla, Spain
Open Daily:
130pm - 430pm, 830pm - Midnight

It was Saturday night and Seville was happening. We headed back to the apartment, but decided to stop and enjoy this early (in Spanish terms - like 1030) evening. The Missus had been eyeing out this Helados (Ice Cream) and She decided to step in and get something.

And got the Goat Cheese and Quince Jelly Ice Cream!

Yikes!

I had a different notion....something from across the street.

I think there was some kind of student initiation or something going on here......

I had no idea what was going on, but it sure was festive.....

Though it seemed that most of the guys here just wanted to watch the football match.....

I had my one beer and left. It was time to hit the sack. Our train was to leave early in the morning.

We were a bit sad to leave Seville.....our trip to Spain was almost over. Just one more night in Madrid, then it was back to work.

Here's my requisite Jamon Bellota Iberico Pata Negra shot.

Actually, we shouldn't have been concerned. I had snagged really cheap first class train tickets form Seville to Madrid.

And this being Sunday morning and all; things were really quiet....like "Japan quiet". We were the only passengers in First Class which meant that we got a decent breakfast......and then were able to catch some shut eye!

With dreams of Foie Gras ala Plancha dancing in our heads!

Seville - Victoria 8

While we were having a great time in Seville, it sure was a long walk from the Basilica de la Macarena to our lunch destination.

Though we really loved the little groups of Rollerskate Kids we saw along the way.

I'm not sure if this was some kind of special event or if this was a typical Saturday kind of thing. Regardless, it was really cute, kids on rollerskates, accompanied by adults, dressed up in costumes.

It really added color as we made our way along the Guadalquivir River. Finally crossing over on the Puente de Isabel II to the colorful neighborhood known as Triana. We stopped again at Mercado de Triana, picking up some Jamon Bellota Iberico Pata Negra. We'd be heading back to Madrid the next morning at it was kind of our tradition to always pack some bread, jamon, and good Spanish Olive Oil for a snack along the way.

For lunch, I went searching for a place I'd read about only once; I really don't recall where....but down the back streets of Triana, on Calle Victoria.....is this place.

Appropriately named Victoria 8. We walked in and were told that there were no tables available, all were reserved. But we asked to sit at the bar.......just wanting to graze on some tapas.

Which was no problem. It was fun watching folks walk in.....quite a few larger parties, all of which seemed like locals.

We placed our orders, got some wine, and something to start us off.

I had been wanting to order Salmorejo, one of my favorite dishes.

The wonderful slightly acidic tomatoes....the "taste of sunshine" I call it; matched with a nice peppery-grassy olive oil; the jamon ends, salty and chewy adds texture...and who doesn't like a little boiled egg on top of anything? A very nice rendition.

The Missus loves Her callos.

This was an ok version; the flavor a bit too mild for us.....except for that morcilla (blood sausage), which was really good. I ended up ordering that to end our meal.

The Croquetas de Rabo de Toro - "Bull's Tail Crouquettes" were rich and full of flavor.

Glad we only got three, this would have been too much of a good thing. Well mixed, melt in your mouth, beefy goodness. The potatoes were fairly crisp but quite routine.

We decided to try the Alcachofas (Artichokes ). It was the one dish we didn't care for at La Azotea and I wanted to try it again.

This version had Foie Gras and confit scallion and was delicious; some nice acid, but not too much, richness from the foie gras, sweet-pungency from the confit scallion.

The last item might have been the best; such a beautiful dish with a rather long name; Morcilla de Burgos y Piquillos con Manzana Confitada.

Burgos is famous for their blood sausage (morcilla) and this was lovely. Again, it was combination of the earthy flavors and in typical Burgos style had onions and rice. The piquillo sauce had a nice smokiness and light sweetness; the apple (manzana) confit was nicely spiced and added just the right amount of sweetness. This was delici-yoso.

