Sant Pol de Mar, Spain
Last week, to celebrate the end of a great trip to Morocco, France and Spain, my two dear friends Mark and George and I had lunch at an amazing restaurant in a small seaside town near Barcelona. Restaurant Sant Pau is owned and run by world renowned chef Carme Ruscadella. To get there, take the Renfe train from the Catalunya station in the direction of Macenet-Massenes for 50 minutes and exit at Sant Pol de Mar. The restaurant is directly behind the station. We ordered the tasting menu with wine pairing -- a 4-hour journey of beauty and taste. It was a thrill when Chef Carme came around to the tables and said hello and autographed my menu.
Here are pictures I took of some of the 15 or so courses. (Click on pictures for better view.)
Pirineo mini-hamburger, biodynamic vegetables (one of 5 small appetizers served)
European lobster, "leche de tigre," perona beans
Romesco dashi, French lettuce, shiso, kombu
Squid 2013, vegetables, mushrooms, tomato sauce
Gamba tails, on sailor's toast
Cleaver Wrasse 2013, olives, vermouth and chayote
Challans duck, apple, pourpier, yuzu
"The luxury of ripe seasonal fruit" (figs)
Sweet potato, childhood memories
Chocolate, mushrooms, rosemary, candied hazlenuts
We were served coffee and assorted sweets in the garden below, which looks back at the restaurant above and the kitchen below.
