The "Guiri" Gourmet

By The "Guiri" Gourmet

Yesterday was St Patrick's Day.

Although I don't have a drop of Irish blood in me, I am 50% Celt, being half-Welsh. I also like Guinness, Murphys and (most) Irish people I have met in my relatively long life.

As a result I often celebrate March 17, St Patrick's Day, patron saint of Eire.

[Photo  courtesy of Wikipedia]    

Dinner at the "Mill"

This year the German missus and I "celebrated" by going for dinner on the re-opening-under-new-management night of the restaurant at Hotel Molino del Santo in Estación de Benaoján (Málaga).

This fine establishment in a refurbished mill first opened its doors as a boutique hotel and restaurant in 1987.

    The welcome sign [Photo: Trip Advisor]

It has been closed since the end of November 2024 and has undergone a makeover. It has always been a favourite of ours for a special occasion.

New "owners" are Carmen and Martin. Carmen is the elder daughter of owners Andy Chapell and Pauline Elkin, who retired in 2023. Carmen was born locally and attended schools in Benaoján, Ronda and San Pedro de Alcántara, before university in the UK. 

Her partner Martin originates from Norway.

Apart from the alterations and improvements, there is a new menu, and a new website, but most of the staff remain as before.  

Andy, Pauline, Carmen and Martin [Jon  Clarke] 

Pre-dinner drinks

The new owners had gone off-duty by the time we arrived. I think they had had a busy lunchtime!

But, we were pleased to see Inma, head receptionist and last night maitresse D. The head waiter, Víctor, was "off sick", but Inma was ably supported by local "girl", waitress Andrea.

There was no sign of Andy and Pauline hovering in the background, keeping an eye on things. They truly are retired!

Nor was there any sign of it being "Paddy's Day". No green décor nor free Guinness!

In the bar we bumped into Paul and Roz, who have a house up the road in Montejaque.

I have known Roz since 2000 when we both worked together in Merseyside. Then, we ended up buying property in said Montejaque. Quite a coincidence, eh? Serendipity?

They now live in Lymm (Cheshire), my old stomping ground before I emigrated to Spain.

Paul and Roz in their new home in Lymm [Manchester World]

The meal

They were not very busy - I counted 11 covers. Apart from us four walk-ups there were two English couples and a group of three "escapees" from Trump's USA.

The first thing we noticed was that the new menu had new prices!

No worries. We both ordered fish goujons in tempura as a starter - very tasty.

Rita went for the solomillo de ternera (beef fillet steak) whereas I chose the dorada fillets (sea bream). Rita's steak was as she wanted it, ie al punto (medium rare). My fish was delightful - baked to perfection.

We washed our meal down with a couple of glasses each of Marqués de Cáceres (Rita) and La Cañada verdejo (me).

Then it was time to pay the bill - a hefty 110 euros - before braving the downpour for the 20-minute drive home.

Endword

Despite the costly bill, we had a lovely evening. From re-acquainting with Inma and Andrea, to bumping into Roz and Paul, plus chatting to an English couple who were staying at the hotel, to the exquisite food.

We were disappointed that the new hosts, Carmen and Martin, weren't there, and that there was no "nod" towards St Patrick's Day.

Also that there were no opening night "freebies".

Nevertheless, a lovely evening.

[Image courtesy of CEXT]    

 
Interesting links:

Couple loves later life in new Hawthorn Grange home

Hotel Molino del Santo under new management

SAINTS COME MARCHING IN!: Award-winning rural hotel Molino del Santo near Ronda gets set for a brand new chapter - Olive Press News Spain

Photos:

CEXT, Jon Clarke, Manchester World, Molino del Santo, Pronto, The Black Farmer, TikTok, Trip Advisor, Wikipedia 

© The "Guiri" Gourmet 

Tags:

Andrea, Andy, Benaoján, Carmen, CEXT, Eye on  Spain, Guinness, Inma, Jon Clarke, Lymm, maitresse D, Manchester World, Martin, Merseyside, Molino del Santo, Montejaque, Olive Press News, "Paddy's Day", Pauline, Paul Whitelock, Pronto, Roz and Paul Littler, St Patrick's Day, Secret Serranía, The Black Farmer, The "Guiri" Gourmet, TikTok, Trip Advisor, Víctor, Wikipedia 

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This post has been moved to:

March 17 is St Patrick's Day

It is 45 years since 28 February 1980 when in a referendum the andaluces voted overwhelmingly for their region to become one of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions (federal states), following Spain’s return to democracy on the death of the dictator General Franco five years earlier.