We had a very nice meal and if I recall, with a couple of glasses of wine each was still less than 40 bucks. It was a very nice time, we were satisfied, but not stuffed, one of the things we really enjoy about tapas. We'd gladly, and probably will return if we're ever back in Seville.

Victoria 8
Calle Victoria 8
Seville, Spain

We made our way back to the apartment....it was Saturday and Seville was buzzing. I'll end the post with the requisite photo of Plaza San Salvador, which I've included in many of my Seville posts. As you can see; this is a happening place.

Sunday Stuffs - 99 Ranch Market's Soft Opening, Poke and Pintxos at Poseidon Project

A few things for a slow Sunday.

99 Ranch Market on Balboa's Soft Opening:

Like many other folks I know, I've been watching for any indication the new 99 Ranch Market would be opening. The other day I noticed some notices were posted. I drove on over to the parking lot and took a look.

The flier says  - Soft Opening October 20th; Grand Opening October 22nd.

So there you go.

5950 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Poke and Pintxos at Poseidon Project:

Like I mentioned in a previous post; I've kind of taken to the Poseidon Project, the little beer bar and bottle shop in my 'hood; Bay Park. It's a nice, neighborhood place, but it's a beer bar and bottle shop and doesn't serve food. Which can be a bit of a problem in this area.

I'll usually drop by on Saturday evenings when the Missus needs to work and have noticed that there's usually one and sometimes two catering folks coming in to serve food.

The usual Saturday stand is by a company named ILNLYF Foods, which you might know from the Little Italy Mercado. And yes, these guys serve poke.

I've yet to find decent poke in San Diego and I really had my doubts about these guys. And the first two times I tried the poke I was underwhelmed. I did enjoy that this isn't the typical San Diego "Chi-poke" set-up; the fast-casual fish with sauce thing. I did find the fish to be on the mushy side and the poke sort of waterlogged; as if they dumped a bunch of frozen fish into the marinade.

However, the guy serving the poke is very nice, friendly, Samoan, who has family and spends a good deal of time in Hawaii.

And wouldn't you know it; the last two times their version of shoyu poke has been pretty good. As you can tell; not too much "suji" (connective tissue) in the fish. It's been marinated....not just sitting around with some sauce thrown on it. I'd like a bit more onions, but the kimchi cucumbers are a decent addition. I was told that because their customer base at the Mercado's said it was too salty; they've had to change to low sodium shoyu....so they told me to visit them at the PIF and other festivals where they "don't hold back".

Tried it again recently and I gotta say; it's a two fer two...though i'm not a big fan of the "fried rice", which was too hard and dry. I'll stick with the white rice....though they did have a decent mac salad a few weeks back.

Also, on occasion there's young lady who makes paella, and later on some Saturday evenings she'll bring in some Pintxos......you know what that is, right?

They'll tell most folks this is "tapas", but the young lady is from Bilbao. In Basque country, they call this Pintxos.

Some Tortilla Espanola, maybe a version of Champinones Al Ajillo, Boquerons, or Crouquettas de Pollo. Nice folks.

I'm not sure what the entire lineup of food purveyors is; so you may want to call ahead on a Friday or Saturday to see if they'll have anything; 619-230-5334.

Over the last couple of weeks; I've noticed a couple of things; the beer cooler doesn't have the variety it used too; they don't always have all 8 pulls going. I really like this place and hope this isn't a bad sign. I've enjoyed meeting some of my more like minded neighbors, the two and even four-legged ones.....so I'm hoping Poseidon hangs on and maybe gets a kitchen, or something.

Poseidon Project
4126 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

Seville - Seville Cathedral and Dinner at Eslava

After finishing up lunch at Petite Comite, we had one more stop in mind. This is one even I got rather excited about; Seville Cathedral, the third largest church in Europe.

Getting in was rather quick as the lines weren't very long.

And the place is very impressive.

