Review: Old House Cosmopolitan Grill

4 May 2021

The few times I eat out these days in midst of the COVID era, I always ask myself if I should write a review. There are so many questions, from restriction-related issues to my own lack of enthusiasm for writing, from the deep-seeded sense of wanting to support the industry to the sheer joy of experiencing something we had taken for granted for so very long.

For a long time I had a not-always-enforced policy about writing reviews of places in my local area, but let’s be honest the pandemic has thrown all of that out the window. Dining out somewhere a 30-minute walk away seems like destination dining these days. But I’m always happy to highlight a wonderful dining experience, and this dinner at the popular Old House Cosmopolitan Grill in Old Town Alexandria certainly fits the bill.

I have not dined out much even as restrictions loosened. First of all, I’m still in that vaccine purgatory awaiting my second Moderna. Second, I really hate to take up a two-top (or larger table) in a distanced, space-challenged restaurant that needs to maximise its occupancy for the few tables they are seating; it makes me feel very guilty, even if I generally end up spending more than a party of two. Third, it makes me miss “normallity” too much, and I don’t need more melancholy in my life at this point.

But this weekday evening at Old House Cosmopolitan Grill was exactly what was needed. Dinner with a friend for some excellent conversation and fabulous food, all in a convivial environment. I had missed the bus no thanks to the flooding in my part of town from a usual spring downpour but the non-very-usual stupid road construction that caused the flood, so got there by a rather slow Lyft. We both relaxed with a cocktail and caught up, as it’s been over half a year since we’ve had the chance to catch up.

The German-centric menu looked fantastic, the Balkan dishes being the most attractive. And one of the best things about this restaurant is the Balkan-heavy wine list, from which we chose a nice red from Bosnia. As we enjoyed our convo with the tasty wine, our taste buds were further rewarded with the starter we split…

Oh, ćevapčići, such a joy… I love eating these things, and if there ever was a place that did these as an all-you-can-eat while drinking, that would be my version of heaven. So juicy, so meaty, so delicious. With a copious serving of excellent quality breads (not pictured), I could have done this for my entire meal. Fabulous stuff, one of my guilty pleasures.

Oh, and no, they did not serve an odd number, my friend ate one before I managed to grab my phone!

The wine flowed as we polished off the starter and required a second bottle, so we migrated a little south to Macedonia and picked a richer red for the main courses. Most of the menu here is German-centric, but they had as a daily special a mixed seafood grill that I chose for my main…

Quite delicious, and a nice selection of seafood. The scallop and the crab cake were the two stars of this plate, absolutely succulent. That’s not to say the mussels and shrimp were any less so, quite good with the tasty rice. But being off carbs for weeks now, this was a heck of a hit on my system. Very filling, tho I definitely cannot eat carbs the way I used to!

As the restaurant has emptied out a little towards the pandemic-mandated earlier closing time, we slowly wound up and polished off our wines as we awaited our desserts. I just can’t bypass this, having lived above a Greek restaurant for a year during college…

A rather good baklava and a heaping mug of black coffee, and this was the perfect close to the evening. I tend to like my baklava not swimming in honey, and this is actually a wonderful version for my taste buds. My friend headed out by Lyft, but since it’s cooled down thanks to the rain I took the half hour stroll home — which helped to work off the carbs too!

I have to say, this has been one fine evening. Old House Cosmopolitan certainly is one of the gems of Alexandria’s Old Town, and a fine destination for wonderful hospitality and delicious dishes — and lovely wines from the Balkans. The proprietor is a gem as well, and you’ll enjoy Balkan hospitality at its very best here. Love it.

Old House Cosmopolitan Grill
1024 Cameron Street
Alexandria, Virginia

Review: Nasime

7 April 2021

There has been some pretty awful days in the past 12 months, and this day ranked up there with some of the most dispiriting, borderline crushing days in recent memory. I won’t bore my readers with the details, but a procession of extremely bad news through the morning into the late afternoon and my brain — and my soul — was absolutely fried to a crisp.

So I decided I really need a good night out, despite all the issues relating to the pandemic. I managed to snag a last-second spot at Nasime in nearby Old Town Alexandria, and I went for it.

I’ve read quite a bit about this place, and I was impressed from what I saw — both from text and photo. But it almost sounded too good to be true, a proper counter kaiseki restaurant within a half-hour walk from me. But tonight was a perfect night to try to forget about this day, to enjoy what I miss so much — if it’s true, that is…

I hopped on a local bus, the first time I’ve been on public transport since March 2020…and sadly, predictably empty. I got to the restaurant a little early, where a small crowd of eager diners waited outside — safely socially distanced, may I add. And promptly at 6pm the doors opened and we were led in party by party.

These days I always worry being a single diner that I would take up a much-needed two-top, but they accomodated me today — and surprisingly, at the counter. Of course it was re-tooled to ensure COVID-era protection, and the spaces open on the counter were off on the side. Perfect for a single diner like me, yet compliant with all current needs.

I noticed the restaurant is just Chef Yuh Shimomura and one server, which already reminded me of Japan. They managed to shift the tables in a way that allowed for maximum social distancing, but sadly meaning their occupancy is severely limited; I’m glad they were also busy sending out take-away boxes at the onset of this evening.

I relaxed, looking over the menu and starting to internally drool. It looks good, much like what I have seen before as I did my research about this place. There’s always lingering doubts, especially about a place in the US…is it authentic? Is it “dumbed down” for local palates? Are the ingredients solid? And so forth.

Any doubts I had about this place was quickly dispelled once the first dish arrived…

This beautiful bluefin tuna tartar dish, already wonderful from the natural flavour of the excellent fish, was accentuated nicely by the kimizu vinaigrette. I’m usually not a big fan of adding too much to a tartar dish, but for some reason it worked really well today, especially with the Mizubasho ginjo from Gunma. An excellent start.

A little bit of a rest as Chef Shimomura was trying to gauge the pace each party was eating for the next course, which required very delicate timing. I just happened to be sitting in front of the certificate…

A piece of paper was making me so ridiculously hungry, and it arrives…

Goodness this is so good. Being a short rib slice, it also had enough texture to make this a joy to slowly eat and savour every last drop of flavour from each piece.

The truffle shoyu wasn’t necessary because this meat was so crazy good, but again another fine dish. Paired well with Tengumai junmai from Ishikawa. Plus plenty of fresh wasabi for me to snack on!!!

So far this has been fantastic, and almost bringing a tear to my eyes (not from the wasabi). I so miss Japan, and this is about as close as I’ve been since eating that last saba before heading to Narita to fly out back in December 2018… And soon, we have the beautiful sashimi selection for the night…

Lovely stuff, the parts that really stood out here are the tachiuo (scabbard fish), very rarely seen here but one of my favourite fish to eat when I’m in Japan. The kampachi was also of quite stunning quality. All in all, extremely enjoyable, with a delicious Kubota junmai-daiginjo from Niigata complementing the fresh seafood wonderfully.

If I didn’t see that pale blue thing on the counter and me wrapping my face with my scarf everytime my server came by, I would have thought this was a different time… Just sitting at the counter, eating fantastic kaiseki cuisine…just felt like I travelled back in time. I was quickly snapped back to the present to enjoy more of this rare moment of absolute culinary bliss with the next course.

