RANKING: 5 STARS (Informal Category)
Date Visited: 13 November, 2009
Address: Passeig de Cipsela No. 10. Llafranca
Tel: 972 301157
SUMMARY: This is an excellent restaurant in its own category. It does not pretend to be an haute cuisine temple. It is rather a friendly, casual place, like a bistro or osteria. Mirabella works virtually alone in the kitchen and her husband Felix is in the living room. Mirabella has not been formally trained and she works by instinct and, not unlike the two sisters who own the great Hispania of Arenys del Mar, she concocts unique dishes with great character. Her cooking is very light but flavorful. Both vegetables and the seafood is of outstanding quality. Indeed the restaurant receives several shipments of fresh shellfish each day from local fisherman. (SEE PHOTOS) The langouste of this region is especially noteworthy in the sense that it is quite sweet and flavorful and not cottony. I am impressed by the technique and ingredient quality of this place.
The clientele is primarily well off Catalonian families who have summer residences in CostaBrava.
PUMPKIN SOUP WITH DICED CALAMARI AND BUTIFURRA
This is a nice amuse, with no cream or butter. It is as good as those pumpkin soups served in Michelin two and three star restaurants.
FIGUE, GOAT CHEESE AND MACHE SALAD WITH WALNUT VINAIGRETTE.
It is as tasty as it looks and appetizing.
VEGETABLE LASAGNA COOKED IN WOK WITH HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE
The fall vegetables are crunchy. Mayonnaise is very light. It is a nice dish.
CARPACCIO OF TOMATO WITH LENTILLES AND SEPPIA
Seppia is first rate; tomato is quite good for the season. Seppia ink tastes sweet. It is a nice combination.
PIZZA
This is pate feuillete with mozarella, tomato, basil and Parma jambon. It is nice comfort food. The crust is remarkable.
ARTICHOKE AND JAMON IBERICO
This is a very simple but serious dish. It has nice textural contrasts. Artichokes cooked two ways are top rate. Homemade mustard mayonnaise helps to bind the dish. It is excellent.
POTATO, EGG AND AQUITANE CAVIAR
The potato timbale is in between coarsely chopped and pureed potato. I took my hat off to the quality of both the potato and the soft cooked farm egg. Aquitane caviar does not have much taste and does not add much to the dish. It does not detract from it either!
TARTE TATIN
This dish has four layers: pate feuillete, diced and cooked tart apples, gorgonzola dolce and sauteed duck liver. Maribella has a judicious hand and strikes a nice balance between contrasting and complementary flavors. This is not one of the most refined foie gras dishes of 2009 but certainly one of the tastiest.
RIZ NOIR
This is a masterpiece. Spanish rice (I believe bomba) is flavored by fresh squid ink, and the julienned squid is just the right amount. You have to spread the aioli which you see on top. One has to let it cool a bit to extract the full flavor.
LANGOUSTE A LA PLANCHA
These are small but very sweet. The dish shows great technical precision.
CALAMANCITOS
This dish has small calamar. The are incredible when they are so fresh.
GAMBA A LA PLANCHA
This photo speaks for itself.
PORK FEET
This is definitely one of the 10 most memorable dishes of 2009. It is worth a trip, as Michelin would say….
DESSERT PLATTER
This contains cheese cake, mandarine soup with white chocolate, and fresh strawberries with lemon and gateau au chocolat. There is nothing revolutionary, but everything is nicely complemantary and light. The cheese cake is the lighest and tastiest in recent memory.
WINES:
2007 OSSIAN
This is from Castilla Leon by Javiar Zacagnini. It is a good example of Verdejo. It has good balance, nice persistence, and well integrated oak. There is a spicy and honeyed characteristic which develops by airing. I liked it more than the more expensive Belondrade Y Lurton which is also from Verdejo (Rueda) but is heavier and a tad flat. 16/20
2007 MASIA CARRERAS.
This is a local white from Emporda. It is a mix of Carignane, Grenache and
Picapolli. I am unfamiliar with the last cepage which is a local grape.
At first, I was not impressed, but with aeration the wine revealed a
likeable salinity/ minerality in the finish.
It had a somewhat herbal aroma, more like wild thyme, oregano and
citrus. My best guess is that the
proximity to the sea of Northern Catalonia wine and possibly old vineyards
impart some unique characteristics. I will seek more of this brand in the
future. 16.5/20
Great report, Vedat. Makes one want to take the car and drive straight to Llafranc.
Just one note, the name of the wine is Ossian, a great verdejo made by Javier Zacagnini from Aalto fame.
Posted by: Rogelio | January 10, 2010 at 10:22 AM
Thanks Rogelio. I corrected the spelling and added info.
I will soon have an article on my wine evaluation criteria. In a nutshell I think that the critics are in cahoots with those in the trade. 16/20 is very high for me but nowadays a wine in the bottle gets 15/20 or 85/100. It is time to put consumer interest over producers who make wine products, call it wine, and receive high rankings from the likes of Wine Spectator. Ossian was truly an artisanal wine.
I hope you will join me at Simpson in the coming June.
Posted by: Vedat Milor | January 12, 2010 at 05:44 PM