#twagmalaga

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Last dinner in Malaga at #LaCosmopolita of @danielcarnerosierra which he opened in 2010 focusing on traditional Andalusian cuisine using local ingredients sourced from nearby family farms. . The menu is on one page and changes daily. It is concise, simple but still with lots of good things to choose from. . Olives to start while we have a look at the menu. We decided on several dishes to share: their famous ensaladilla Rusa, usually just a mayonnaise drenched salad of potatoes, this time topped with tacos (small chunks) of jamón Ibérico bringing it a level up. We had a deceptively simple organic tomato salad, made with three types of fresh-picked tomatoes tossed in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with flaky sea salt, sweet, juicy, summer flavors on a plate. I had a glass of @marquesderiscal Verdejo and A had a Ribera del Duero. . The waiters are old timers who have been there forever and were kind enough to offer a small selection of kid-friendly items which C had: grilled Presa Iberica, fried egg and fried potatoes so she was happy with her dinner while we enjoyed ours. . Next up was the tuna tartar pepito (usually a mini sandwich filled with steak), done using pan de cristal (yeast free crispy bread) filled with hand copped raw tuna tossed in a Parmesan emulsion. . For our two main courses, we first had the bonito encebollado, another classic fish of the south which is tuna loin cooked in caramelized onions flavored with saffron; and the final dish of the evening - another classic: chuletillas de cordero lechal (tiny lamb chops) on top of crispy garlic fried potatoes with gravy. . We shared two desserts: a crust less baked cheesecake made with queso Payoyo (a local salty goat’s milk cheese) and a tocino del cielo (an extra sweet caramel custard which is similar to the leche flan my grandmother used to make) which came with a bit of lime cream to cut the sweetness. . We finished with a small glass of sweet Moscato Malaga wine as our digestif. . La Cosmopolita is a wonderful tribute to Andalusian classics done with a twist using the best produce available, basically “huerta a mesa” with a twist. . #TravelswithaGourmet #TWAGMalaga #yum #lacosmopolitamalaga (at La Cosmopolita) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDn-_7LnP5-/?igshid=1urrwncci9p0k

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Day 10: Our last day in Malaga. Lunch at local favorite @litoralpacificochiringuito for their famous calamar espetada (squid skewered on sticks then grilled upright beside a roaring wood fire), some tiny clams and roasted red peppers. . The perfect combination of summer: grilled seafood, salty sea breeze and sun. . After lunch we set up our towel and enjoyed being by the sea for a few hours. . #TravelswithaGourmet #TWAGMalaga #LitoralPacifico #calamarespetada (at Litoral Pacifico - Chiringuito) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDl4GA4HHkG/?igshid=13wq14ctb3tc9

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Day 9: We had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel’s @balausta_restaurant then woke C up to visit the nearby @museopicassomalaga The last time we were at this museum was over ten years ago, before the renovations and the new bright space displays the small collection of Picasso’s works over a two story building with a beautiful courtyard in the middle. . We went for a walk around the centro then stopped for a snack @casalolastrachan then headed back to the room for a siesta to escape the heat. . Dinner was @ochowinebistro which I had read about and was curious to try. It’s an Argentines restaurant with a large selection of wines run by Argentine Javier, the self-taught chef, and his English partner David, who serves and works front of house. . The menu is a combination of classic Argentine meat cooked on the grill and some specials that he creates when inspiration strikes. Ingredients are sourced from the region, from the tomatoes to the potatoes, Javier explains their origin. . We decided to go the traditional route: empanadas to start - flaky fried dough filled with meat, vegetables and spices. A had the Cordobesa and I had the Tucumana. Both filled with hand-cut ingredients filled with flavor and different textures. . C had chorizo a la parilla with perfect fried potato chips whille we had morcilla with a glass of light Tempranillo Ribera del Duero. . For our main course, we shared an asado de tira with a simple salad of tomatoes, avocado, parsley, red onions and a bit of chili plus a side of those amazing potato crisps. . We were quite full but we couldn’t leave and not have the panqueque de dulce de leche. . The passion of Javier is evident in the food he cooks, in how he welcomes guests and makes them feel at home and this is what makes Ocho special. Glad to have spent one of our Malaga evenings in Javier and David’s restaurant. . #TravelswithaGourmet #TWAGMalaga #OchoWineBistroMalaga (at OCHO, Calle Pedro De Toledo 2, Malaga) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDkESJeHbO8/?igshid=98irmfv6pymd

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#thingsthatjustmakesense @palacio_solecio . #TravelswithaGourmet #TWAGMalaga #PalacioSolecio https://www.instagram.com/p/CDjb9CXjIgY/?igshid=gv04fsmb8efv

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#thingsthatjustmakesense @palacio_solecio . #TravelswithaGourmet #TWAGMalaga #PalacioSolecio (at Palacio Solecio) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDjXu8yjUkX/?igshid=ogc2nulzqath

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Day 8: Left Marbella today and drove to Malaga to spend a few nights more in Andalusia. . Since we left Spain ten years ago, we had heard about all the changes in Malaga: new museums opened and historical sites and buildings cleaned up and restored. . We chose a hotel which opened only in December, had to close for several months during the quarantine and finally reopened only a few weeks ago. . @palacio_solecio is a palace built in 1789 which was the home of Felix Solecio, a Genovese nobleman, who managed the Royal Factory of Playing Cards. The palace served as the family home and the warehouse to store the playing cards before they were sent off to the Americas and the rest of the colonies. The palace’s architect was Jose Marti de Alfehuela who also designed the Puente Nuevo bridge in Ronda. . The palace is situated on a pedestrian street, Calle Granada, a few minutes walk from the cathedral, the Picasso museum and the city center. . Our deluxe palacio room is spacious and modern with hardwood floors, closets and walls, a red and white velvet headboard matching the curtains, a pretty little window seat on the wrought iron balcony overlooking the cobblestoned street and the Santiago church where Felix Solecio’s remains are. . The bathrooms are large with a separate rain shower and freestanding tub and a pretty herringbone patterned floor. . The lobby is a combination of brick walls, stone floors and natural straw window blinds. Courtyards have topiary plants in striped herringbone painted pots and allow light into the lobby and the hallways upstairs. . Such a beautiful renovation for an 18th century building, the Palacio Solecio manages to combine modern amenities and design without erasing the palace’s historical significance and sense of place. . #TravelswithaGourmet #TWAGMalaga #PalacioSolecio (at Palacio Solecio) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDhW3u4HDPl/?igshid=7ve6etaddap7

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Day 4: Dropped our son off early this morning to take the AVE back to Madrid and head back home to Dubai. . We took advantage of the quiet, empty streets and took a Sunday stroll along the pedestrian alleys and cobblestoned streets of Malaga Centro. We stopped at the 88-year old cafe @casaaranda for porras con chocolate, fresh orange juice and pan con tomate. . Then we walked a bit more towards the Catedral de la Encarnación de Málaga, a Gothic cathedral built in 1532 over the remains of what was the Almohad mosque, highlighting the strong influence of Arab culture in Andalusian history. . In a small alleyway alongside the cathedral is another historical place, at least for our family, because of Hospital Dr. Galvez (although everyone calls it Clinica Galvez), which is where our youngest was born 11 years ago. I was in the clinic for about a week and woke up to the sound of the cathedral bells and then couldn’t sleep because of the saxophonist busker who performed daily outside my window. We took our daughter back there today to show her a bit of “herstory”. . #TravelswithaGourmet #TWAGMalaga #Cathedral #TWAGMarbella (at Catedral De Málaga) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDZpnF3ni6e/?igshid=5htfk4w2dgdc