Restaurant Review: Trangallan

A quick trip to Andalucia and a couple of visits to the tiny village of Setenil de las Valles reminded me how good the simple, unpretentious tapas of this region is.  Little fried squid, cured manchego stored in good olive oil, slices of jamon with fried quails eggs and all a Euro each.  So what to do upon my return dine out on some modern Spanish in Newington Green's Trangallan, price per tapita £7-11...hmmm.

This is slightly unfair.  This isn't rural Andalucia where unemployment is some of the worst in Europe after the collapse of the construction industry in the region and where agriculture is dominant (the tourist industry on the coast is mainly dominated by outsiders).  Secondly these weren't really Tapas, they were -shudder- small plates, London's newest not very new fad.  So not new is this craze in fact that the Pitcher and Piano now does what they call grazing plates.  This is progress from the begining of the trend in Bocca de Lupo and Polpo in the same way that going from the Parthenon to the Elephant and Castle shopping centre is progress in architecture.  However, before I give the impression that I didn't like Trangallan I will clarify.  The food was very good, very very good in fact and it was a pleasant little place, although with a slightly self concious air of being a trendy neighbourhood secret.

Segovia Restaurant: Candido

Restaurants that have been around forever, in touristy locations, frequented by tourists are not things that inspire confidence.  Think Angus Steak Houses, Hard Rock Cafe's at the extreme end.  Some are better, there's Simpsons in London as well, which isn't terrible.  At best though they tend to be happy to revel in their reputations and charge a fortune to those that can't find a better recommendation whilst serving up mediocre food.  As our names were taken down by a waiter at Candido and put on a list for twenty minutes later a la Planet Hollywood it seemed this would be the case.  Things didn't improve when on returning at the allotted time we had to wait in a scrum of people for our names to be called out.  So it was with suprise and delight that we started eating and found out the food was really excellent.

Madrid Reastaurant: Abuelo

There's something to be said for places that do one thing really, really well and Abuelo is certainly one of those.  Abuelo, not to be confused with Abuela around the corner, is one of those and specialises in gambas al ajillo, or prawns and garlic in hot oil.  There are a few of these in Madrid now, but the original and best is in the old town and has been since 1906.  It's definitely worth a stop on a tapas tour if your in this part of the city.

Madrid Restaurants: Pan De Lujo

There is no restaurant in London that would serve a dish of exceptionally high quality tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and good sea salt as a starter in its own right.  People probably wouldn't order it.  But that dish typifies what is great about the food culture of Spain.  Never dislocated from traditional foods and produce in the way Britain was by the industrial revolution Spain mantains a genuine appreciation for quality and seasonality of ingredients that we are only just rediscovering.  That's why a trendy, modern Madrid restaurant unafraid of innovation can serve a delicious plate of tomatoes without it seeming strange.  This focus on the quality of ingredients underpins the cooking at Pan De Lujo.  The produce is sometimes presented simply or with a great deal of invention, it all depends on what is most suitable.  This approach, complimented by a stylish contemporary interior and good service all adds up to an excellent dining experience.

Restaurant Review: Brindisa

I spent the best part of this morning doing the Christmas food shop at Borough Market, which thanks to the ample availability of free samples was great fun.  It was, however, tiring, especially as I kept deciding to buy really heavy things that I didn't need, like bottles of olive oil and a whole celeriac.  Some of the weight was from sheer quantity and cheese has to take most of the blame here.  Either way despite guzzling samples of parmesan, sausages, smoked salmon (the Shellseekers supply is highly recommended, it was absolutely delicious), etc, etc I decided that lunch was in order.

You might have read an article I posted a while ago about the best snack/quick stand up lunch at Borough Market.  The Brindisa chorizo sandwich was for me a clear winner, so I thought it high-time I tried their proper place just round the corner from their market stall.  I had high hopes given the excellent quality of the produce that they sell and my excitement led to the slightly embarrassing situation of arriving at quarter to twelve, fifteen minutes before the kitchen opened.  No matter at least it meant we got a table, something which can be very difficult when the market is busy, where we proceeded to order a couple of cold tapas and some wine.

A spot of lunch at Borough Market

I've been really enjoying working next door to Borough Market for the last five months and now that this is drawing to an end its time to answer that all important question; where’s best for snack time?

Over the last couple of years as the tourists have started to flock there, the market has absolutely filled up with places for a quick lunch or a grilled snack. The snob in me thinks this is terrible and would prefer it to all be about buying artisan grown carrots, rather than pushing through crowds at posh burger. However, the hungry (read very, very greedy) luncher in me thinks its fantastic to have somewhere more interesting than Pret to grab a bite. So on with the list.