RICHARD FRISBIE :: Come See What A Woman Can Do

Purple Orchid decorates the table

Toni Vicente Restaurante
Rosalia de Castro, 24
Santiago de Compostela Galicia, Spain
Tel: (981) 594 100
http://www.tonivicente.com/

    It is always a thrill to walk into a restaurant for the first time. I never know quite what to expect. When I was in Galicia last Spring  I knew they'd be serving fresh seafood (probably octopus and cod) and that the local wines (mostly Ribeiro and Albariño) would pair with them nicely. The big unknown was how the chef would interpret the local fare based on what was freshest in the market that day. Walking into Toni Vicente Restaurante also raised a different question. Toni Vicente is the first female chef with a Michelin Star I've had the pleasure to dine with. I was intrigued to learn how she'd fare against the "boys club" I was used to. It turns out that she did very well indeed!

    Toni Vicente Restaurante is unusual in this age of open kitchens because all the cooking is done one floor below the seating area. The kitchen is reached by going through the server's station and down a narrow flight of stairs, where it opens out into a bustling creative center few diners get to see. Toni graciously invited me into her kitchen to view the preparation of each course, so I spent most of the meal running up and down stairs taking advantage of her kind offer. (And some people wonder how I stay so thin!) That behavior wrecks havoc with a dinner conversation, as you can imagine, but I learned so much about Galician food in the process. Here, see for yourself :


 




    First, I got to taste the traditional Galician white wine Albariño, which I love. This was a Valtea 2006. It has a rich, peachy fruit bouquet, with a fruit-forward flavor balanced by a mineral taste, and a burst-in-your-mouth freshness complimented by a long finish - superb! Especially so with a seemingly odd combination of appetizers.  We were served thin lengthwise slices of yucca root deep-fried to an exotic chip-quality, and apple croquettes fried Spanish-style with the creamiest of almost-not-done centers. These flanked a delightful spoon of lightly sautéed octopus in a white foam of potato soup garnished with olive oil, paprika and coarse salt. The flavors and textures worked beautifully together, but I could have eaten a lot more of that octopus!



    The first fish course (or the second appetizer, however you want to count it) was a carpaccio of sea bass in lemon juice and olive oil, decorated with a "salad" of tomato and greens. The thinly sliced sea bass was delicate in the seasoned oil. Coarse sea salt added at the last minute really pulled out the flavor, while the crunch of the "salad" was a nice counterpoint to the tenderness of the fish. This type of dish can only be done with the freshest and highest quality sea food, something Galicia is known for. It was exquisite!



    A monkfish steak like none I'd ever had before was next on the menu. A fat fillet was first broiled to a crisp outside, with a creamy, almost-doneness inside, then sliced into thick steaks. These were coated in a dry looking, but really moist and tasty black olive tapanade. A dollop of pureed peas was added, more as a decoration than a taste, but it blended nicely with a warm fish stock which was spooned over the fish at table. My nose filled with the aroma of seafood and garden fresh peas as I filled my fork with the subtle fish flavors. Simply heavenly, especially when I showed my plebeian roots by soaking the home made bread in the last of the broth. Delicious! 



    Remember I said that I was in the kitchen between each course? Well, when I got back to the table this time I was sorry to see the Albariño replaced with a red wine for the meat course. That is, I was sorry until I tasted it. It was a higher tannin dry red, but still smooth, with a big mouth feel that went well with the tenderloin of lamb we were served next. Unfortunately, it is so local it isn't available here, but if you ever find a 2004 El Quintaxla on a wine list, it can be a rare treat when served with flavors strong enough to do it justice. The lamb was.



    The baby lamb tenderloins were resting in a fruity marinade while the earlier courses were prepared. Then they were broiled to a crispy doneness on the outside, with a rarer than rare center - red, rich and flavorful - just the way I prefer. It was so rare you could almost hear it crying for its mother. There was a Mid-eastern flavor on the plate with it, something a bit unusual for this far north in Spain, but perfect with the lamb. Pistachios and currants were briefly cooked with quinoa and a hint of zucchini, tomato and smoked bacon stirred in to create a spiced Moroccan  mixture of texture and flavor to accompany the lamb. It was pretty, aromatic and oh so good! 



    By now most of you know I'm not a big dessert eater. Frankly, I can take it or leave it. I almost passed on the dessert, but when my visits to the kitchen gave me a preview of what was to come I  knew I had to try it. There were little crunchy espresso cookies, reminiscent of the ones available at Hudson Valley Desserts just around the corner from my shop. They sat in a rich warm chocolaty sauce anchored to the plate with a small serving of the most delicately flavored kafir ice cream I've ever tasted. This contrast in temperature and texture was crossed with a coconut cream foam and heavily sprinkled with ground cinnamon. It was oddly satisfying on so many levels, even to the edible sweet violet flower. If one must eat dessert - this was the one to eat! BUT there were two desserts! A surprise almond roll surrounded by almond cakes, all powered with sugar and served with espresso in unique little cups.



    There you have it. My first experience dining in a woman's Michelin starred restaurant was a great success. I can't wait to see if I can find any more in my travels. Toni Vicente is arguably the best chef in Santiago de Compostela. Certainly she and Chef Marcelo Tejedor are the top two. Her well-lighted and appointed dining rooms are inviting, and the warmth and friendliness of her staff are unsurpassed. Really - I could even call them long suffering. They kept their good nature while I bumped past them on the stairs charging back and forth between kitchen and table. The eating is truly fabulous throughout Galicia, but for a real treat, dine at Toni Vicente Restaurante and see what a woman can do.  (video link below!)

Richard Frisbie, FOOD Correspondent:

RICHARD FRISBIE is published twice a month to Gather Essentials: Food 
It is a food junkie's take on growing, raising, preparing and - above all else - eating food. Together we'll explore the trends, addictions, equipment and regional specialties that make up the sometimes mundane and sometimes sublime cooking and dining experience. You can keep up with my other postings and Gather activity by joining my Gather network -- I look forward to hearing from you.

BIO - Richard Frisbie writes culinary travel articles, is a columnist for his local newspapers, and is a regular contributor to the many Hudson Valley, Catskill Mountain and other regional New York publications. His most recent addition to that list is a wine column called "Fruit of the Vine" for Life in the Finger Lakes magazine. Online, he writes frequent articles for EDGE publications and Travel Lady, as well as Gather.

VIDEO - http://www.gather.com/viewVideo.jsp?id=11821949021851364&memberId=17461
Join my Food Videos Forum and see some of the preparations Toni Vicente and her able sous chefs accomplished in the preparation of our dinner:  foodvideos.gather.com

BLOG - http://www.bloglines.com/blog/rfrisbie
Where some of my Gather work and other things, primarily about New York State, appears.

You can read all of Richard's articles  http://rfrisbie.gather.com/ or find him with the other Food Correspondents, plus celebrity chef content and plenty of other Foodies at  http://foodtalk.gather.com