Above: Leeks confit topped with toasted almonds at Liberten Restaurante
Zamora is a place one can dive deeply into regional dishes. Having traveled for a few weeks, I would have thought I’d tired of that. But the traditional was so well-prepared, we enjoyed it. Alphabetical restaurant mentions are below.
If you follow this blog, you probably are aware I am a stalker of zamburinas during their season. Capitol‘s preparation of the mollusks was perfect. Our generous dried fruit salad with ripe tomatoes offered wonderful contrasting flavors.
Expect to find cod everywhere, but Capitol did it well. Bacalao al horno with sweet roasted peppers was flaky and moist, with a side of the region’s famed garbanzos from Fuentesauco. Merluza, or hake, de pincho Gallega arrived enveloped in delicate pastry with a leek sauce on the side. Later, I realized Capitol prides itself in its rice dishes, so you might want to ponder that portion of its menu.
Above: Capitol
Empanadas in the window of Caserito seduced us into sampling a few savory ones to consume at our rental. Anyone longing for Argentinian flavors should duck into the tiny spot packed with flavor.
Above: Caserito
We decided to give the Michelin version of regional specialties a shot, Cuzeo. Grilled avocados were a tasty starter I’d order again, though hardly regional. The menu offered garbanzos de Fuentesauco with boletus de Sanabria, earthy-flavored wild mushrooms harvested only with permits in a nearby national park. Cuzeo boasts the proper formalities, but, when one’s opting for traditional, less formal spots attracting locals seem more appropriate and equally accomplished to us.
Venison with a blackberry sauce was absolutely perfect, the best venison we’ve ever had. Then there was an order of parpatana de atun rojo, a cut of fresh tuna prized by chefs generally referred to as tuna cheek in English. This is probably a case of low-brow ignorant consumer, but this lover of red tuna found it distasteful, both in texture and flavor. The red pepper sauce alongside failed to keep me from simply moving it around the plate. I doubt I will ever order tuna cheek again.
Above: Cuzeo
A local favorite, Liberten Restaurante is always crowded. Of course, I started with a half-dozen zamburinas, and I did reluctantly share at least two of them. Anchovies and regional sheep cheese accented the salad we shared with greater equanimity. Recently, it seems leeks are offered everywhere we go. I don’t know whether they weren’t featured on menus or we were not smart enough to order them. Liberten’s confit ones with toasted almonds pictured at the top of this post were luscious.
Chuletillas de lechazo, grilled lollipop-sized chops from suckling lambs, are another prized Zamoran specialty, so delicate they are nearly impossible to cook rare. Olive oil kept an order of robalo, or seabass, extremely moist and tender. A reduction of Premio Sentero wine added richness and depth to rabo del toro, an oxtail stew.
A scoop of meringue-flavored ice-cream accompanied a custard-filled cana pastry. Mercifully, flamed brandy, not the nouveau sweet liquor, was featured in an old-school carajillo coffee.
Above: Liberten Restaurante
Pizza-break time. Pizzeria la Artesanal proved a wonderful stop to ward of our cravings for pizza. We found an extraordinarily creamy round of burrata perched atop a platter of sliced tomatoes with basil and olives. Anchovies stretched gracefully across the vegetable-topped, charred pizza. Go there for flavor, not chic decor.
Above: Pizzeria la Artesanal
Yes, the traditional Spanish ham and potato croquetas are delicious at Portillo Restaurante, but don’t skip the jumbo unorthodox one boldly daring to command its own individual dish – jamon and teriyaki chicken. Perhaps this is why the chefs here label their cooking traicion, which translates to betrayal or treason.
Layers of flavor crowned a grilled romaine salad, while roasted caramelized eggplant and hazelnuts topped an arugula one. Large mussels arrived in a rich and spicy broth. Thank goodness we opted to share dessert, a chocolate mousse with bites of a dense chocolate brownie and mango ice-cream. Chefs, betray away.
Above: Portillo Restaurante
Without a lot of research, I don’t like to walk into just any sushi bar. It’s ridiculous how we came to depend on the quality of Sibuya Urban Sushi Bar, with locations throughout Spain with interiors that don’t scream chain. In Zamora, we opted for chicken gyozas and a platter of fresh, melt-in-your-mouth nigiri. And for quality control among sites, we again ordered a softshell crab roll flamed tableside.
Above: Sibuya Urban Sushi Bar Zamora
Buen provecho!
Postcards from Barton Springs 