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what
to eat & where
to stay
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A CULINARY
LOVER'S GUIDE TO ANDALUCIA:
Where to Eat and Where to Stay Along the Coast of
Sun and Light
By Heather Sperling
December 2006
Rolling hills of farmland populated by
cattle and the occasional goat make their way down to
yellow sand beaches on the Costa de la Luz. Aptly named,
the Coast of Light enjoys long days as the summer sun
doesn’t set until 10pm. Stretching west from Gibraltar
and up past Cadiz, the province boasts an abundance of
natural resources, some of Spain’s most famous foodstuffs,
and relatively little development. Its culinary epicenter
is the triangle formed by the three most famous Sherry
towns: Jerez, Sanlúcar de la Barrameda, and Cadiz.
Manzanilla and Fino come from the west, and Oloroso, Amontillado
and Pedro Ximenez from the north; Jamon Iberico de Bellota
(the inimitable acorn-fed Iberian ham) comes from the
mountains, and fresh seafood and shellfish from the bay.
Across the sea lies Morroco, whose hills are visible on
a clear day and whose flavors permeate the cuisine; one
can taste the remnants of the 700 years of Moorish rule
in dishes spiked with curry, cumin, sweet dried fruit
and tart vinegars.
The abundance of locally-slaughtered
seafood and meat means that every part of the animal is
used. Chefs have a horde of cuts to choose from, and forehead,
cheeks, throat and tail are common, tender and flavorful
additions to menus. Locals don’t bat an eye at this
“nose to tail” eating as they wolf down plates
of huevos aliñados (marinated tuna testicles) at
coastal tapas bars. The region’s resources –
from the trinity of cold soups (gazpacho, ajo blanco and
salmorejo) to the sausages and hams to the treasures of
the sea – form a heavenly marriage with the region’s
most famous beverage, Sherry.
East of Gibraltar, the rolling hills
of farmland give way to blindingly white urban sprawl
of the Costa del Sol. Retinto cows are replaced by bronze
Spaniards in bathing suits, who flock to the area each
July and August. For 60 years Marbella has been the glamorous
center of the Coast of the Sun. It’s a place to
see and be seen, with luxury hotels and designer-lined
streets reminiscent of Miami or Beverly Hills. It is here
that one of Spain’s youngest culinary darlings,
30 year old Dani Garcia, reduces the classics of Andalusian
cuisine to their essence and infuses them with alta cocina
philosophy, simplifying and modernizing gazpachos and
frituras with brilliant results.
With such a bounty of gastronomic history,
artisan products and natural resources, what could be
the drawback of a culinary life in the Andalusian sun?
Tradition, for one. Save for the most culinarily-inclined,
the Spanish tourists from the North want the traditional
Andalusian experience of sun, sherry, fried fish and beer.
This presents a direct challenge to progressive chefs,
who often encounter a lack of understanding and support
for their endeavors. The food-savvy international clientele
of cities like Madrid, Barcelona and San Sebastian is
not found in the same numbers in the smaller cities along
the coast. Save for the traditional Sherry towns, there
is no single culinary center to which gastronomic pilgrims
are drawn; instead, there is a sparse constellation of
chef-driven destinations – one in Cadiz, one in
Marbella, a handful in Sevilla, and so on. Moreover, the
dining infrastructure is not yet built, and a restaurant
like Dani Garcia’s – incredibly spacious,
with a high-tech kitchen and total experimental freedom
– could not exist without the economic security
of the hotel to which it is adjoined. But the foundations
are being laid. As Spain’s southern coast continues
to mature economically, as alta cocina permeates the country,
and as chefs like Dani Garcia bring Andalucia’s
gastronomic traditions to the international stage, the
future will no doubt find more culinary pilgrims like
myself searching the landscape for bits of culinary brilliance.
