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Chechu González, cook at María de la O, in Granada.
Image provided by the restaurant.
Chechu González (Granada, 46 years old) studied at the Hurtado de Mendoza public hospitality school, worked in hotels and restaurants in his city, until eight years ago he decided to take a leap in his career and enrolled in the Master of Technique, Product and Creativity at the Basque Culinary Center (BCC).
He took advantage of his stay in San Sebastián to work at the Kokotxa restaurant.
From there he went to Cadaqués, to the Share restaurant, run by Mateu Casañas – co-owner, along with Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch, also of Enjoy Barcelona.
Then he went through the kitchens of Suculent, and while there he received the call from the Abades restaurant group, based in Loja (Granada), to take charge of the María de la O restaurant, a renovated 19th century mansion on the Sierra highway. , for which it has just received its first Repsol sun.
Where to have breakfast
1.
Epicureum.
This is a cafeteria that opened a year and a half ago in the Magdalena neighborhood.
A quiet place, says the cook, with good natural juices, made with local fruits, and good slices of bread and coffee.
Also ideal for
brunch
.
Address: Buensuceso, 9, Granada.
Telephone: 614 13 44 49.
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A post shared by Epicureum Café & Brunch (@epicureum.brunch)
A place to have an aperitif
2.
Recommends Bar Provincias.
A tavern in the center of the city, with very good seafood.
He likes the atmosphere generated around the bar, a meeting point for poets and artists—it was frequented, he says, by Enrique Morente.
Recommends the salad and fried fish, one of the specialties.
Address: Provincias, 4, Granada.
Telephone: 958 25 20 57.
3.
Another option is Bar Soria.
Another classic, he points out, with a bar frequented by musicians—Chechu González was the drummer for the group Especie Sub—among them, the members of Los Planetas, 091 or Lori Meyers.
The owner, Fran Soria, assures that he has a lot of personality and generates a very pleasant atmosphere in the premises.
The specialties: pork cheeks and red tuna.
Address: Laurel de las Tablas, 3, Granada.
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A post shared by Bar Provincias (@barprovincias)
Where to eat
4.
Los Pinos Food House.
What stands out about the place, in addition to its proximity to Granada, is its traditional village cuisine, with a modern touch.
They serve everything from rice, croquettes, to grilled meats.
It has a large terrace, with a living room with a fireplace, which makes diners feel like they are part of the family.
Address: P.º de los Pinos, 6, Huétor Vega, Granada.
Telephone: 617 08 00 48.
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A post shared by Los Pinos Casa de Comidas (@casadecomidaslospinos)
A coffee or sweet in the middle of the afternoon
5.
No doubt: the El Sol pastry shop. A classic that has three locations in the city.
It stands out for its cakes and, according to the cook, for its Carnival curd, a dessert that is made with the leftovers of the mantecados they prepare at Christmas.
Another dessert he recommends is Cecilio, a
chocolate
mousse base with a fine cream and burnt sugar.
Address: Acera del Darro, 2, Granada.
Telephone: 958 26 25 60.
See this post on Instagram
A shared post from Pastelería El Sol (@pasteleriaelsolgranada)
Where to have a drink
6.
Choose two addresses.
Botánico Café, next to the botanical garden, run by Julia Sevillano and Esther Vidal.
A good place to have a quiet drink.
Address: Málaga, 3, Granada.
Telephone: 958 27 15 98
7.
The second place he chooses is the Ruido Rosa Pub, a temple of
rock and roll and
indie
music
, where all local musicians and those who visit the city make pilgrimages.
Address: Sol, 18, Ronda, Granada.
Where to dine
8.
He likes to go to the Taberna Catavinos, where Alfredo Fernández, “a lifelong character in Granada”, offers the best seafood and fish from Motril.
From shrimp, red shrimp or mullet.
It is a small place, where all the product is sold out, which guarantees its freshness.
Mushrooms work well.
A dish that he recommends is eggs with mushrooms and lobster.
Address: San Miguel Alta, 35, Granada.
Telephone: 664 23 44 85.
9.
Suggest another address for dinner: Kiosko Las Titas, in front of the Genil River.
An rt nouveau style place
.
A cultural reference of the city, with a menu with a wide repertoire of dishes - fried foods, vegetables and meats.
Address: P.º de la Bomba, s/n, Granada.
Telephone: 958 12 00 19.
See this post on Instagram
A shared post from Taberna Catavinos (@taberna_catavinos)
A product to buy in the market
10.
He recommends a visit to the San Agustín market and stopping to buy seafood, but especially shrimp from Motril, which he calls the “queens of the seas.”
Address: Pl. de San Agustín, 2, Granada.
See this post on Instagram
A post shared by Mercado San Agustín - Granada (@mdo_sanagustin)
A gastronomic 'souvenir'
11.
There is no doubt about it: the wine from Bodegas Toral.
From the Land of the Altiplano.
They are natural wines made from grapes native to Granada, such as Torrontés, which disappeared during the phylloxera.
He especially recommends Serendipity, a single varietal of this grape.
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A post shared by Bodega Toral 🇪🇦 Your Natural Wine (@bodegatoral)
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