This agedashi course is a beauty and was one of the superb dishes of the past few years. A beautiful soft-shelled crab is stuffed with minced crab meat, fried perfectly, and the whole thing ate like some divine crab ball. Graced by some lovely fiddeheads, which I absolutely love and miss, and this was near perfection. This is something that really made me feel like I was half-way across the world: the excellent crafting, the meticulous balance, and perfect execution. Worked fabulous with the paired Hinomaru ginjo from Akita. Oh, I’m happy…

As I mentioned, this place is just Chef Shimomura behind the counter and our server, very much like similar places in Japan. The service has been efficient and timing just about perfect, which makes me miss Japan even more. This is about as close to the type of kaiseki place I miss so dearly, sitting at the counter and watching the process. Too bad in this age of COVID they had to put up some protection which obstructed the view, but it still felt very much in that spirit. Then the next dish arrive and I smile more…

I know soy-braised chilean seabass is a common dish, but it’s so often done poorly — overcooked fish, overly-dominating sauce, a poor cut of the fish. But this was again nearly perfect, the sauce not too sweet nor strong, letting the natural wonderful taste of this rich fish rise to the forefront. And some nice burdock, all paried with an aged Izumibashi junmai from Kanagawa, and you got a deliriously happy diner here.

At this point I was actually getting quite full, having not consumed so much food in a long time; frankly, I’ve not eaten so much food at one sitting (or even in a single day) since my short loop around Virginia nearly a month ago. But I so needed this today, with the horrible day I had. I didn’t care, it was needed therapy… Plus, I knew the next dish was gonna be heavy…

Ramen. Yeah, I’m not the biggest fan of ramen as you all know, but this wasn’t exactly “ramen” per se. The broth was quite nice, complementing the al dente noodles with a generous amount of brussels sprouts, pork and clams. Photo I took here is after I stirred it all up, of course… Quite nice, and extremely filling. I’m just saddened I couldn’t partake more of the broth here…I was really full. Happily full.

Everyone relaxed a bit at this point, and I enjoyed a nice after-dinner drink as my dessert also arrived…

An excellent and straightforward plum frozen yoghurt, perfect to relax the palate and ease away from the delicious flavours of the evening. I remained for a bit as there was time before the next seating, and had a chance to chat with Chef Shimomura a bit over some more whisky. Extremely impressed.

I eventually thanked the two of them and headed on out. If it wasn’t that hit of stale Old Town air, I would have mentally stayed in Japan for a few extra minutes. Alas, it was not to be. But the memory of this wonderful dinner will stay with me for a long time — at least until I return.

Rarely do I so wholeheartedly recommend a place, but if there’s one place to go for as close to Japan as it gets, this is the place. In so many ways, I felt like this was the perfect escape, with the fabulous cuisine to the authentic spirit. And on a terrible day like this one, it was the escape I needed…

Seriously, forget places in DC. If you’re in the DC area, head out to Old Town Alexandria and teleport yourself to a Michelin-quality authentic kaiseki experience for a few hours.

Nasime
1209 King Street
Alexandria, Virginia

PS: Well, with the day I had, it wasn’t surprising that I continued my drinking after that dinner in an impromptu pub crawl… It was somewhat “normal” except the face covering, but things are starting to feel “normal” again, dare I suggest it. Gosh, I needed this…

Review #2: Roosevelt

3 March 2021

I really didn’t think I would come back to this blog, considering the damage COVID has caused — especially to the hospitality industry. So many of our cherished restaurants closed for no fault of their own, so many of the dedicated, hard-working individuals lost their jobs, livelihoods, and dreams. So devastating it hurts, having gone through with the pain of this loss in the past myself.

For me, often as a lone diner, the entire joy of dining out has withered away in a world of social distancing. The days of hanging out at the bar eating and chatting are gone, and I feel guilty about taking up a 2-top for restaurants desperate to maximize indoor dining revenue despite reduced capacity. So much we all took for granted is now gone…

I recently took a small roadtrip loop around Virginia, having not been on the road for nearly a year exactly. I’m still not flying, and this is the longest I’ve not been on an airplane since Ronald Reagan’s first term… I was forced to book a hotel stay because Hotels.com was about to nix my bonus stays — a really pissy practice in an age of COVID. Not surprised, as COVID-era corporate irresponsibility is the topic so few people talk about (ie my landlord raising my rent in middle of the lockdown).

Nevertheless I was determined to make the best of this unplanned trip. Heading out at dawn and making stops in Harrisonburg and Staunton, I turned back east and headed to an expected location — Gordonsville. Not a surprise as I have often said Barbeque Exchange in Gordonsville is the best BBQ in Virginia by far. Grabbed my take-away and made good time for Richmond, where my hotel was.

Nice to see the hotel, one of the many carbon copy cheap builds out near the airport, properly sanitized (though they over-sanitized the TV remote and it was no longer working…). But I didn’t care about the TV (aside from it being white noise in poorly-built hotels), just about my BBQ… Delicious stuff, some of this would be snacks for either later or breakfast. So good, and as always, highly recommended.

But the main point of this trip was to have a good night out. I decided to return to my favourite place in Virginia’s capital, The Roosevelt. I’ve been there a few times, but only wrote one review — of an excellent evening of food and drink. I ensured a late seating in mid-week to hopefully feel less guilty about taking up a 2-top. Virginia had just lifted its more severe restrictions (10pm closures) a week prior, so my 8.30pm booking hopefully won’t be too rushed.

I arrived and was happily given a table at the window with the view of the traffic circle, all other tables distanced appropriately and busy with diners — which nearly brought a tear to my eye. So good to see people supporting their local restaurants. After I ordered (having seen the menu online), I took my mask off and breathed deeply…

Aside from that pale blue thing on my table, things almost…almost…felt normal again, for a brief moment. A cocktail soon arrived, and it felt like ambrosia, a magic elixir that cured all the ills of pandemic life. Just sitting there looking at drivers hilariously trying to navigate the poorly-designed traffic circle, sipping my drink, and listening to Batman (or Mr Mom, depending on your preference) at the next table humming along to the PA music. I suppose Betelgeuse misses nights out like this as much as I do…

Then soon my starter arrives, and I’m smiling even more…

Some beautiful fried local oysters on a bed of lightly-pickled vegetables. Lovely stuff, the oyster fried perfectly — which is not always easy, as often they are overcooked or too aggressively breaded. Really nice start to the evening’s feasting.

Then at that point the proprietor came out to say hello (we had communicated by email earlier) and brought out an extra dish for me — radicchio and goat cheese salad.

Oh this was nice of them! Delicious, with ample goat cheese, which I absolutely love (and miss). This photo really does not do this dish justice, as the unique bitterness of the radicchio gives that rich goat cheese a perfect finish. A wonderful, if slightly too large, dish — thank you!

I relaxed a little and kept sipping at the lovely Barboursville rosé (I usually always drive by the winery to buy a case but timing didn’t work this trip…and I’m trying hard to not keep booze at home) when my main course arrived — rockfish.

Mmmmm, so good. The Roosevelt is known for a lot of things, but I have never had a fish here that was anything but fantastic. Cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside and juicy soft inside, and absolutely full of flavour. What a wonderful way to close the food portion of the evening, as that comped middle plate exhausted me for any possible dessert…

…but that doesn’t mean it won’t let me have a liquid dessert, so I indeed partook of some nice brown spirits and a heaping cup of coffee in lieu of the rather tempting items on the dessert menu. I was surprised that there were still incoming diners, including walk-ins, which again brought a smile to my face. By this time I assume the Bat Signal was spotted and my famous neighbour has departed after a joyous evening, and it was also time for me to go.