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RESTAURANTS:
Costa
de La Luz:
La Cigüeña
Calle Plocia, 2
Cadiz, Spain 11005
(34) 956 250 179
Lunch and Dinner
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Ventresca of Swordfish with
Scallion Confit and Pedro Ximenez Syrup at
La Cigüeña
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Born and trained in Holland, Chef Leon Griffoen
has spent 6 years as owner and executive chef at his 10-table
restaurant in the center of the very traditional, very Spanish,
Andalucian city of Cadiz. His cuisine is regional and modern
– he serves local ingredients and traditional dishes
prepared in a contemporary manner (octopus with warm potato
foam, turron ice cream with leche montada) from a tiny, 1-person
kitchen. His wife is the sommelier and his sister-in-law is
the hostess and server. There is one other restaurant in Cadiz
preparing this type of cuisine; he says that neither is doing
very well because their vacationing, southern Spanish audience
doesn’t really “get it.” A 7-course tasting
menu is available for 32.50 euros.
Recommended Dishes:
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Fried Goat Cheese
with Pear, Thyme Honey and Black Sesame Seeds
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Prawns with Cauliflower
Puree, Peanuts and Coscorrones
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Ventresca of Swordfish
with Scallion Confit and Pedro Ximenez Syrup
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Ice cream of Turron
from Cadiz with Leche Contada and Jerez Brandy Caramel
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El Tambuche
Avenida de la Bajarmar, 2
El Puerto de Santa María, Cadiz
(34) 956 051 154
Dinner Only
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Reconstructed Pastela
Arabe at
El Tambuche
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Angel Leon is best known for his discovery of a
seaweed extract that can be used to make natural foams
(now sold under the Adria’s Textures line).
He presented this technique at Madrid Fusion 2005
and soon after opened this tiny restaurant with his
friend from culinary school, Mugaritz alum Daniel
Torres. The presentations are beautiful and the cuisine
is utterly Andalusian. Filled with Moorish and North
African influences, it is a perfect example of the
innate fusion of the region. Each dish is a well-thought
out combination of traditional ingredients, home-cooking
and the alta cocina principles in which Leon and Torres
were trained. Their sommelier is an enthusiastic viniculture
student at the University of Cadiz who will gladly
pair your courses with a local sherry. El Tambuche
offers a tasting menu (“a small gastronomic
journey filled with the harmonies and aromas of our
land”) of three plates, one dessert, two drinks
and coffee for 32 euros.
Recommended Dishes:
- Salmorejo with Jamon Ibérico
Salmorejo con migas manchegas y jamón
- Fried alboronía ravioli
with prawns, membrillo puree and nut vinaigrette
Ensalada de raviolis de alboronía y langostinos
- Red Tuna with Maghreb Spices and
Couscous
Atún rojo con especies del magreb y cuscús
- Cuttlefish with Butifarra from
Chiclana and Pear Aioli
Choco plancha con butifarra de Chiclana y alli-oli
de pera
- Arab Pastela with Mint pure
Pastela Árabe con pure de hierbabuena
- Elbow of Iberian ham with almond
ajo blanco and citrus reduction
Codillo Ibérico Sobre Ajoblanco de Almendra
y Jalea de Cítricos
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La Castelleria
Chef Juan Valdéz (chef and owner)
Santa Lucía, Vejer de la Frontera, Cadiz
(34) 956 451 497
Dinner Only
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The outdoor kitchen
and fresh
meat case at La Castilleria
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Passing through the vine-covered walkway
that leads to the tree-lined dining area of La Castelleria,
one is met by the equally intoxicating smells of honeysuckle
and grilled meat. This outdoor restaurant in the tiny,
one-street village of Santa Lucia, nestled in the foothills
below Vejer, is the place to go for fresh Spanish meat,
grilled to perfection. From his spot in front of the
brick-lined wood-burning grill, chef/owner Juan Valdez
will guide you through the histories and flavors of
the elaborate contents of his meat case: rich pink veal
from local retinto cows, aged 8 months; steak from the
same breed, deep burgundy and marbled, aged 8 years;
pork from the mountains above Huelva; duck breast from
Santander on the northern Atlantic coast. The result
is meat like you’ve never had it before, simply
seasoned and impeccably prepared.