Huge pillars and high vaulted ceilings.......the sheer immense size is quite amazing. There are 80 side chapels and just too much to see.

And behind this gate lies something that is rather overwhelming.

The Retablo Mayor (Main Altar) is over 60 feet tall and made up of over 40 panels depicting the life of Mary and Christ. And yes, it is gilded with gold; a bounty brought back from the Americas.

Flemish Sculptor Pierre Dancart started working on this in 1482 (he died in 1492), after his death, several generations of craftsmen took over and the work wasn't completed until 1564. Over 80 years!

In case you need to clear out some of the sparkle from gold from your eyes, you can balance things out by checking out the Silver Altar (Alta de Plata).

Like I said; you'll soon be overwhelmed by things...... This is the Chorus.

Seville Cathedral, like many of the churches in Southern Spain is built on the site of a former Mosque. When Ferdinand III of Castile arrived in Seville to retake it from the Moors, a voice beckoned to him while praying and it is said an angel led him into the city and into the main mosque. Here he was able to see thru the layers of a wall that a mural of the Virgin had been painted on it years before. A few days later, Seville fell. And here we have the Altar of the Virgin of Antigua.

I'm sure that each altar has such a story......if you'd like to find out a bit more about all the Altars; I've translated this Wikipedia page.

Take a gander at the organ of the Cathedral to the right.

All of this was great; but there was one main reason I wanted to visit this Cathedral.

You see, even though there's still some disagreement about things, a DNA test done in 2006 agrees with the belief that Columbus; at least part of him, resides in this tomb in the Cathedral. You can't miss seeing the four figures; each representing one of the kingdoms of Spain during Columbus's life; Castile, Aragon, Leon, and Navara; holding his tomb aloft.

It makes for quite a dramatic sight. Heck, even the story of how Columbus (supposedly) ended up back in Seville makes for quite a tale in itself. Full of twists and turns...and still, what's in that box of bones found in the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor that had the inscription "The illustrious and excellent man, Don Colon, Admiral of the Ocean Sea." Hmmm......

Regardless, this was a bucket list moment for me. One I tried to savor....the only annoyances being the loud, knucklehead tourists from you know where who kept going under the ropes for a photo-op or reaching over and grabbing the statues......

After a few minutes it was time for the last stop at the Cathedral. Time to take a walk up the Giralda (Bell Tower), which used to be a minaret. It's an easy walk and the view from 330 feet up is spectacular. That's the Plaza de Toros, the Bullring, near the middle of this photo.

Looking in the direction of where we were staying, we could see the Iglesia de San Isidoro, but man those street sure are narrow!

We headed back down and took a short walk thru Patio de Los Naranjos (Courtyard of the Orange Trees).

Before heading back for a well earned nap.....things were pretty quite midafternoon as we passed Plaza de San Francisco.

Needless to say, we were pretty hungry when we awoke. And it would be about a mile walk to our dinner destination; a very popular restaurant named Eslava in the Alameda neighborhood. Eslava, like La Azotea is always mentioned in those "best of" lists you find. We arrived just after the place opened and it was already getting busy. There's a restaurant next door; but the bar, where you get the tapas sized portions is where we wanted to be.

Wine and olives (and lupini beans) to start (of course).....

I started ordering.......

Garbanzos con Menudo, the Missus does love Her "callos".....

Pretty good, comforting, garbanzos a bit too hard, though a nice start.

Would there be any doubt that we'd be having the Foie Gras on Hazelnut Bread.

Nicely rich and creamy, if perhaps a bit too sweet. But man; garbanzos to foie gras in two bites....that's some range there.

Eslava is a regular winner on the tapas food circuit; meet one of their masterpieces; the Slow Cooked Egg on Mushroom (boletus) Soufflé, with a wine sauce.

  Good lord almighty.....such a drool and food porn worthy dish. This was delici-yoso...with several exclamation points!!!! The earth flavors of mushroom, light acid and sweetness from the wine reduction, and the richness of that egg yolk.