I headed out, thanking the crew for this wonderful evening. Again, if we weren’t all masked (and yes, even at my table, whenever staff came over I quickly put the mask on. It’s just the responsible thing to do), it would all seem so…normal. Perhaps that’s what made it even more special than usual. Thank you, Roosevelt, for reminding me of what was so wonderful to experience, and what is still here for us to enjoy and to continue to look forward to — hopefully in the near, vaccinated future.

Highly recommended, the best restaurant in Virginia. Probably the best restaurant between Wilmington, Delaware and Wilmington, North Carolina.

The Roosevelt
623 North 25th Street
Richmond, Virginia

PS: This evening also made me realize how much lockdown weight I have gained, as my clothes were no longer fitting correctly! I’ve actually lost over 10kg (~25lb) in the past 2 weeks going back to my pre-pandemic gym regimen…

Imaginary Trip — Day 15-16: NYC and Homeward Bound…and Back to Reality

23-24 April 2020*

Ugh…it’s always tough going to the airport for the flight homeward-bound, made much more unpleasant by it being Malpensa. First of all, it means one is leaving Italy, this place I love so much. Second, it’s one of the most inconvenient major airports in Europe. On a good day it takes about an hour to get there by train…

But that’s why I stay near Centrale, convenient as I came in by train and now heading to the airport by train. An uneventful experience there and on the flight back, where I go into my now-patented “zombie mode” where I don’t sleep, but close my eyes, listen to music, don’t eat, don’t drink anything but the bottles of water I brought with me, and get to my destination…

Luckily I had yesterday’s feasting — for the stomach and for the eyes — to keep me going until I landed… Back into JFK, where I departed on this #imaginarytrip a fortnight ago.

Back in NYC…so you think I’m a tough kid? Nah, just tired, and hungry. No food all day and it’s nearly evening here, so I need to eat. A long taxi ride into Manhattan, with the absolutely inevitable traffic jam on the Van Wyck.

I really do not know how much of my life has been lost on the Van Wyck to/from JFK over the years…

I get into Midtown and drop my bag off, then hop right into the subway to go to Brooklyn. I’m hungry, and I need a lot of food. Luckily I know my old friend Chef Akhtar Nawab would be there to make sure I have plenty of good stuff to eat at his Alta Calidad.

I’ve known Akhtar for a long time, and for a short but wonderful period we were partners in our baby that was named Elettaria… We share a lot of pain from her demise, but I’m glad to see his current restaurants doing so well (well, until this insanity began…). I get to Atlantic Avenue and stroll to Alta Calidad, and park myself at the bar…

A cocktail in hand, and I suspect Chef has seen me, so I slowly look over the menu, knowing he’s gonna bring out stuff otherwise… And soon, he comes out and brings me my starter, the marrow roti.

Chef Nawab has somehow successfully fused Mexican and Indian flavours here at Alta Calidad, with his Kentucky flare, and this is a very unique dish. Lovely roti, but that marrow just made it so nice and rich… As I’m picking at the roti, we also catch up quickly, which is always nice. Then he heads back into the kitchen when my second dish is brought…

A nice king salmon salad, working well with the myriad of veggies; I especially love the radishes. A nice start, but knowing Chef things are gonna get very interesting very soon. And sure enough, a delightful combination of belly and octopus…

These skewers are just delicious, I can eat them all day. Grilled perfectly, the octopus was tender and flavourful, the belly decadent and rich… So good, they work so well in concert… Then Chef brings out something he’s really perfected at Alta Calidad, the mangalica collar…

They come out sizzlin’, so good… A normal pork collar done this way would be excellent already, but the bonus is that this is mangalica…so good… Again, I can eat this all day. You can wrap this with tortillas but they are sooooo good as is also… Chef then brings out some cauliflower…

He know I love cauliflower, and when he gets such good raw produce, he always makes the most of it. Lovely stuff, helps cuts down on all the rich foods so far. Then next, he brings something he’s been doing so well since our Elettaria days, the lamb ribs…

Oh so good, brings back so many memories… He gets the best out of the lamb without losing its unique flavour, keeping the meat moist and rich. I don’t know how many of these I’ve eaten over the years from Chef Nawab, but it’s likely in the hundreds… I close my eyes and think back to the summer of 2008, when everything was nearly perfect, when life was nearly perfect, before everything came tumbling down in succession in a matter of months… I’m so glad to see Chef doing so well, partly because he’s recovered from that nadir; on the other hand, I have not, and that’s a burden I carry with myself on a daily basis, #imaginaryday or not…

Anyway, back to the food. I was getting a little full, but plenty of cocktails from the very able bar staff keeps me going. Chef then comes out with porchetta…

So good, rich and perfectly roasted. The skin crispy, the meat juicy, just the way it should be done. Again, brings back memory, as this was the last thing Chef made for our final evening of service at Elettaria. So I guess that’s an appropriate end to this #imaginarydinner, this wee trip down memory lane…

A few more cocktails later, a good chat with Chef, but it’s time to head out as it’s starting to weigh on me a little, in every sense of the term. This has been a long trip, and I’m tired — even if it’s all imaginary…

That was one fine evening of #imaginarydining. Not hungry anymore, and I make my way back across to Manhattan to my hotel to collapse… Next morning, I manage to rest a little and to get myself ready. I head out, but before I go to Penn Station for my train ride home, I decide to have one last meal.

And for my last meal I decided to drop into the venerable Keens Steakhouse. Partly because it’s open for lunch, it’s hearty, and it’s near Penn Station. I arrive and they happily store my bag as they lead me to my table. As I enjoy a martini they hand me the menu, which isn’t really needed as I know what I’m having…

Yep, their famous mutton chop. A half bottle of red, some veggies on the side, and I’m happy. I devour this large yet delicious piece of meat, knowing all of this has to fuel me for that terrible experience called Amtrak that’s coming up…

I finish up the beast, as well as my half-bottle (I decided against a full bottle as I need to ween back to “normal” existence…), and have a double of rye to close the tab on this #imaginarytrip.

I walk over to Penn Station, probably the worst train station on the planet (tho Gare du Nord in Paris ain’t much better) to queue for the train south. The #imginarytrip is now officially over, in every sense of that word. Back to reality. SIGH…

Alta Calidad
552 Vanderbilt Avenue
Brooklyn, New York

Keens Steakouse
72 West 36th Street
New York, New York

Imaginary Trip — Day 14: Roma, Bologna e Milano

22 April 2020*

I wake up extremely early this 14th day of my #imaginarytrip, still remember an excellent day yesterday here in Rome. I need to head north-east this morning, but that’s later. First up, I need to head out to visit the Vatican — when it’s still early…

So peaceful here when there’s no crowd…

Then inside, again, an amazing amount of peace — without the crazy crowds (by the way, these photos I took myself in January 2017, and no, I did not have a private visit in St Peters, it was just eerily empty)…

I absolutely adore St Peter’s Baldacchino, designed by the great Bernini, and I am afforded absolutely amazing and clear looks at this most magnificent of works…

You can get a wonderful look at the cupola, and through the Baldacchino at the transetto… Again, not a soul in site, except a few sleepy guards…

I spend some more time walking around St Peters before I need to head out…

What a lovely view, again, so peaceful… I make it back to my hotel to grab my bag and head straight for Termini as I have a long train journey north-east…

Firenze…well, sadly no time to stop here! Schedule too tight, so I remain on the Frecciarossa and we roll into Bologna in a quick 2.5 hours since leaving Termini. I find a locker and store my bag quickly and head out of the station and walk south into town.