Franco lies in state [Daily Mail]    

Friday 28 February 2025 - Celebrating with dinner

Yesterday was Día de Andalucía, an important día festivo down here in the south of Spain where it is a significant day in the political and cultural history of the region.

Because of the bad weather some of the outdoor celebrations had to be cancelled or moved to indoor venues. And the andaluces still enjoyed their celebrations with family and friends.

Those of us foreigners who are resident here – guiris –  will have used the day as an excuse to celebrate and many will have gone out for dinner.

    The Love family in the early days                                                 Ian, Elaine and Carly Love with head chef Tom O'Connor

The Meter Maid and I chose the nearest restaurant to our home, the excellent La Cascada at the Hotel Molino del Puente in Fuente de la Higuera just outside Ronda.

The hotel bar was cosy and warm; the restaurant also. There were 18 diners, eight Spaniards and ten “guiris”, a mixture of hotel residents and “locals”.

After opening drinks in the bar we chose our meals and shortly afterwards adjourned to our tables.

What we chose

Head chef Tom O’Connor had assembled a varied menu fitting of the occasion. Tom says: "Estoy aquí para mostrar mi pasión por la cocina y mi compromiso de traer ideas nuevas y emocionantes a nuestro menú."

Rita chose a seafood salad followed by salmon on a bed of spinach. I chose one of my favourite starters – tarta de champigñones con ensalada - and a curry tailandés.

    Salmón en espinacas                         Curry tailandés                   Tarta de hojaldre

     [Library photos]

We were both well-pleased with our choices.

After a short epilogue back in the bar, it was time to pay the bill and amble  the 50 metres back to our home.

Further reading:

Andalucía Day (Día de Andalucía) - Secret Serrania de Ronda - 2021

Día de Andalucía – Monday 28 February 2022

My Andalucia Day - a personal serendipity – 2023

Back to the “Bridge” – St George’s Day

Por qué se celebra el 28-F el día de Andalucía         

What is a guiri? It's what the Spanish call us foreigners - but is it good or bad?

                             Image courtesy of saedyn  

© The "Guiri" Gourmet

Photos:

Daily Mail, Ian Love, Karl Smallman, Paul Whitelock, saedyn

Acknowledgements:

Eye on Spain, Ian Love, Karl Smallman, Paul Whitelock, Secret Serranía

Tags:

17 autonomous regions, 28 February 1980, andaluces, Andalucía, bad weather, celebrating with family and friends, Daily Mail, death of the dictator General Franco, democracy, día festivo, Eye on Spain, guiri, Hotel Molino del Puente, Ian Love, Karl Smallman, La Cascada, Meter Maid, outdoor celebrations, Paul Whitelock, political and cultural history of the region, referendum, resident, Ronda, Secret Serranía, The "Guiri" Gourmet

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I don't know if it's like this everywhere in Spain, but in Ronda (Málaga), where I live, bars and restaurants close and new ones open with amazing frequency. It seems to be a post-Covid phenomenon.

[Photo: Restaurantes Exitosos]

This evening we wanted to try out somewhere new, so I had a wander round the centre this morning and discovered a surprising number. And that's not counting places away from the centre or on the outskirts.

Ronda restaurant "recce"

Within 15 minutes I had discovered at least ten - on three streets, slap bang in the centre.

There was a Hindu, a Korean, a new Italian pizzeria, and a whole range of places offering Spanish/international cuisine. There were trendy places with nouvelle cuisine; cheap and cheerful; expensive; and bog-standard. There's even a restaurant boasting 2 Michelin stars.

The Hollywood film star Robert De Niro ate lunch there recently. The menu of the day was an eye-watering 200€ a head! But, I guess if you earn 10 million dollars for making a film, that's peanuts!

I shan't be going there anytime soon. Mr De Niro did report that the meal and service was excellent! I should bloody well hope so for that price! The Michelin-starred chef Benito Gómez must be a very wealthy man.

I'll let my wife choose where we go (I won't mention Tragatá - the expensive one referred to above).

I wouldn't mind giving the Indian restaurant a try. We haven't had an Indian or Bangladeshi restaurant in Ronda for some years. I'm also intrigued by the Korean place, but we'll see .....