I thought the Pork Ribs with Honey and Rosemary Sauce was too sweet and the ribs a bit too tough and chewy for our tastes.

Another prize winner, Un Cigarro para Becque - Becque's Cigar.

Served with a rich, but mild aioli, the range of flavors and textures in this was startling; from the brie pastry, crisp with some stretch, to the filling which was darkened using squid ink, and consisted of algae, langostines, and cuttlefish, I'd say this is a must try dish here. It's quite an interesting item.

The Charlota Calabacin; a Zucchini (Charlotte) Terrine was very nice as well.

Nice and comforting.

The Carrillada ibérica estofada (stewed pork cheeks) was another delicious dish.

Tender, with a wonderful flavor.......I don't know if I've ever had a version of this that I didn't like.

The Boquerón blanco frito, fried anchovies were crisp, light, and had good oil.

These are sometimes a crap-shoot, but we were told these were from Malaga and they did indeed taste fresh with no off flavors.

I was getting pretty stuffed.....I don't think I could finish the Albodingas, which the Missus loved.

Man, this was some meal....but here's the kicker. Three glasses of wine each; we finished with Vermut, which the Missus has kind of gotten a taste for, 48 Euros! That's like $54 at that time.

We sat next to a very nice couple from the UK....the husband was "stationed" here in Seville. It was a nice discussion of Seville from a different point of view. The woman was very friendly and quite surprised that we managed to hit three of the top places in Seville in the short time we'd been here.

Eslava
Eslava 3
Seville, Spain

While folks don't eat quite as late here as in Madrid, it was pretty well packed as we left.

We took a meandering and circuitous route back to our flat. It was a cool, but not too cold night, and folks were out and about.

We walked through this nice wide open square with two Roman columns on it. This is La Alameda and has a history going back to 1547.

And while picking up a few items from the neighborhood grocery, ran into this little fellow.

He was, in his own way, quite adorable.....but only had eyes for his "master"....and he was also quite proud. In that sort of; "ok, I'll let you pet me kind of way". I named him the "Smug Pug". We even saw him the next day......making his way through the crowds....not having time for anyone.... As we watched him, I started humming, of all things, the Overture to the Barber of Seville....which, for some reason made me think of this. Funny how the mind works.....

We wandered along and ended up at this spaceship looking monstrosity....

This is called the Metropol Parasol, also known as Plaza de la Encarnacion (Incarnación's mushrooms). Which looked quite out of place among the historic structures in Seville.

Yes, Seville was full of surprises. You'd be walking down a relatively sedate street, the bell tower of a church standing quietly in the night.

You'd turn the corner....and oh my goodness, there would be a crowd of folks; young and old, socializing and enjoying the evening.

Perhaps that's the joy of Seville. There's a surprise around every corner.

Thanks for reading!

Seville - Plaza de Espana and Lunch at Petite Comite

There was something about Seville. It was lively, vibrant, but not overwhelming. It seemed fairly laid-back, but full of color and history. We'd started the morning by walking to Mercado de Triana and now; the Missus had Plaza de Espana squarely in Her sights. so we crossed back over the Puente de Isabel II and headed down Paseo de Cristobal Colon...named after well, you know. It was overcast and fairly cool (remember, this was back in February) and the walk was quite easy. You do pass quite a few landmarks; like the Plaza de Toros (bullring), which I read could seat 12,000 people.

A bit further down; where Paseo de Cristobal Colon becomes Paseo de las Delicias is the Torre del Oro (the Gold Tower).

Built in 1220, the tower was once part of the city walls and also used to guard the river. According to accounts, a large chain connected the Torre del Oro to a tower on the other side of the river in Triana. It was also used as a prison for a period after the Reconquista.

This impressive building is the Palacio de San Telmo; San Telmo Palace.