Recommended Dishes:
- Razor Clams in Garlic
Navajas al Ajillo
- Chargrilled Sirloin of Veal
Solomillo de Ternera a la Parilla
- Chargrilled Loin of Beef
Lomo Alto de Buey a la Parilla
- Entrecote of Veal with Green Peppercorn
Sauce
Entrecotte de Ternera con Salsa de Pimienta Verde
- Cheese cream with honey and nuts
Crema de Queso con Miel y Nueces
- Lemon tart
Tarta de Limon
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El
Jardin de Califa
Plaza de España, 12
Vejer de la Frontera, Cadiz
(34) 956 451 706
Dinner Only
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Moroccan pastries
at El Jardin de Califa
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Jardin de Califa is a classic Moroccon menu
with a few middle-eastern twists, the brainchild of
Chef Khadija Essâdi (a 36 year old Moroccan
woman who learned to cook from her mother) and owner
James Stuart, who was born and raised in Lebanon and
Syria. The outdoor dining area is a beautiful garden
filled with tiles, lights and the scent of grilled
meat; indoors the prime spot is a 4-top in stone-lined,
golden lit nook that used to be the base of a well.
Chef Khadi has a pastry business on the side and makes
her own warka, the crispy, layered Moroccan version
of filo dough used in sweet and savory pastries. The
food is predominantly Moroccan home cooking, but with
excellent ingredients – local meat and produce,
and spices and couscous brought in from Morocco. The
Sommelier is Catalan and has included a few interesting
Middle-Eastern wines on the list.
Dishes to savor:
- Malfouk (an egg roll of vegetables,
curry and black pepper)
- Arab Pastela (traditional version)
- Couscous Agrodolce
- Tagine Oriental
- Greek yogurt with nuts, honey
and caramel
- Mint tea
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Trafalger Restaurant
Plaza de Eapaña, 31
Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz
(34) 956 447 638
Dinner Only
Trafalger serves classic regional
cuisine in an upscale setting. The two dishes below
were excellent – fantastic examples of the versatile
and flavorful Pedro Ximenez sherry. Its classic pairing
is with desserts (goes perfectly with the apple flan,
both on the plate and in the glass); mounted with a
bit of butter and stock its sweet and tart raisin-y
flavor pairs with rich meats just as well.
Recommended Dishes:
- Filet of Retinto beef with Pedro
Ximenez and caramelized pearl onions
Solomillo Retinto con salsa de Pedro Ximenez
- Apple Flan with Pedro Ximenez gelatin
Flan de Manzana con gelatina de Pedro Ximenez |
El Campero
Avenida De la Constitución, local 5C
Barbate
(34) 956 432 300
Lunch and Dinner
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Marinated huevas
(tuna testicles) at El Campero
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From the outside, Chef Jose Melero’s famed
seafood restaurant looks deceptively like an urban
chiringuita, or beach-side seafood shack. But anyone
who’s talked tuna with a Spanish chef knows
better; once inside, the sleek interior and case of
fresh delicacies gives it away as the premier destination
in Spain for atun del almadraba, the net-caught tuna
of the nearby Straight of Gibraltar. Almadraba refers
to the method of catching the tuna in a labyrinth
of nets as they swim through the straights between
April and August to spawn. Much of the tuna goes to
Japan, but every bit of what remains is savored--from
the forehead to the throat to the testicles to the
tail.
Recommended Dishes:
- Any Atun de Almadraba –
cured mojama, huevas, carpaccio, tartar, and grilled
cuts from head to tail
- Queso Curado Semifreddo with Honey
Ice Cream and Pine Nuts
Semifrio de Queso Curado con helado de mile
y piñones
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Costa
del Sol:
Calima
Hotel Gran Meliá Don Pepe
Avenida José Meliá
Marbella
(34) 952 764 252
Dinner Only, Reservations Required
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Chef Dani
Garcia in the dining room at
Calima
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Daní Garcia is the culinary star of
Southern Spain, a culinary younger brother
to Joan Roca, Ferran Adria, Martin Beratsegui
and crew. His cuisine at Calima is
provocative, clever and fresh, notable for
its fresh ingredients and impeccable preparation.
It is playful, with repeated references to
the Andalusian experience of sea, sky, mountains
and sand. Though he works with some meat,
seafood is definitely his forte and his inspiration.