De Niro and Gomez [DiarioSur]

© The "Guiri" Gourmet

Photos by Paul Whitelock, unless otherwise stated.

Tags:

10 million dollars, 2 Michelin stars, 200€ a head, Bangladeshi, Benito Gomez, DiarioSur, Hindu, Indian restaurant, Italian, Korean, meal and service were excellent, menu of the day, nouvelle cuisine, Paul Whitelock, pizzeria, post-Covid phenomenon, Restaurantes Exitosos, Robert De Niro, Ronda restaurant "recce", Spanish/international cuisine, The "Guiri" Gourmet, Tragata, wealthy man,

This prestigious boutique hotel in Benaoján Estación has new people at the helm. The hotel, formerly a dilapidated mill, was discovered by husband and wife Andy Chapell and Pauline Elkin some forty years ago when, as young teachers, they were on a back-packing holiday in the area.

    Photo courtesy of booking.com

What happened next?

They had a dream, bought the ruined mill, and gave up their teaching jobs in the UK, Andy was a PE teacher and Pauline a Spanish teacher, and they worked flat out to turn the ruined mill into one of the best hotels and restaurants in Andalucia.

Despite the formidable challenges, eg the bureaucracy, threats from the local mafia, and other issues, they managed it.

Their policy of only employing local people paid off and they quickly became part of the local community.

Before and after photos [Andy Chapell]

    Andy and Eddie [Jon Clarke]                                    River-side dining terrace [Htl Molino del Santo]

Andy and Pauline sired two children, Carmen and Rosi, who were born locally, went to school at an international school on the coast and completed their education at universities in the UK. Both are bilingual, of course.

What goes around, comes around

Andy and Pauline reached pension age and wanted to retire. They left the hotel in the capable hands of Ricardo and Nicole, an Anglo-Argentinian/French couple, for a while, but now their oldest daughter Carmen and her Norwegian partner Martin have agreed to take up the challenge.

Carmen and Martin are currently refurbishing the hotel and planning a new menu, with many vegetarian options. They also plan to focus on fine wines, particularly from the Ronda area.

    Andy & Pauline's retirement [JC]                     Carmen [Linked In]                                            Martin [X]

They plan to re-open Molino del Santo in April 2025. We look forward to checking them out!

© The “Guiri” Gourmet

Links:

Run of the Mills - Help me, Ronda - please scroll down to Molino del Santo

The Best “Station” in the Serrania de Ronda – Estación de Benaoján

Acknowledgements:

Andy Chapell, Jon Clarke, Pauline Elkin, Paul Whitelock, The “Guiri” Gourmet, The Olive Press

Photos:

Andy Chapell, booking.com, Jon Clarke, LinkedIn, Molino del Santo, Pauline Elkin, Paul Whitelock, The Olive Press, X

Tags:

Andy Chapell, Carmen Chapell Elkin, Jon Clarke, Martin Reymert, Pauline Elkin, Paul Whitelock, Rosi, The “Guiri” Gourmet, The Olive Press, www.help-me-ronda.com

The “Guiri” Gourmet has lived in Spain for 16 years. He must like it.

He lives with his second wife, Rita, a German, near Ronda (Málaga).

Both the GG and Rita love Spanish food, but Rita, an excellent cook, nevertheless rustles up the odd German dish from time to time.

If he were allowed to, the GG would cook the occasional English meal, but it’s rare that he gets the chance. A Sunday roast; liver and onions; toad-in-the-hole; fish, chips and mushy peas; scouse; Yorkshire pud and gravy; bangers and mash; a breakfast fry-up; tripe and onions (ONLY JOKING! The smell alone is enough to make you throw up!) would all hit the spot!

Hardly cordon bleu cooking, nor even healthy, but hey! Very British.

Spanish cuisine

To be truthful, I don’t really miss English food. La cocina española (Spanish cuisine) is very varied, very regional and very tasty. There are few dishes which are truly national. Paella, for example, is a regional dish from Valencia, fabada is from Asturias and migas are from Ronda.

What about French cuisine? Well, it’s delicious, but less healthy than Spanish cooking because the French use more saturated fat and those delicious sauces that accompany every dish are distinctly fattening and unhealthy.

Life expectancy in Spain, along with Greece, is among the longest in Europe.

