Naturally, we we planned to eat well, and made a reservation before we left Berkeley for 10:45pm at Astor, a delicious effort by a Spanish woman and her Argentinian husband, with a Peruvian chef who introduced them to a variety of Peruvian cuisine that includes Japanese and Chinese influences. Our menu: a beet hummus, cod croquettes, and Char Siu, a braised meat dish in a soy sesame sauce, a glass of wine each. Sorbet for Larry, ice cream for me.The owner wanted to know more of Larry’s 40 years restaurant life; he gave her thumbnail, and they agreed on the difficulty.
The second night we ate at Moratín 40, a slice of a space done up smartly, serving a locally-sourced menu. Leeks, a tomato salad, seared tuna, wine, all good.
Our third night we ate an older restaurant, La Sanabresa, very busy, great waiter, lots of regulars. The menu, divided into prix-fixe and a la carte at multiple levels, offered “down home food”. Too late for the oxtails and oyster mushrooms, we settled for mushrooms with jamón and lamb chops, homemade tiramisu for dessert. It was Yum.
Our last night, at Sua, specializes in grilled foods: baby artichokes served in rich meat reduction sauce, mixed small veggies in a green veloutée (sorrel?), steak, roasted potatoes and peppers. A glass of wine each, no dessert because…
In the afternoon we sat down to a cup of traditional “hot chocolate”, a thick sauce of dark chocolate into which we dunked porras, lengths of deep-fried dough. We couldn’t finish it.
Breakfasts and lunches here and there, keeping it light. No tapas-hopping, but we did go to Mercado San Miguel, a former wholesale vegetable market, now an elegant glass and metal food magnet, with booths selling bocadillos, chichones, sushi, lots of wine and beer. Mobbed.
A feast for the eyes, a few tasty morsels.
Mercado Antón Martín sells to discerning shoppers: produce, meat, fish, and more. I will spare you the photos of mammal parts and flesh.
Well fed and satisfied, even had a whole-wheat seeded croissant which was pretty good.