Sea Bass “Like on the Beach, First Smell,
Then Eat” is an homage to the beach
barbecues of his Marbella childhood, with
an unadorned skewer of sea bass served flanked
by smoldering coals and black sand from the
adjacent beach. He says that 80% of his menu
is historical, citing memory as one of the
most important aspects of his three-part culinary
philosophy (flavor and high technical excellence
being the other two). Garcia elevates traditional
popular gastronomy to a new level, perfecting
it along the way with his celebrated experiments
like his take on the classic frituras. Completing
the experience is an encyclopedic wine list
with varietals from across the globe.
Recommended
Dishes:
- Cherry gazpacho with anchovies
and queso fresco snow
Gazpacho de Cerezas con Nieve de Queso
Fresco
- Spring salad with olive
oil clouds and cañaillas (local snails)
Ensalada de la Primavera
- Morcilla infusion with
jumbo prawn and greens
Infusion de Morcilla con Caribenera
y Verduras
- “Fried” sole
with its skin / sole in miso with slow-roasted
tomato (two-tier dish)
- Skewer of sea bass “like
on the beach – first smell, then eat”
Lubino al Espeto como en la Playa, primero
oler, después comer
- Passion Fruit Tocino de
Cielo broken with Herb Broth and Eucalyptus
Thyme
Tocino del Cielo con Frutas de la Pasión
roto con un caldo de hierbas
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Tintero
II
Playa del Dedo, El Palo
(34) 952 204 464
Open All Day
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| Sardines
roasting at El Tintero II |
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The chirringuita, or beach-front
seafood restaurant, is a staple of Andalucian beach
culture, and Tintero II is hands down one
of the most popular and the best. At 2pm its picnic
tables are packed with nearly 200 hungry beachgoers
drawn in by the smells of sardines roasting in front
of flames and whole fish grilling on planchas, and
the sounds of plate-laden waiters yelling the names
of whatever delicacy they bear on their arms. Once
fortunate enough to land a seat (preferably near the
outdoor planchas), your trials are not over; you must
stay alert if you want to snag the waiters with the
best burden – grilled spiny lobster, jumbo prawns,
chilled langoustines, and whole fresh fish.
Recommended Dishes:
- Grilled spiny lobster, jumbo prawns,
langoustines, paella, roast sardines…anything
“a la plancha”
Bogavante a la plancha, langostinos, cigalas,
paella, boquerones
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Adolfo
Paseo Marítimo Pable
Ruiz Picasso, 12
Málaga
(34) 952 601 914
Dinner Only, Reservations Recommended
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Monkfish, prawns and
fideos at Adolfo
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Adolfo is classic in the
upholstered, suited, box of cigars sense of the word,
but the food bears none of the stodginess or age one
might expect from such formal surroundings. Instead
the cuisine is completely local, traditionally and excellently
prepared; aside from the occasional flowery and wholly
unnecessary garnish, dishes were without fault. Tender
local baby goat is roasted with rosemary honey that
smells of the wild rosemary that grows in tufts by the
sea; fideos colored with squid ink and prawn are rich,
creamy and utterly Spanish.
Recommended Dishes:
- Spiny lobster and arugula salad
Ensalada de bogavante, rúcola, aguacates
y crujiente de Ibérico
- Skewer of monkfish and prawns with
fideos in ink and prawn sauce
Brochete de Rape y Langostinos sobre Fideuá
en su tinta y salsa de carabineros
- Young Malaga goat with rosemary
honey and couscous
Cabrito Lechal Malagueño a la mile de romero
y su cuscus
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The
Garden
Calle Los Cubos.
Frigiliana
(34) 952 533 185
Dinner Only
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The dining room
at The Garden
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Perched in the upper streets of the
vertiginous hillside town of Frigiliana is The
Garden, an old restaurant recently bought and
reworked by young British chef Rob Grimmons. Though
only a few moments walk from the main part of town,
the route is more or less vertical, and The Garden’s
outdoor dining room offers gorgeous views of the winding
white houses and green-brown hills below. Grimmons
works with local ingredients to make cuisine that
is creative enough for the British expat population
while still accessible to the more traditionally-minded
Spanish tourists.