After being cooped up in a train all morning, a good 15min walk was much needed as I arrive at my lunch destination, Da Bertino…

This old-school place was one of my many highlights last time visiting Bologna, and it’s a town I’ve really got to like during that trip. I was led to my table and I quickly ordered, since there’s little doubt what I want to eat. That’s the great thing about old-school places, you don’t need a menu because you know what you want most of the time…

Quickly a bottle of cool house red appear, and I’m happy. I enjoy the wine as the antipasto plate arrives…

Some nice simple stuff to nibble on, goes so nice with the excellent (and cheap) house red from here in Emilia-Romagna. Then it’s somethink you always get in Bologna, tortellini in brodo…

Lovely broth, so aromatic and flavourful… This is one of those dishes that you can easily have like 5 helpings because it’s so good… The joy of Da Bertino’s version is really that broth, which comes from the prep of my secondo…which is about to be plated, as they roll the cart-of-joy around and ask me what I want… IL TUTTO!

Now this is a bollito misto… Now you know why the brodo for the previous dish was so ridiculously good… This is like a bollito misto from heaven…lingua, cotechino, testino di vitello, zampone… Every piece of this was ludicrously good, so full of flavour it’s hard to describe. I felt like a kid at a candy store, but my version of a candy store, when they bring you a best-of plate… This almost makes me teary…

So crazy good… Now bollito misto is a dish that for me is as close to the soul as it gets. The more rustic, the more “off cut” it is, the better. Deep down, I am content with all things for a brief moment…

I snap back to reality and they ask if I wanted a dessert…certo!

A beautiful and delicious zuppa inglese, lovely with my espresso and grappa…so good. They brought me a second one, comped, so lovely. In fact, even in reality, I would say 75% of places I dine in Italy ends up bringing me free grappa. I think you can see why I love this place so much, I feel so at home in this country…

I thank my server, take a last look at that cart-of-joy of bollito misto (and a quick peak at its counterpart the arrosto misto cart-of-joy…next time, next time…), shed a quick tear, and head out the door… A busy afternoon here in Bologna…

It’s a 20-minute walk across town, but I arrive at the Pinacoteca Nazionale, one of the top yet lesser-visited art museums in Italy.

I love the works displayed here, some extremely beautiful works by Giotto, Titian, Carracci, Perugino, Costa, Reni and so much more. But I came here specifically to visit that most gorgeous of pieces, Estasi di santa Cecilia by Raphael…such a stunning piece of work, especially meaningful for us musicians.

Oh, don’t forget El Greco too… It’s sad this place is not busy, but better for us who really want to spend time to appreciate the pieces…

Alas, time to head out for the 20-minute walk back to the station, grab my bag, and hop onto another express train up to Milano… Another non-descript ride and we’re in Milano Centrale. Lucky my hotel is nearby, and I go drop my bag off before I head to the amazing Cimitero Monumentale for a bit of a late afternoon stroll to marvel at the amazing monuments, including that of the Campari family (yes, that Campari…).

Then I rush back to my hotel and get ready for my #imaginarydinner. Tonight’s dinner is with friends who had introduced me to Manna the last time I visited, and we are planning to revisit the unique, Michelin-starred eatery.

It’s a little outside of the core of the city but easy with public transportation. I get to Manna, and my friends are arriving at about the same time, so that worked out well. We’re quickly seated and I’m anticipating an excellent #imaginarydinner here.

Manna’s chef, Matteo Fronduti, is quite a unique character — and a major talent in the cooking world. Excellent sparking to start the night and the antipasto arrives…

A lovely combination of veal head and razor clams starts this night off. Two of my favourite ingredients done extremely well, juxtaposing the fried veal head with thinly-sliced razors. Lovely stuff. Then next up, a golden paradise…

Can you say saffron? This risotto is so rich and good, done with bone marrow…so rich and flavourful, it’s far more valuable than gold for me, for my stomach! Ridiculously good… Chef Fronduti is an expert at getting strong flavours to work, and the secondo has more strong flavours…

The humble Lombard cassoeula is done to perfection here… Similar to my lunch of bollito misto, the local casserole uses off-cuts and other joys that you just need to love. Musetto, verzino, cotenne, costine, zampone… So ridiculously good, it’s winter food but my brain still wants it to be winter, so… What an awesome dish…

That was a fabulous dinner, so amazing the flavours… Then the dessert, a tribute to the piña colada…

The lovely nexus of pineapple and coconut here, delicious as a combination (or alone, really). So good. A grappa with my espresso, and sadly this meal has drawn to a conclusion…

As this was pretty much the end of this #imaginarytrip my friends and I go for a last drink across town at the excellent cocktail bar Nottingham Forest before we parted.

I make my way back to my hotel by a late tram and collapse. A bit sad that tomorrow waking up only means to rush to Malpensa to fly back across the Atlantic as this #imaginarytrip draws to a close…

But Italy, always close to my heart (and stomach), will always be. Presto ritornerò – in realtà… 

Da Bertino
Via delle Lame 55
Bologna, Italia

Manna
Piazzale Governo Provvisorio 6
Milano, Italia

Imaginary Trip — Day 13: Rome

21 April 2020*

I somehow manage to wake up for this 13th day of my #imaginarytrip, surprised yesterday’s excessive feasing — both in the day, and certainly also in the evening — didn’t do me (and my #imaginaryaorta) in… But I had to hurry and run off to Barajas to fly out…

Sad part of leaving Madrid is leaving all the food. Best part of arriving in Rome is all the food… Yep, day 13 I arrive in Fiumicino after the short flight and quickly jump on the train to Termini. I’m back in Italy, and it feels fantastic…

I get off the train at Termini and I go and dump my bag at my hotel near the station and jump back into the Metro to get to San Giovanni. I start there and walk north-west, quickly visiting San Giovanni di Laterno.

I walk towards Colosseo, not really stopping as I rather admire it from a distance, to get the full perspective. Then a quick pivot north and I go and visit a few churches en route to lunch.

I drop into San Pietro in Vincoli to see the beautiful Mosè di Michelangelo. Every time I see this piece, probably the least-visited masterpiece by Michelangelo, it stuns me. Don’t use your coin to turn the stupid lights on, it makes it look gaudy; donate that coin instead.

Then I step north to the less-visited Santi Dodici Apostoli, which is surprisingly beautiful inside. Then I move west and stop at Ignazio di Loyola in Campo Marzio and the beautiful tomb of Pope Gregory XV designed by Pierre Le Gros.

Then finally, the lovely organ in Santa Maria sopra Minerva… But I’m hungry (despite yesterday’s #imaginaryfeasts) so luckily my lunch destination is just around the corner, Armando al Pantheon.

