turkish no more

The end of our year is going to take place in Istanbul, and it's not that we planed on it. By the contrary it was the colossally innervating incompetence delivered by the carrier supposed to be the Best European Airline of the Year (what a joke): Turkish Airlines.

liquid xmas

Generally speaking I wouldn't say I'm a big fan of the xmas season. However, for my palate it has always been great time to enjoy food and its collaborative drinks.

This year, for two particular reasons, I decided to break my Cava only principle. The first one is our recent trip to Paris, which certainly deserved a modest homage, and the second is our solidarity with the decent French people who most likely had a rather unpleasant autumn. 

Since the celebration at this time of the year tends to be a generous one, I considered having an Aussie little extravaganza, on the red side of things.

Last September Patxarán became a very popular digestive to conclude some of our more exciting meals, so we couldn't avoid adding it to our short list of liquors. In this occasion from very distant locations like Ontario, Victoria, Navarra, Oaxaca or France.

xarel-lo thursday

This week is being surprisingly warm. It is hard to believe we are in the middle of December. I guess the global warming issue wasn't a joke, as many politicians wanted us to believe.

After a completely useless visit to the bank, we left to town. A perfectly located parking spot was waiting for us right in front of the entrance to the market we like the most. 

reboredo rediscovered

Yesterday I drove all the way down to Reboredo, a little village not far from A Lanzada beach. Lunch was waiting for us at the renovated Culler de Pau.

The room was practically empty, except for another table with a low range Galician politician, who had her driver waiting outside, as it should.

This beautiful and single vieira could not be better.

I opted for this unknown Albariño, a Leirana relative, but done the old traditional way, pressing the grapes with feet (cos pés). An orangey colour and kind of turbid volume, were the most appealing part of it.

A mandatory piece of hake completed our marine experience, before we continued with a light ration of beef.

tasqueando en 1900

The earlier part of the evening was more of a contrast between new and old, and we loved the old element.

The sweet tapa of quisquillas we had were unquestionably the highlight.

:)is-fru-tar

Yesterday we explored the always exciting Barcelona dining landscape. Disfrutar was probably the most impressive discovery of the evening.

shangri-la noodles

Our last dinner of the year in TO City wasn't particularly Torontonian, although from a multicultural point of view I guess it could be so. 

We went for noodles to the usual place for us, right on University. The drinks on the main floor were certainly not tempting. So I decided to try a beer made in Collingwood (ON), which I found not particularly thrilling.

more mencía

This Tuesday we kept the Mencía vibe from the weekend. There was a good reason to do a little celebration, which somehow I thought required a nice piece of beef. 

A suddenly scheduled trip to Oz deserved some sort of deliciousness, even if a modest one. After a rather sleepless night, and a few hours of morning meditation, a plan to get back down under was put on our Vitra table.

We revisited the 2011 Moncerbal delights, and they probably were the ones I enjoyed the most, so far. 

Unfortunately, the following day the whole plan evaporated with a very simple and short telephone call. It was a considerable disappointment, another one.