What do we miss from home?

There are a handful of products that I like to have in the cupboard or pantry. These are, in alphabetical order, baked beans, Bovril, clotted cream, Guinness, HP Sauce, Marmite, and peanut butter.

Most are available in Spain, but not consistently in Ronda, so occasionally we have to go to the coast to top up supplies. Other British folk go to Gibraltar to shop at Morrisons. Not me, I hate the place! Gibraltar, I mean; Morrisons is OK.

There are also a few things Rita misses from Germany. Bockwurst, Bratwurst and Schwarzbrot are readily available in Aldi or LIDL. She sometimes finds the odd thing on the coast, but there are several things she either picks up when she visits Germany or gets sent by post.

These include Currypulver, Gemüsebrühe, German cheeses, Hühnerbrühe, mango chutney and various spices and condiments. Plus, her downfall, Toffifee.

Things she gets sent include food supplements and natural medicinal products, such as Omega 3 capsules and Magnesium tablets for her gout.

Also, make-up and hair-care products.

Drinks

I love English real ales. Before I emigrated, I was a member of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), and often went to beer festivals. Several local pubs in the Warrington (Cheshire) area, where I used to live, were free houses and sold an ever-changing range of bitters, milds, pale ales, lagers and stouts.

Even the big brewers produced cask ales and the regionals also. And the number of small micro-breweries in the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands was astonishing.

Decent beer was one of the things I really missed living in Andalucia.

Yet micro-breweries are catching on here too, with a few dotted around Ronda, Cádiz, Córdoba and Sevilla.

For more on good beers (and wines), check out my Eye on Spain blog, The Merry Tippler, and my Facebook Group, CAMCAC.

    CAMCAC Facebook Group [Photo: Paul Whitelock]

My second-favourite beers come from Germany. Fortunately, there’s a good range available at the afore-mentioned discounters, Aldi and LIDL.

Both Rita and I love wines from Baden-Württemberg. They are occasionally to be found in Spain but are prohibitively expensive.

Iceland

We went to Iceland last week. Not the country in the frozen north above Scandinavia, but the UK supermarket that has a branch in Marbella. I’d never been in my life, but Rita had been a couple of times with her English friend Jill.

Well, Iceland is no longer there. It’s got a new name – The Food Co. It still stocks Iceland products, but the new company (since 2019) has added Tesco, Waitrose and Co-op products.

I only went to get my staples, as listed above, but “What an Aladdin’s Cave?” I ended up buying a load of British products that I don’t really use or miss.

But, I thought, I’m “de Rodríguez” (on my own) for Christmas*, so why not get a few traditional English/British Christmas products?

Mince pies, shortbread, Stilton, Port, horseradish sauce, a number of Heinz products and a Christmas pudding went into our trolley!

Rita helped herself to tacos, poppadums, and other delights not always available in the mountains. Not German products, but she likes to cook Mexican and Indian food too.

Endpiece

Look, I’m slightly embarrassed to say this, but I enjoyed being able to get hold of these British products, even though I’m pretty hispañolizado after a more than 50-year relationship with Spain.

To the extent that, after Christmas and New Year are "done and dusted" and everybody gets back to work, I shall be starting the process to become a Spanish national with a Spanish passport.

I’ve checked, and my state and private pensions are safe, and I shall no longer have to stand in the long queue at passport control at airports and ports.

I can even travel to one more country without needing a visa than I can with my blue British passport! I don’t know which country that is, but that’s not the point!

Watch this space!

© The “Guiri” Gourmet

Links:

Christmas "de Rodríguez" - Rita’s alternative Christmas Dinner

De Rodríguez – at Christmas?

... de Rodríguez? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Photos and Images:

Facebook

Full Suitcase

Paul Whitelock

RH Nuttall

The Food Co.