Now people call this place a tourist trap, just because of its history, popularity, name, and proximity to the Pantheon. But rarely does a “tourist trap” has such awesome food, and I was happy to return here for my #imaginarylunch…

My server leads me to a table in the middle of the room, almost like a throne for a single diner. I love this. I ordered, and he nodded his approval. So good to be able to speak freely again; a few days in the Iberian peninsula where I was labouring through my awful Castillian and even worse Catalan, I can happily talk somewhat normally to people in Italian now without stressing… And soon, a nice bottle of house red arrives, a little cool, which is perfect, with my starter…

Coratella d’abacchio… Again, when I travel I order things I Want — and can’t get at home. This dish of lamb offal includes pluck like haggis, which means it’s illegal (or, well, “not fit for human consumption” in the “Land of the Free”) back home… So I get to enjoy it here, and it’s lovely… What an offaly good start here! Next up, a true local dish, spaghetti alla gricia…

When the quality of the pasta is this good, you just can’t have less than one, frankly… So amazingly good… Sadly I had to stop at one, as I need my secondo, and it’s another local staple — trippa alla romana…

Lovely serving of tripe, and the sauce has a bit of a zing here, which is quite nice. Oh, I can eat this meal almost on a daily basis and not grow tired of it…so absolutely delicious…

Ah, that was fantastic. The bottle of red was also done, so it’s time for my usual espresso…and a glass of grappa. I so miss my grappa…so good, I asked for a second (to fortify myself to plough through the tourist hordes outside) and they comped it. So cool…

I thanked my server and headed on out, feeling refreshed — and nicely fuelled for the afternoon. I walk south through the tourist hordes and after hanging out with the feral cats at Largo di Torre Argentina (I love spending time here), I head west to make a few more church stops. First up, right next door, Sant’Andrea della Valle. Such a beautiful church…

Then Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli, where the Borgia popes are exiled in the afterlife, it’s also a spectacular church that few visit (aside from those intrigued by the Borgias). Then I walk back south-east, towards Galleria Spada, to enjoy some art…

Of the museums in Rome, this is one of the lesser-visited, which is beyond me why. Stunning pieces of artwork, all crammed into the relatively tiny historic space, but…

One of my art museum pet peeves is BAD LIGHTING, and sadly this place is one of the worst perpetrators of it. Some of their finest pieces are impossible to view clearly at any angle due to the amateurish lighting, such as Reni’s Ritratto del cardinal Bernardino Spada…

And Guercino’s stunning Morte di Didone is even worse. It’s sad that they can house such amazing pieces of work and can’t spend the time to deal with the lighting issue to make it possible ot appreciate the art. But frustrations aside, a lovely small art museum that you’ll spend too much time in — and hurt your neck because of the angles — but it’s time to head out.

It’s gone dark since, and I can start slowly making my way towards Trastevere to dinner. I always love looking at Ponte Sisto when I’m walking along the river.

I’m actually crossing at Ponte Garibaldi as I want to get the full view of Ponte Sisto… I cross over to Trastevere and instead of taking the tram, I enjoy the walk down Viale di Trastevere to my dinner destination, Fernanda.

I’ve had several excellent dinners here over the years, one of few fine-dining, tasting menu places in Italy I would actually visit (I usually “go local” when I’m here), because it’s proven itself so nicely. So a perfect way to finish this #imaginaryday here…

The host and sommelier Andrea Marini greets me as usual, and seats me at a nice table. I relax as he bring some bubbly to start, and soon the food starts…

Some nice snacks to start with, from cod chip to a herbal “sponge” to a cheesy croquette and finally a morsel of foie. Lovely start. Then things get flowing nicely with some cozze…

Excellent quality mussels, lovely simple like this with some herbs accompaniments. Then next up, lumache…

Some very earthy tasting snails here, quite nice. I like when snails have that earthiness, like back in Madrid for lunch yesterday, not the swimming-in-too-much-butter French style where you can barely taste the snails anymore. Excellent. Then we have a cute one next up…

It’s a reconstructed squid in various ways! The tentacles are fried nicely, and the body is a nice roll of various goodnies including roe and ink. Lovely and fun! Following that, animelle…

I honestly am not the world’s biggest fan of sweetbread, but these were quite good. I know a few people who love sweetbread to death, and it’s just not me for some reason… But these are delicious.

Next up a wonderful example of cavolo nero, delicious as the star of the dish. I always enjoy vegetables with character, and this is indeed one. Delicious. Then now we move into the pasta segment of the evening, oooooh….

Agnolotti al plin is the specialty of the house, and this version is urchin-filled…oh my, so good… That urchin is so lovely, and it’s just oozing from every bite… So good… But as I finish it, I can already smell the next dish before I could see them bringing it…oh my (I keep saying that)…

Bottone pasta filled with sweetbread, and soaking in a brodo that I cannot describe. It’s one of the most delicious things I’ve ever drank. I would drink this as a beverage (hey, it’s an #imaginarytrip) if I could…

Oh my things have been so good. Did I mention how smooth the service has been? Plus the fabulous Signor Marini has been pairing the dishes expertly with some lovely stuff from all over the country… Soon we have one of the larger dishes, triglia.

Second night in a row with mullet, a joy being so near the Mediterranean. Lovely fish, one of the items I love most about being down here. Then finally, another of this kitchen’s specialties, lingua…

This veal tongue is so ridiculously good…soft, but still enough texture to make it solid and tasty. A difficult balance, pulled off very well here. It’s not easy doing a thick portion of tongue like this, but they managed it. So good, one of the best tongue dishes ever…

A bit sad as the savouries are finished… This has been so nice… Then the desserts start…

A nice yuzu-centric dish, lovely citric touches playing well with the vanilla. Then the second dessert, and it’s definitely a wow dish…

Black garlic is the theme. Now you know why it’s last! It’s intense but so, so, SO good… This is such a wonderful way for this day to end… I thanked Signor Marini for taking such good care of me as he brings me my usual special house grappa that I always have. After a second, I head out, thanking the staff for the wonderful night of hospitality and food.

I look at my phone and ah, there’s a bus coming soon going straight to Termini. Now I have a horrible flashback to the last time I took this same bus…perhaps that’s why I have a sciatica problem now… Lucky this ride was smoother, but still fast. We get near Termini and it’s 22.50…quite early…should I? I just had a really bad idea…

So I jumped off the bus and walked half a block to see La Matriciana seems to still be open. I peek my head in there, they don’t seem too thrilled, but I tell them I just want one dish and they reluctantly let me sit down.

There were still customers so I didn’t feel bad. I enjoyed some nice house red when the one dish I wanted arrived…

Yep, cacio e pepe…it’s Roma, I had to have it. An excellent rendition. Now you may ask why I would go to the place that made the amatriciana famous to eat cacio e pepe…that’s cuz you don’t know! But this dish is so simple, the pasta so good…you need good pasta to have good cacio e pepe, and this is good.

I think my server forgave me for the late stop seeing my delight as I expertly finish the dish with gusto…oh that was a wonderful nightcap. I ask for a grappa, and they give me a good pour. As I was ready to leave, they brought me a second one on the house…

How can you not love Rome? I thanked him and head on out for my hotel a few blocks away. I need to get some sleep as tomorrow I have to wake up very early… But goodness, it’s so good to be back in this city, a feast for the eyes and stomach…

Armando al Pantheon
Salita dei Crescenzi 31

Fernanda
Via Crescenzo del Monte 18/24

La Matriciana
Via del Viminale 44
Roma, Italia

* I love Rome to death, tho this around the corner of my hotel says it all about this rather unique and eternal city…

Imaginary Trip — Day 12: Madrid (Part 2)

20 April 2020*

It’s an #imaginaryday like today that really makes me understand why restaurants in the Iberian peninsula open so late for dinner… Goodness today’s 5-part lunch was a bit excessive, even if it’s a figment of my imagination. Yet, it feels so real, as did that #imaginarysiesta that was so needed after all that food…

But that also means it’s time for the #imaginarynight to start, and on this day devoted to feasting, that shan’t change… I head out of my hotel, needing a walk after that mandatory siesta, taking the stroll south towards Retiro for my dinner destination, Alabaster.