Recommended Dishes:
- Pimientos de Padron
- Roast pork belly with membrillo
aioli
- Pork chop with preserved lemon
dressing
- Grilled lamb chops with mango
chutney
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Hotels:
Hotel Califa
Plaza de España, 16
Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz Province
11150, España
(34) 956 447 730
lacasadelcalifa.com
Save for the necessary additions – running
water, electricity and such luxuries of modern convenience
– the buildings that house Hotel Califa have
been virtually untouched since the 13th century. One
time tariff house, private residence, Guardia Civil
stable and jail, the adjoined buildings now form a
beautiful hotel with 26 rooms, each differing in size
and character, and eclectically decorated with local
fabric, crafts and woodworking. There is no parking
or room service, but prices are incredibly reasonable
for the quality, 50 euros – 120 euros in high
season. Hotel Califa overlooks the Plaza de España,
Vejer’s central square, and houses the Moroccan
and Middle Eastern inspired Jardin de Califa restaurant.
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Casa Cinco
Calle Sancho IV el Bravo, 5
Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz Province
11150, España
(34) 956 45 50 29
www.hotelcasacinco.com
info@hotelcasacinco.com
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View from the roof
of Casa Cinco
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Each of the five rooms of the intimate, cozy Casa Cinco
is designed to cater to a specific sense. The light
and airy guesthouse is nestled on a miniscule side street
above the central plaza of whitewashed and sun bleached
town of Vejer de la Frontera, a UNESCO World Heritage
site. The rooftop patio offers stunning views of the
city and the undulating, patchwork countryside. Owner
Collette is a freelance food writer and an excellent
authority on the province’s culinary gems. |
Gran Meliá Don Pepe
Calle José Meliá
Marbella, Málaga Province
29600, España
(34) 952 770300
Situated in the center of the strip of hotels, glitz
and glamour that lines the black Mediterranean sands
of Marbella is the Gran Meliá del Sol Don Pepe,
one of the oldest, most classic hotels in the city.
In Marbella’s heyday the hotel attracted international
dignitaries, superstars, and cultural glitterati.
Today things are a bit calmer, but the scene is by
no means stale. Comfortable rooms offer stunning views
of the turquoise sea, the spacious grounds and a crystalline
pool lined with oversized Bali beds. A private beach,
indoor pool and spa, and free wireless are a few of
the amenities, the greatest of which is the stunning
Calima, culinary wunderkind Dani Garcia’s restaurant
named for the winds that blow off the northern coast
of Africa.
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Chefs
Recommend:
Chef
Daniel Torres goes to El Faro del Puerto
(Ctra.de Rota. ph: 956870952) in Puerto de Santa Maria
for innovative and elaborate seafood and the traditional
sea-based fare that brought fame to its sister restaurant,
El Faro, in Cadiz. He visits Casa Bigote (Bajo
de Guía. ph: (34) 956 362 696; cierra domingos
y noviembre) and Casa Balvino in
Sanlúcar de Barrameda for impeccable fresh
seafood and shellfish, and what he calls the best
tapas in Spain.
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Barrels of Sherry
at Taberna
la Manzanilla in Cadiz
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El Tesoro
(Betijuelo 6, Tarifa. ph: 956 23 63 68. Reservations
only.) is where James Stuart from Jardin de Califa
goes for stunning views of Tarifa and Morocco,
and Chef Jesús Silva’s cuisine of beef
cheeks, salt cod and other delicacies.
Chef
Leon Griffoen recommends Hecho en Cadiz
for local artisan meat, olive oil, honey and cheese.
He visits the 100-year old Taberna La Manzanilla
(C. Feduche 19, Cadiz. Ph: 956 285 401) for draughts
of local sherries and interesting sherry vinegars.
He loves to drink and cook with the 80-year Pedro
Ximenez, some of the richest and most mellow of its
kind.
Chef Rob Grimmons
goes to Udo Heimer (C. Andalucia,
Nerja. ph: 952 52 0032) in the coastal town of Nerja
for inventive European cuisine made with local Mediterranean
produce.
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