Wikipedia

Acknowledgements:

Paul Whitelock

The “Guiri” Gourmet

www.secretserrania.com

Tags:

50-year relationship with Spain, Aldi, Andalucía, Baden-Württemberg, baked beans, bangers and mash, beer festival, big brewers, bitter, Bockwurst, Bovril, Bratwurst, breakfast fry-up, Cadiz, CAMRA, cask ale, Cheshire, Christmas pudding, clotted cream, condiments, Cordoba, cordon bleu, Currypulver, “de Rodríguez”, Facebook, fish chips and mushy peas, food supplements, free house, Full Suitcase, Gemüsebrühe, German cheeses, Gibraltar, gout, Guinness, hair-care products, Heinz, hispañolizado, Horseradish sauce, HP Sauce, Hühnerbrühe, Iceland, Indian, lager, LIDL, liver and onions, Magnesium tablets, make-up, Málaga, mango chutney, Marbella, Marmite, Mexican, micro-breweries, mild, mince pies, Morrisons, natural medicinal products, Omega 3 capsules, pale ale, Paul Whitelock, peanut butter, poppadums, Port, real ale, Rita, RH Nuttall, Ronda, Schwarzbrot, scouse, Sevilla, shortbread, Spanish food, Spanish national, Spanish passport, spices, Stilton, stout, Sunday roast,  tacos, Tesco, The Food Co., The “Guiri” Gourmet, The Merry Tippler, toad-in-the-hole, Toffeefee, tripe and onions, Waitrose, Warrington, Wikipedia, www.secretserrania.com, Yorkshire pud and gravy

I was in Ronda last Friday, sorting stuff out when I was caught short. Unbelievably I found a parking space right outside a bar. OK, I thought, a quick beer, use the toilet and carry on.

Las Caballerías

In I went. It was a bar I’d never visited in a 25-year relationship with Ronda (16 as a resident).

Well, I must tell you, I was knocked out! What a locale, full of well-heeled Spanish locals, great decor and what an ambience!

I managed to get a table, ordered a tercio de Mahou and promptly visited the gents.

Back at the table I cast an eye over the menu, and I was astonished. What an offer! No wonder it was full of locals.

BTW, I was the only “guiri”.

I was hungry, so I decided to order something to eat. I chose una brocheta de gambas con beicon. It cost 4 euros, but, hey!

When it came, it was well presented and delicious.

By this time, I was well into the atmosphere. I read a few reviews on TripAdvisor on my mobile. All good.

I decided to linger, have a second beer and another tapa. This time I went for hígado de pollo. Ay, ¡Caramba! It was amazing.

The waitress was also amazing! I engaged her in conversation and established that Las Caballerias is a family business.

Mari Tere is the daughter of the current owner, although the history of the bar goes back decades.

She told me that all the staff were family. Brilliant! And they own the premises, so they won’t be going bust any time soon, with no rent to pay.

We took a selfie. Here it is. She looks great; I’m showing my age!

The bill for two great tapas and two tasty beers came to a mere 12,90 euros.

Bar Las Caballerías has rocketed into my top 3!

I’ll be back there soon, for sure!

© The "Guiri" Gourmet

Interesting links:

PLACES TO EAT - Help me, Ronda

Serranía Kitchen - recipes from around the world

What is a guiri? It's what the Spanish call us foreigners - but is it good or bad?

What is a guiri? - Olive Press News Spain

Photos:

All photos by The "Guiri" Gourmet (Paul Whitelock)

Tags:

Bar Restaurante Las Caballerías, brocheta de gambas con beicon, caught short, ”guiri”, "Guiri" Gourmet, hígado de pollo, Mahou, Mari Tere, Paul Whitelock, Ronda, selfie, tapa, tercio, Trip Advisor

By The "Guiri" Gourmet

We enjoyed two great hostelry experiences this week. First of all, I popped into Benaoján’s newest bar/restaurant and then the following day we had dinner at one of our favourite restaurants in Ronda.

Something old

Let’s start with the old. By that I mean a restaurant that has just celebrated its 19^th anniversary since opening its doors in 2005. We have been regulars for more than 13 years, ever since we moved into our house just up the road.

A former olive and flour mill, dating from the 17^th century, Restaurante La Cascada at the Hotel Molino del Puente in Fuente de la Higuera in the campo just outside Ronda, is a cut above many. It boasts 13 unique, stylish and romantic bedrooms and has a swimming pool.

    Before and after photos of Hotel Molino del Puente [Ian Love and KAYAK] 

Owned and run by English couple Ian and Elaine Love, this is a 3-star boutique hotel with a fine restaurant on the lower ground floor.

Ian, the chef, has recently retired from the kitchen. “Too old,” he says and now concentrates on running his newly established estate agency LOVE VIVIENDAS with middle daughter Carly. He also helps out behind the bar and as a waiter in the evenings.

