Spain is extremely diverse with an endless variety of foods and flavours. There's something for everyone and if you're looking for cocina gallega, this is the place for you!
We had spent the day sight seeing and needed to find a restaurant that would accommodate all 9 of us! Many of the restaurants in the area are small and quaint, but when coming around a corner we spotted this gem. It was obvious they catered to large groups so it was perfect. We were 3 adults with 5 kids and a baby. They were very accommodating, but looked a bit surprised as we slowly trailed in. I'd say most of the customers in the restaurant worked close by and were having lunch.
We were taken to a large table in an area at the back with plenty of room for all of us. There were many tables and people just sit wherever and eat. When it's very busy you sit with strangers, eat and off you go when you're finished. Food is more enjoyable when shared with others.
In Spain it's common to have a lunch table d'hote. The same is offered at dinner with a different selection of starters and mains and usually comes with a glass of wine. Here you could choose a starter, main and then coffee or dessert. Usually they offer 4 starters and 4 main courses in addition to their regular menu. It also includes bread and a drink. The dessert selection varies or you could have a coffee if there's no room left in your stomach! They had a great selection. If you don't want a full meal, they also have over 15 different tapas or sharing plates to choose from. We watched as the servers went by with orders for other clients and had a very hard time deciding what to have.
I finally went with a salad to start, then paella. For the children they had roasted chicken with potatoes. The portions were huge. When my salad arrived I thought, "Oh my I won't have room for much else!" At home this would have been enough for 4 of us to share. My sister and I decided to share the salad and cancelled hers. Not long after my paella arrived. Another huge plate. It had a bit of everything; chicken, shrimp, vegetables, seafood and the traditional saffron rice. The seasoning was perfect and my rice was cooked just right. Much like pasta, I prefer my rice al dente or on the firmer side. Mushy rice reminds me of oatmeal and my grandmother trying to force feed me. It didn't end well! Lol Thankfully I didn't order anything for the baby, she ate from my plate and loved the shrimp. There was so much food the older kids dug in as well.
The chicken was tender and juicy served with roasted potatoes. You could tell the chicken had been marinaded and slow roasted. The skin was nice and crispy with a wonderful flavour which seeped into the meat. We didn't hear one complaint from the kids as they were too busy eating everything on their plates and stealing from ours. My sister is a picky eater so she also had the chicken. My brother-in-law is adventurous so he had the merluza a la gallega. Merluza or hake as we call it here, is a staple in Spain much like salmon is to us. It belongs to the cod family and has a very mild taste. The white meat is firm and sweet. It was served with potatoes and a light sauce made of fish stock, garlic, tomato and pimenton - a very popular spice in Spanish cuisine. The flesh of the fish was moist and tender, it melted in your mouth. The sauce gave it a slight kick while the potatoes added texture. Everything was delicious. Had we stayed in Madrid longer we would've eaten there more often.
After all that food, there was no room for dessert. All of the desserts looked amazing and are made in house. We opted for coffee instead then headed back to the apartment for a nap! I don't know how Spaniards can eat so much food for lunch then eat again at night and stay thin. The food was delicious and very reasonably priced. For the table d'hote the price is under 10 Euros. You couldn't make all of that food at home for that price. Never mind all the preparation and cooking time then having to do the dishes!
I long to go back so that I can try some of the other dishes on the menu or simply sit with friends enjoying a glass of wine and nibbling on a variety of tapas. Why choose one dish when you can try a bunch of different things?
Do I love food? Absolutely, one of the simplest pleasures of life. I'm extremely fortunate to have passed this love onto my children. It's great that I can take them anywhere and they'll eat whatever is put in front of them. Spain was a gastronomic wonderland that we enjoyed thoroughly along with all the major attractions, beaches and time with family.
Hasta pronto!
Carm the Foodie
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