On the recommendation of a gentleman in Barcelona, my wife and I stopped into De la O last Wednesday evening. It was a truly delightful experience. It was one of the best meals we had during our week in Spain, but it was even more than that, as I will explain.
First of all, the ambience is great. It is quiet. The restaurant is situated on a terrace facing the canal, and there is a window in the back that looks out over a courtyard garden, so either end of the restaurant provides a lovely view. The interior is modern, but warm. The entire middle of the main wall is taken up by a large hanging garden. The restaurant itself is long and narrow, which gives the space a charming intimacy.
And the food. Oh, the food! My wife and I shared the "Paté 'De la O,'" which was a nice, meaty paté. Then we had the Albóndigas, which were delightful! They were excellent, and they little gambas on the outside of them. The flavor was superb. And then we had the Salchicha corralera especiada sobre tabulé. Oh wow! The sausages were perfect, and the tabouleh provided the perfect complement of acidity and lightness to the sausage. Then we had a special dish of octopus that was simply divine. Finally, we finished with a cheesecake with Malaga foam. The cheesecake was perfect--not dense at all, with bruléed sugar on top. Everything not only tasted marvelous, but it was all beautifully prepared and presented. I will dream about those albóndigas and that salchicha for the rest of my days.
So, the food was excellent. *Easily* among the best (and most beautiful) meals we had in Spain. (And, this is a small thing, but it was also insanely inexpensive for what we had. They could easily charge double what they are, and it would be worth it!) But this wasn't the best part.
We ordered a wine off the menu containing a grape we'd never encountered before--Tintilla de Rota under the label Nude from Cádiz. It was exquisite. It's an beautiful wine, deep purple. And the flavor is intense and lovely and every reason why I love wine. The owner came over to talk with us about it. He said that not many people order the wine and that it is a grape that almost became extinct but has since been revived. It's unfiltered (hence "Nude"), accounting for its intensity of color, nose, and palate.
And so we got to talking with Manuel, the chef and proprietor. He is one of the genuinely nicest people I have ever met. I say that with no exaggeration. He spoke with us for an hour about Sevilla--what to see, where to eat. He gave us a map with his recommendations circled on it. We also told him we were going to Jerez, and he told us where to go there, too. We tried to go to as many of the places as he recommended, and every single one of them was *incredible.* (I'd tell you what they are, but you need to go here and eat and talk to Manuel to get them for yourself.) He was friendly, and funny, and clearly so passionate about sharing his city and its culture with us. I can say, hands-down, that meeting Manuel was the highlight of our trip. He is a tremendous fellow. That his restaurant is producing amazing food is only a bonus.
We came back a couple of days later to thank Manuel for all his friendly help and gracious hospitality. We ended up talking to him for another hour or so. We didn't leave without getting another order of that delicious cheesecake, though!
So, if you go to Sevilla and you miss De la O, you haven't really been to Sevilla. Both this restaurant and Manuel are among the best parts of the city. Manuel is clearly someone who loves food, who loves wine, who loves people, and who loves Sevilla, and he clearly loves sharing all of these things with others. So, thank you, Manuel, for a visit to this city that we will never forget!
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