They were ready for me this time, although I did arrive at a proper, later, Iberian-dining hour this time…. They led me to my table and I relaxed with another glass of dry sherry. I so rarely drink sherry outside of Spain, but when I’m here I just love it…

And this is the snack I’ve been waiting for. Fried cod skin…oh, I can eat these things all day… Then the first dish of the night arrives…

¡Navajas! You know I love these, going back to the first day of this #imaginarytrip back in NYC at my Spanish-Galician “local” El Pote… I can eat razors all day and all night, and probably more the next day… So good… Then next up, Dory…

Absolutely delicious, another of my favourites. Even better than the one I had a few days earlier in Boccadoro in Venice. And that fideuá under the fish was absolutely wonderful. Such a good dish…

BTW I remember I asked this last time I was here… Why is John Dory San Pedro in Castillian (and Italian and others) and Sanmartiño in Galician (and also Basque)? Saint Peter vs Saint Martin? Hmmm…  As I pondered that in my head — during this #imaginarydinner and in real life as I write this — the next course arrives.

Lovely salmonete, I love red mullet when done well — and it’s done very well here. But again, the star is what’s below the fish — this rice is just ridiculously good, cooked in shellfish essence… What a wonderful dish again! So sad that the savouries has closed, but there’s a reason for that…

I decided to have an aguardiente and a coffee and they brought out some closing snacks…

Delicious, I slowly pick them off and finish off my tipple as well. What a wonderful dinner. I think everyone I know who visits Alabaster enjoys this place, its Galician-influenced cooking is spectacularly good. One of the best sit-down places in Madrid that’s for sure! I thank my server and take my leave.

I head on out of Alabaster happy, but even happier knowing the night is just starting. I head east, into Retiro, a lovely park but at this hour also home to a few noisy botellón. I frankly just don’t want to step on broken glass or vomit… I get across the large park and emerge out of Puerta de la Reina Mercedes and walk another block east and arrive at Rafa.

I often visit Rafa when I’m in Madrid, a fabulous place where there’s always good stuff to eat. A glass of dry sherry in hand, and I order a few items. I relax on this quiet night in the front section, as the restaurant section was quite busy still in the back. Then soon, the first item arrives…

¡Erizos! Oh my are these good! Mineraly, great stuff from the Iberian coast. People who only eat cold-water urchin needs to try warm water stuff too, it’s different and lovely in its own way. Next up is something I can rarely find anywhere else in the world…

¡Espardeñas! It’s so hard to get sea cucumber like this, these are sooooooo good. It’s very different from how sea cucumber is often prepared in Asia, which is often braised or stewed (or raw in Japan). This different specie of sea cucumber lends itself to this type of prep, cooked in just a little garlic and olive oil… So crazy good. Then one more rare treat…

¡Ortiguillas! Oh, the lovely sea anemone, fried up so nicely here… It’s so hard to find these things anywhere outside of the Iberian peninsula, it’s something I always look for when I get the chance. So good, again great way to really taste the sea…

Ah, as delicious as it is, I decide to head out. I thank them and head on out, going north-east. A few minutes later I drop into La Hoja, an interesting Asturian place. I order a glass of wine and some lovely chicharrón comes out with it alongside some polpo I ordered…

Mmmm, lovely stuff…just look at that chicharrón my goodness… Then my order of callos comes out…oh this is big and rich!

You know I can’t live without my tripe, and I had to get it at some point on this trip! A second glass helps me finish this lovely dish. That was nice, love to get a little land after all that seafood. But time for a bit more seafood, as we revisit Galicia a block away at O Grelo.

This is a much loved restaurant and bar featuring some fabulous seafood, as you’d expect from a Galician place. I was pretty full, but I order a big ol’ plate of cárdidos…

That was quite excellent. Cockles, when good, are so good… They seem to be getting ready to close up, so I thanked them and headed out. I really need to come back here earlier to really enjoy the seafood they have…

I kept strolling around the area, peeked into a few places, but nothing really caught my attention — or else they were in the process of closing down. So I just wander back towards Rafa, and they weren’t closing down just yet, so I decide to grab a last round there…

They almost laughed when I came back, but probably didn’t notice I’ve gained weight since leaving about 2 hours earlier! But they welcomed me back, and told me to sit in the back because they were starting to clean up the front. I quickly ordered some wine and mojama, and they also comped me some mejillones…

A good bite, but that’s really to wait for them to bring me the dish I was thinking of having earlier but didn’t as I was sticking to a seafood theme… You’d think I’d had enough of thick stews after the callos earlier at La Hoja, but…

Manos y morro de ternera a la madrileña… A cute, collagen-rich dish that gets the best from parts of veal that some (sadly) discard. So rich and sticky good, this is gonna really stick to my ribs. I think it’s probably best to call it a night. But I need my dessert…

Oh too good, but that really was enough food for the evening… I thank them once again, they smiled at this audacious bit of eating, and I didn’t turn around to look at the place again — in case I get tempted for round three! I needed the walk back north towards Salamanca to my hotel, as this was again quite a lot of food!

As I approach my hotel, I wonder when I’ll be back in this gastronomic wonder of a city again. My stomach may never be the same after this, but it’s all worth it. Not many cities in the world you can really eat like this. Not New York, not London, definitely not Paris. Even if it’s all been a mental exercise, a wonderful dream, it still satisfies like few other places.

…Gracias, Madrid, gracias…

Alabaster
Calle de Montalbán 9

Rafa
Calle de Narváez 68

La Hoja
Calle del Doctor Castelo 48

O Grelo
Calle Menorca 39
Madrid, España

Imaginary Trip — Day 12: Madrid (Part 1)

20 April 2020*

Woke up on this 12th day of my #imaginarytrip and took my time, having a little bit of time to relax. Last night’s excellent #imaginarydinner at Xerta was fantastic, but late — so I get off to a slower start. Nevertheless I head for the nearby Sants railway station for the express train to Madrid.

I decided on this #imaginaryday in Madrid I’m just gonna eat…do little else, but just eat. Hey, one can still dream, right? A 2.5 hours later, we roll into Atocha. A Metro ride and I’m in my “usual” Salamanca area and I go and drop my bag off. I then head to lunch, as it’s late enough for places to open. And my destination today is the much beloved Viridiana.

For more years than most people can count, Viridiana has been the place that every top Madrid chef had to put in their time, to learn at the side of Chef Abraham García. I relax over a drink and decide on a few dishes that’ll get me going. And it didn’t take too long, as I was enjoying a crispy glass of albariño, when my starter arrives…

Oh my! What a starter right? I love snails, and these were just gorgeous… The good thing about these is that it takes time to properly get them out and enjoy them, so you can just keep going… But all good things come to an end…

Chef García brings out a refreshing wee gazpacho with strawberries, an excellent rendition, and then the “main” course comes out…

Oh dear once again…such good marrow. So rich. I was economical with the bread this time (unlike the last time I was there) because this is just the first of many stops today in this #imaginaryday of excess… So good, so rich. So I needed to have a walk.

I thanked Chef García and headed out for a bit of a walk. I decide to walk south-west, past Fuente de Neptuno and arrive about 15 minutes later at my second destination of the day, Casa Alberto.

This old school place, open since 1827 (!!), is quite popular but I sneak in and get one of the tiny tables across from the bar. I think I need to sit down for this order. I guess I wasn’t done with the snails, cuz…

A different take here, cooked in a spicy tomato base that gets that unique bitterness from the snails. Messy eat here, but the locals seem impress how I manage well with 2 long toothpicks… Then for the next course…

¡Orejas! I just love them, this time cooked in that similar tomato sauce. This way you get the collagen in the sauce and it’s a messy, sticky but lovely treat. Again, I was slow on the bread as this is just my second stop… I finish this, and I really need a stroll now! I thank the proprietor and head out the door, appreciative of him dropping a few extra wet wipes on my table with the bill…

I head south now, past Atocha, where I arrived earlier in the day, and after another 15 minutes of walking I found my next destination, Gallinejas Embajadores.