    Tom, Carly, Megan with baby Sofia, Elaine, Ian, Robyn and husband Gianluca

Ian's replacement in the kitchen is Tom O’Connor, Carly’s partner. Tom is a trained chef with experience on the Costa del Sol and in Tenerife. Carly and Tom have a little girl, Sofia.

The hotel and restaurant are about to close for the winter, so we hastily booked for Friday night. As usual we were not disappointed.

Portions are generous at La Cascada, so we shared a salad to start. There was no salad on the menu, but Elaine said they could make us one up. The impromptu salad was delicious with prawns and cashew nuts and a tasty dressing.    .

For main courses Rita chose filete de salmon fresco con espinacas, salsa de vino blanco y patatas gratinadas and I went for pechuga de pollo Hindu marinada en especias indias con arroz basmati y raita. I'd not had that before and I was delighted with my choice. So was Rita. We cleared our plates. Postre was a slice of tarta de queso casero which we also shared.

We were both more than full.

To accompany our food Rita had a cava and I had a beer (Estrella Galicia on draught), then we chose a bottle of Verdejo – delicious.

After our meal it was still early so we adjourned to the bar for digestifs. Rita had two more glasses of cava, and I risked a couple of coñacs. I say “risked” because the last time I drank brandy, some three years ago, I ended up in hospital! The less said about that the better. Needless to say, from that day on I’ve never touched spirits again – until last Friday night. I survived unscathed on this occasion.

Something new

A couple of days before, as I was returning from Montejaque, where I had gone after all the rain to check out our two rental houses (Casa Rita and Casa Real), I passed through Benaoján. I noticed that the new restaurant El Escalón was in operation.

I’d been waiting for months for it to open its doors – there was apparently a delay in getting their licencia de apertura (opening permit) from Málaga City.

The owner is Juan Diego who used to rent a bar up in the square. He closed that and went off to German twin-town Knittlingen to work for two years.

Long story short, they bought the three lock-up garages for a good price and turned into what is a very smart and stylish restaurant. Juan Diego’s mum, who is the cocinera, proudly showed me her brand-new spick and span kitchen.

    The facade of El Escalón, Juan Diego, the owner and a partial view of the restaurant [photos: Paul Whitelock]

There were a few people in there that I knew, including the former owner of the premises, builder Paco, who had done some work for us some years ago.

They have a great beer on draught, El Águila (Madrid), so I had a couple with a dish of very tasty olives, and I was good to go.

Somewhere to take Rita sometime soon.

© The "Guiri" Gourmet

Links to other articles:

Back to the “Bridge” – St George’s Day

Marcus Myers leads birthday celebrations at Ronda restaurant

BAR EL ESCALÓN, Benaojan - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

Contacts:

Restaurante La Cascada 

(+34) 952 87 41 64 

info@hotelmolinodelpuente.com

https://www.hotelmolinodelpuente.com/

English, French and Spanish spoken

          ***

El Escalón

(+34) 633 83 68 63

          ***

Love Viviendas Estate Agency

(+34) 619 056 055

info@loveviviendas.com

https://loveviviendas.com

English and Spanish spoken

          ***

Casa Real and Casa Rita

(+34) 636 52 75 16 

info@a1-holidays.net

CASA REAL, Montejaque (Malaga) - Help me, Ronda

Casa Rita Holiday Rental Montejaque - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Enquiries welcome in English, Deutsch, español, français

Photos:

Ian Love, Karl Smallman, Molino del Puente, Paul Whitelock

Tags:

Benaoján, casero, cava, coñac, Costa del Sol, El Águila, Elaine Love, El Escalón, Estrella Galicia, filete de salmón, Fuente de la Higuera, "Guiri" Gourmet, Hotel Molino del Puente, Ian Love, Juan Diego, Karl Smallman, Knittlingen, La Cascada, licencia de apertura, Love Viviendas, Málaga, Montejaque, opening permit, Paul Whitelock, pechuga de pollo Hindu, swimming pool, postre, raita, Rita, Ronda, something new, something old, tarta de queso, Tenerife, Tom O’Connor, trained chef, twin town, verdejo

The well-known musician, formerly a member of the band Alisha’s Attic*, lives nowadays in Cortes de la Frontera (Málaga).