It has a long and rather interesting history. It was originally built as a Navigator's College and then sold to the Duke of Montpensier who made it his palace. In 1893 it was donated to the city and is currently the residence of the President of the Regional Government of Andalusia.

That fountain and monument above is the Glorieta de los Marineros, dedicated to Juan Sebastián Elcano, who after Magellan's death, completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth.

Plaza de Espana is located in Maria Luisa Park, a very nice green area, full of fountains and gardens. Of course the main attraction for most; the Missus and I included is the Plaza de Espana, built for the 1929 World's Fair. Walking down the short tree lined street to the grand curved building makes quite an impression.

It is quite a bit to take in......

The curved façade makes it look quite grand and very harmonic to the eye.

The two towers at the end are connected by a gallery and the center structure provides a nice view as well.

And the acoustics near the main stairs are pretty good.

Our favorite part of the plaza was the former Spanish Pavilion where the façade of the main structure is lined with 58 benches. Each bench features wonderful tile work. Each one depicts a historic scene from the history of each province of Spain.

It was fun walking past the benches; the provinces are ordered alphabetically, and see all of the places we'd visited during our trips to Spain - Barcelona, Granada, Sevilla, Vizcaya.... And take in some of the interesting details that'd we'd recognize; like the coat of arms for Madrid; the  Bear and The Madrono Tree.

Soon it was time to leave and head off to lunch. We headed north a short ways and down a rather small street to Petit Comite, a place that I'd read quite a bit about.

The folks here are very friendly, the atmosphere somewhat cozy, the menu full of interesting, sometimes "fusion" raciones and tapas. Of all the places we ate at in Seville, this one felt the most like a true restaurant.

The Missus started with a glass of wine; I had a beer. And with the help of our friendly Server, put together what he considered a "nice" meal....'not too much, not too little" with a few signature dishes. Oh, did I mention his English was impeccable......which made me somewhat worried, but heck, we found that just about every place we visited in Seville, there was someone, at least one person who spoke English.......and it seemed most of the young folks did speak some English. It kind of made me embarrassed that I really don't know another language.

First up; the Duck Risotto with Pumpkin and Foie Gras (8,2€ - $9).

I've mention my leeriness of typical restaurant par cooked risotto before, but this was mentioned as a house specialty. It came out in minutes and the texture was rather uneven, sometimes too hard and chewy, though the pumpkin did help to add additional creaminess to the dish. We also thought the kitchen was a bit heavy-handed in the sodium department which really affected the flavors.

The Broken Egg with Foie Gras (6,9€ - $7.75) was better.

At first I thought the egg was over-cooked, but it was decently runny. Again, the flavors seemed a bit uneven to us...the egg had too much salt and the foie gras mousse was really sweet.

Thinking that we had ordered too much food, we almost didn't order the Octopus with Truffle Parmentier, but our Server told us it was one of the restaurant's signature dishes, so we got a media racione (5,5€ - $6.25)

I'm glad we got this as this was by far our favorite dish of the meal. Nice combination of flavors and textures; the truffled potatoes were delicious, the octopus flavorful and just slightly toothsome. The egg added an even richer texture to the dish, almost, but not sending it over-the-top.

We finished with the Angus Pastry with foie gras (6,5€ - $7.25)

Yes, it's a burger....sort of...the puff pastry is a whimsical play on the bun...there's a fairly decent sized piece of foie gras under that puff pastry. Loved the texture of the bun....and of course the foie. Found the burger to be pretty good, but underseasoned as were the vegetables.

We really loved the service here, but found the food to be a bit uneven and though Petit Comite was far from mediocre, it paled in comparison to all our other meals in Seville. Perhaps it was just an off day?

Petit Comite
Dos de Mayo #30
Seville, Spain

All of that rather rich food for lunch left me ready for "siesta time". But the Missus wanted to visit one last place before heading off to slumber land. So we headed under that arch and off to our next stop which was surprisingly close.

Thanks for reading!