Now some people who know Madrid and its cuisine may start to ask me WTF would I go here after all I’ve had already today? Well, it’s something that’s extremely hard to find anywhere else in the world, so…

I won’t explain. If you know, you know. Let’s just say as an offal eater, this is pretty awesome… But if you don’t want to know, you don’t want to know. I thanked the frier of the lovely offal and headed on out, getting quite stuffed but glad for the long walks in between stops. The day is still young, and I guess I’m gonna push myself…

I head back north, slightly west, towards Centro and 20 minutes later I stop at the venerable Casa Lucio.

It’s a bit of a posh place and famous with VIPs, but it’s worth a short stop. It’s mid-afternoon and the tourist hordes have gone and I stop by just before they finish their lunch service. A quick stop as I just needed one dish…

Yep, rabo de toro. Now eating this on the 4th stop of the day is quite a bad cardiovascular idea, but hey, the clogging is in my #imaginaryaorta right? Lovely, rich, just absolutely gorgeous stuff… I kept myself to one dish and headed out, as even in an imaginary trip it’s starting to get a bit too heavy. So I start on my way back for the long walk north-east back towards Salamanca…

Just over half hour later I get back to Salamanca and I’m near my hotel, and I decide, why the hell not. One last stop, as the one thing I’ve not had yet today for this now-5-part lunch…

Of course conveniently I’m staying near a Joselito’s, so it’s convenient to have this as a snack before my siesta…

A jamón flight at this hour, after 4 filling stops, is not a healthy way to do things — even on an #imaginarytrip — but yet it’s done. Lovely to savour every piece of all 3 selection, just pure joy. Even if you get a top quality one elsewhere, it’s just not quite the same as having it here in Spain… So good.

But I’m about to pass out, so I finish the 3 trays of delight, drain my third glass of dry sherry, and head out of this “fast food” joint and stumble to my nearby hotel, where I truly need a siesta. You really start to understand why it’s so much a part of the culture…

Oh, this has been a fabulous if not excessive #imaginaryday of eating here in Madrid…and the day is only half done! It shall continue — after the siesta!

Viridiana
Calle de Juan de Mena 14

Casa Alberto
Calle de las Huertas 18

Gallinejas Embajadores
Calle de Embajadores 84

Casa Lucio
Calle de la Cava Baja 35

Joselito’s
Calle de Velázquez 30
Madrid, España

Imaginary Trip — Day 11: Barcelona

19 April 2020*

I wake up early on this 11th day of my #imaginary trip, headed for the airport in Ljubljana. Now yesterday was a pretty awesome day in Trieste and Ljubljana…

Pretending that flights were still common out of this airport, I fly west and catch up on a little sleep for the flight into Barcelona. Quickly after we land I hop on a train and jump off at Sants, and drop my bag off. Then I hop into the Metro to get into the centre for lunch — at Racó de la Vila.

I don’t know why people call it a tourist trap, but it’s a fabulous place. Last time I was there it was so good. I’m early for my #imaginarylunch, as I suddenly remembered how late people ate on the Iberian Peninsula… I’m only here for 2 imaginary days, so I’m going to eat when I want to…

Good thing is that I’m the only person here right now and my friendly server takes my order. Glass of wine in hand, I smile, good to be back in Catalunya… Then my starter arrives, and I feel happy — a plate of cloïsses…

Mmmm, these clams from the Galician coast are so good, especially cooked with ample amount of garlic. So good, I can eat several plates of this. But that’s just the start as luckily my #imaginarytiming is right for this trip for some rovellons!

Hey, this is an #imaginarytrip right? I followed the no-night-in-Trieste photo rule on the last post, but this one I’ll have a temporal fib. These mushrooms are such joy when they’re in season… Then next up, ronyons de cabrit…

As an offal eater, it’s so nice to be able to get stuff like goat kidneys — one of the true joys of travelling. Lovely flavour, no blandness here! One of the best things to eat in Iberian cuisines is kidneys, and this is one of the best. Lovely! Well, it’s dessert time, and if you know me, you’ll know exactly what I’ll get for dessert…

Yep, no words needed here. It’s been way too long since I had a good plate of this… Just such joy. People eat this too fast, I really take in the flavour of each bite, each piece, so it takes me a good 20 minutes to eat this… Sheer delight…

If I wasn’t so short on time I’d stay and order more, but I thanked my excellent server and headed on out. I need to hike this off!

So I decide to hike up Montjuïc as the afternoon exercise. Barcelona, much like Venice the other day, is so utterly inundated with tourists it’s almost a game to avoid them now. I remember the first time I visited 2 decades ago, going up to Park Güell and it was nearly empty. Now? Every damn Instagrammer has to post a picture from there, usually with an open bottle of wine for a rather un-Cataluynian picnic.

Montjuïc has some spectacular views because of how high up it is, but I hike further to the Cementiri de Montjuïc — one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world… For centuries the rich and powerful of Barcelona created intricate tombs to outdo one another, and you can really see it here…

After a few hours of exploring (and hiking) this very hilly cemetery, I stop to pay my respects somewhere again. If you know, you know.

Then I walk part way down, and I was running low on energy — even with that fabulous #imaginarylunch — so I hopped on a bus back down to town. Plus I hate walking downhill, it hurts my joints far more than hiking uphill… Only those of us with serious joint and pain issues know that it’s far, far easier to walk upstairs than downstairs (which sometimes makes public transportation a pain as I so much rather walk upstairs from the Metro than down).

But after all that, I was hungry again…and tonight’s dinner at Xerta beckons…

I was so looking to this #imaginarydinner back at Michelin-starred Xerta, where I had a wonderful dinner last itme I visited. I’m hoping for the same magic this time back. I arrive, and a cheerful staff greet me and guides me to my table — even if they were a little slow to open up at this already late (for us non-Iberians) hour…

I relax and anticipate a wonderful tasting menu. I was hungry, so I skipped the offer of an apertif and then things started with the set of snacks…

Several cute bits, the navalla (razor clams, or navaja for those of you Castillian speakers) dumpling was the best of the lot, the shrimp in the cream not bad. Then we revisit my memories of lunch with a plate of cloïsses…

Oh wait, there’s navalles here too! The clams were already better than this afternoon’s fabulous version, and the razors just made an awesome dish even more awesome. I love being back on the Iberial peninsula! Next up, with a nice dry sherry, is a dish focusing on foie…

A good bite, though it brought back #imaginarymemories of last night in Ljubljana and that decadent goose liver at JB… Enjoyable enough, the corn and some smoked eel helping it long nicely, then we have ventresca.

So so, I’m not a big fan of how they do tuna belly on the Mediterranean to be honest, as the Japanese way has utterly spoiled me… Next is a dish that shows off the kitchen’s humour, as they call it “rich man’s breakfast”…

Lol, it’s a humorous take on the humble porridge, but some very rich stuff strewn in the potato mash, including foie and duck yolk. An interesting, surprisingly rich and lovely combination. Then next up, their take on cap i pota.

They did a fabulous version of this humble Catalan dish, the extremely lovely collagen-rich stew turning each grain of rice into a gem; some lovely tripe beneath it all just adds to the total experience, so intense yet fabulous! I wish this dish was bigger! So good… Next up, sea bass.

Lovely cooking once again, just a touch of unexpected miso here. Excellent dish, the aubergine purée added a nice touch to the already flavourful fish. Then next up, the story of my entire #imaginarytrip really…

Oh goodness is this eel good! It’s so good again it’s almost wrong, its rich oily flavour flowing out like some true ambrosia with every bite… That was sooooooo good the last savoury dish couldn’t really touch it…

Garrí rostit, done well enough, but frankly the eel was still in my mind (and tastebuds)… It’s hard to have a sequel when the best stuff is so overwhelming good… But sadly that was the end of the savouries for this fine evening of dining. Then some excellent local cheeses…

Quite a nice selection, but I was getting full… But for the desserts we really see the humour of this kitchen come out…

Loooool, this is not a paella! It’s a wonderful humorous version of it, a rice pudding dessert. That chocolate “mussel” was absolutely delicious, the candied lemon so cute and tasty too. I love this imagination! Then finally, we have some “soap and water” to close things off…

This is actually a brilliant, coconut-centric dish. The “sponge” is a tribute to the piña colada, and the “soap” is a lovely coconut pudding that reminds of the Hawaiʻian haupia. So good, what a wonderful wasy to finish an excellent meal here in Barcelona!

Some final snacks with my coffee and late-nite tipple, I thanked the staff and headed on out. Amazing how affordable this tasting menu was compared to most places in Europe…

I enjoyed a late-nite stroll, it being quite late, the dining hours in this part of the world always annoyed me since it never harmonises with public transport hours (nor hotel check-out times in the morning). But overall it has been a wonderful, yet tiring, day here in Catalunya.

Gràcies una vegada més, Catalunya…

Racó de la Vila
Carrer de la Ciutat de Granada 33

Xerta
Carrer de Còrsega 289
Barcelona, Catalunya

Imaginary Trip — Day 10: Trieste and Ljubljana

18 April 2020*

I woke up early on this 10th day of my #imaginarytrip and had to hurry. I had a wonderful day in Venice, but it’s time to shuffle off to Santa Lucia to catch a train east. Lucky it was early enough the tourist hordes were not out yet… A few hours later, I roll into Trieste, a charming city I’ve really enjoyed visiting over the years.

I put my bag away at the station and walk south into town. I have a bit of time, so I enjoyed a long stroll, a hike up to the castle, then back down for lunch. After all that I needed a good lunch, and I head to a place I discovered the last time I visited, Nerodiseppia.

I get to Nerodiseppia the moment it opened for lunch, as I know how busy they get and how quickly the place fills up. I relaxed, knowing this #imaginarylunch will be excellent. I looked over the menu, heard the day’s special, and ordered.

Soon, a nice bottle of house red arrives and not soon after my starter…

Some lovely grilled scallops here with radicchio, very tasty. Then for my primo, something a little different — and hearty…

Candederli is something you see more often in parts of Italy that used to be the Austro-Hungarian space, and these dumplings are sure filling yet delicious. The sauce is utterly divine, using smoked swordfish with some cuttlefish to really give this dish some serious creds — and taste. Lovely, lovely stuff. Then finally, for a secondo, back to something more traditional, fritto misto…

A good selection here of seafood and vegetables — you really need the veg to balance these things out. The local shrimp is my favourite, so delicious eaten whole like this. So delicious. But another very filling dish, and I was spent. The bottle of red now finished, I bypass any dessert and have my usual espresso and grappa.

I thank the proprietor for an excellent lunch and head out for another quick stroll before I have to return to the station to get to my next destination. Oh, this is such a charming town…

I get to the station, but walk a block away to the coach station instead and hop on a coach east — across the border into Slovenia. A few hours later, we roll into Ljubljana.

Lucky it was still early enough in the afternoon for me to have a good stroll. Such a lovely town…

I needed to walk off that excellent lunch, plus the long bus ride, so I hike up to the castle. Much needed, but it’s time to head down and then to dinner…

Tonight dinner is at JB, a restaurant that really intrigued me last time I visited Ljubljana. The cuisine of Chef Janez Bratovž is one key reason I decided to head to Ljubljana again on this trip, and I was very much looking forward to this #imaginarydinner.

I arrived and was seated soon and I enjoyed a kicker of a rakija…not the most recommended starts, but it works for me! Soon the starters arrived as did a nice glass of local furmint (known as Šipon). First up, two nice cones with parsnip and beets.

Then also two croquettes, one filled with fava tinged with chilli, and the other with cod. A nice selection of different flavours here, good start. My server more than generously touched up (or basically re-filled) my glass with Šipon and brought the next dish, the baked stuffed pepper.

Delicious pepper, with just a touch of a bite in this varietal, and stuffed with eggplant of all things. But it works beautifully. Excellent dish. Next up, some smoked trout.

Again, delicious, good quality fish here. It’s the assortment of flavours here that really make this dish even more interesting, including orange and mustard seeds, plus some delicious roe. An excellent trout dish overall. So far things are moving very well, lovely use of flavours by Chef Bratovž. Next up, local shrimp.

This is even more delicious than the fried version I had for lunch. Lovely meaty flesh accentuated by wonderful flavours from almond and lemongrass, another wonderfully cooked dish! When the next dish arrived my face just lit up…

Oh. My. This goose liver is crazy good. Ridiculously good. That flavour is just…words really cannot do it justice, you just know it when you taste it and your eyes close and you make this audible yet soft sound…which you imagine Chef Bratovž can somehow hear back in the kitchen with a smirk… That’s how good this was, my, my… And that wasn’t it for the goose liver!

Now we get these beautiful ravioli, filled with various things, including pistachios, but most importantly more goose liver! These packages of total delight were almost too much… This is so crazy rich I’m glad I hiked up to 2 hilltop castles today!

I almost need a breather after that! Of course that breather came with an off-the-tasting-menu item Chef Bratovž brought out, mangalica bacon…

Dear me, this is another winner. Mangalica just has such a unique taste, especially when you add the yolk below…this is like a breakfast of true champions here. So good… I am feeling extremely spoiled this #imaginarydinner… A palate cleanser based on basil is served before we move into the big (!!) dishes with a return to seafood.

An excellent whitefish here, lovely flavours. I’m actually glad the service has slowed down, as it’s helping me to digest. Plus, they are very generous with the top-ups on the paired wines! Then suddenly, even after they topped up my white, they poured a red and that means…venison.

Cooked perfectly, awesome… I always love well-cooked game meat, and this loin was indeed cooked very well. The chive štruklji was an excellent complement to the wonderful venison. Oh, this was a good dinner. I’m almost full! Then to close, a simple, yet ideal selection for me…

Excellent vanilla gelato and local cheese, all strewn with some fabulous local honey. A double espresso and another hit of that neck-breaking rakija from the start of the dinner, and I’m happier than Melania’s bank account. Chef Bratovž comes out and we have a little catch-up chat, so that’s a nice way to close my day here.

I thank Chef and head out for my hotel, a little sad my time here is so short. So I have a nice evening stroll, enjoying this lovely city by night.

I wish I also had the chance to stroll around Trieste during the evening but not this time (breaking the 4th wall here but me posting night photos of Trieste wouldn’t make sense even on an #imaginarytrip!). But I’m so glad I got these 2 lovely places in on this #imaginarytrip, as tomorrow I’m off to the airport again in the morning as things move on… But I so recommend doing both of these places if you get the chance, when the world gets to the point we don’t have to take an #imaginarytrip anymore…

Nerodiseppia
Via Luigi Cadorna 23
Trieste, Italia

JB
Miklošičeva 19
Ljubljana, Slovenija

* BTW a cute part of today’s dining double, Nerodiseppia’s plush on the left, JB’s cheer on the right…