On Sunday 25 August 2024 Marcus Myers performed live for diners at Restaurante La Cascada at Hotel Molino del Puente, Ronda, to celebrate the hotel’s 19^th birthday.

Preamble

Owners Ian and Elaine Love left their successful restaurant, Harbour Lights in Cabopino, to move inland to offer their three young daughters a more authentic experience of Spain, away from the mass tourism of the coast.

To that end they bought a disused corn mill and spent some three years getting it renovated into the charming riverside hotel and restaurant it has now become.

It’s been one of our favourite eating places since the Meter Maid and I moved to live in Fuente de la Higuera thirteen years ago.

In those 19+ years the Love family has grown up. All three girls attended state schools in Ronda and as a result are bilingual.

Robyn Love is a marine biologist based in Scotland and is married to Gianlucca Gerich from Germany. He is also a marine biologist. They met at university in Cádiz. They are often away onboard a ship somewhere in the world studying the marine environment.

Carly Love is an estate agent by profession. She also owned and ran a successful restaurant in Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife) for a few years, together with her novio Tom O'Connor, a trained chef. Since the birth of their daughter Sofia, they have returned to the mainland and now live in Ronda.

Carly has gone into partnership with her dad Ian to establish their own estate agency, Love Viviendas, with their office at the hotel. Ian has retired from the kitchen of La Cascada in favour of son-in-law Tom, who has continued to maintain the high standards of comida casera (home-made cuisine).  Ian is now “on the road” selling properties. He also helps out as barman and waiter in the restaurant.

Megan Love, the youngest daughter, has just finished her degree in Public Relations at Málaga University, and now works as a PR consultant in the city, but she is often to be seen in La Cascada, helping out if need be.

As for mum Elaine Love, she now runs the hotel and restaurant single-handedly. (I suspect she always did!)

Birthday “do”

A trained plumber, Marcus Myers no longer needs to get his hands dirty fitting pipes and mending washing machines, as he earns his living from singing and playing guitar around the area.

As well as a soloist with some 200 songs in his repertoire, he is front man for the rock group Equis, who play a different kind of music altogether.

On this night, Marcus entertained us with his cover versions of classics from the 60s and 70s. The Beatles featured heavily, as did Simon and Garfunkel. There was also material from Neil Diamond, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Eagles, Louis Armstrong and many other recognisable musicians of that era.

The audience was mixed with local guiris, as well as guests of the hotel and two others nearby, mainly Spaniards, but not exclusively.

One table of six seemed to be enjoying themselves hugely, singing along and dancing.

When I spoke to them afterwards, they told me they were visitors from the Cádiz area and they had never heard Marcus before. They were very impressed. The main cheerleader, Antonio, is a soldier based with the American forces in Rota (Cádiz). He is about to be deployed to Ukraine.

Two of the women in the group were born in Germany of Spanish parents, one in Essen and the other in Dortmund. They are, of course, bilingual (I can vouch for that as we spoke German together for a while).

Our Meal

While Marcus was performing, everybody was eating and drinking.

Rita and I each chose a starter: gambas al pil-pil for Rita and gazpacho for me.

We opted for a main course to share – a mixed barbecue grill of three meats, morcilla and chorizo with a huge grilled green pepper, corn-on-the-cob and French fries.

We were pleasantly replete yet still found space to share a tarta de queso con nata y helado de vainilla.

The whole meal was delicious, washed down with still water and a nice bottle of Ribera del Duero from Burgos.

Thank you, Rita (she paid the bill!). A “consolation gift” as she heads off to Germany in a couple of days to care for her sister who has just had an operation.

Leaving me “de Rodríguez”!*

Epilogue

A very enjoyable and relaxing evening with great music, delicious food and good company.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Hotel Molino del Puente!

© The Culture Vulture and The "Guiri" Gourmet

Links:

Alisha's Attic - Wikipedia

... de Rodríguez? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Marcus Myers Music

What is a guiri? It's what the Spanish call us foreigners - but is it good or bad? (secretserrania.com)

Photos:

Hotel Molino del Puente

HotelSearch.com

Karl Smallman

KAYAK

marcusmyersmusic.com 

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

19^th birthday, Alisha’s Attic, Beatles, bilingual, birthday “do”, Burgos, Cabopino, Cádiz, Carly Love, chorizo, classics from the 60s and 70s, comida casera, corn-on-the-cob, Cortes de la Frontera, De Rodriguez, Dortmund, Elaine Love, Essen, estate agent, Feliz cumpleaños, French fries, Fuente de la Higuera, gambas al pil-pil, gazpacho, Germany, Gianlucca, green pepper, “Guiri” Gourmet, Harbour Lights, Hotel Molino del Puente, Ian and Elaine Love, Karl Smallman, La Cascada, Louis Armstrong, Love Viviendas, Málaga, Málaga University, Marcus Myers, marine biologist, Megan Love, Meter Maid, mixed barbecue grill, morcilla, Neil Diamond, Paul Whitelock, plumber, Public Relations, PR consultant, Puerto de la Cruz, Ribera del Duero, Robyn Love, rock group Equis, Rolling Stones, Rota (Cádiz), Scotland, Simon and Garfunkel, Sofia, tarta de queso con nata y helado de vainilla, The Eagles, Tenerife, Tom O'Connor, Ukraine, What is a guiri?

One of the most famous bars in Málaga City, El Pimpi, was established in 1970. It has become the “must-see” bodega in the provincial capital. I’ve been a few times over the years, and it’s always packed. The last time we went with two friends we managed to find a table outside on the terrace, but could we get served? After 20 minutes and no sign of a waiter, we left and found somewhere quieter.

El Pimpi

El Pimpi is a traditional, poky, yet massive, Andalusian tavern with entrances on two streets. The décor is traditional with old oak barrels, paraphernalia, hanging hams and a bullfighting theme. The atmosphere is electric, and so are the prices. But it’s a good place to visit for a beer or a glass of wine and a tapa. I must confess I like El Pimpi.

As of this Friday, we won’t have to travel all the way to Málaga; we can pop down to Marbella, where an outpost of the famous bodega opens inside the Hotel Puente Romano.

The “new” El Pimpi

In an article in Diario SUR last week, entitled El Pimpi lleva sus barriles y su esencia a Marbella, journalist Juan Soto wrote:

“El Pimpi brings its barrels and its special essence to Marbella and the Costa del Sol, where it has just opened its first establishment outside the capital. The tavern has been set up inside the Puente Romano hotel.”

The new wine bar is much more chic than the original, with a small bar area for tapas (for the moment only for a few hours a day) and a wide gastronomic offer.

The presentation of the new establishment, which took place a week ago, was held to the rhythm of flamenco and was attended by the actor Antonio Banderas from Malaga, who is a business partner of the wine bar.

On a gastronomic level, the range of food at the new premises will be similar to that offered in Malaga. El Pimpi Marbella will offer product, service and tradition at the same level of its big brother.

"This bar will be the starting point for its customers to experience the flavour and history of Malaga with the best seal of approval in a unique environment", he said.

On the menu are classics such as prawns with Pim-pi (24 euros), fried aubergines with honey (15 euros) or an assortment of Andalusian cheeses (30 euros), seafood dishes such as fried anchovies or marinated dogfish (18 euros each) or meats. Connoisseurs will be able to enjoy organic caviar from Riofrío (150 euros).

In Love from a Young Age

During the presentation, Antonio Banderas recalled his love affair with El Pimpi from the time he went for the first time at 9 years of age up to the present day.

"I used to take my first girlfriend to dinner at El Pimpi; I shot a film there, The English Way, and I practically live on top of the place."

He told his audience that El Pimpi had not chosen Puente Romano, but the other way around, since those in charge of the complex are very demanding when it comes to choosing their collaborators.

"A lot of the best restaurants in the world are concentrated in Marbella, but one of the things it lacked was Spanish and Andalusian food," he concluded.

Talking about this new Malaga-Marbella idyll, Daniel Shamoon, co-director of Puente Romano, acknowledged that they have been doing new things for many years, bringing international brands to Marbella, but that they lacked the beating heart of the Andalusian people. And to achieve all that, El Pimpi "is perfect."

«Para mi ha sido la mejor decisión de todas; traer el corazón andaluz a Puente Romano». ("For me it was the best decision of all; to bring the Andalusian heart to Puente Romano.")

The presentation ceremony was also attended by the mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, who said:

"If there is something that Hotel Puente Romano lacked, it was that soul that El Pimpi brings; a place with a unique zero-kilometre raw material."

Epilogue

Bodegas El Pimpi has been a benchmark in the city since it opened its doors in August 1971. More than half a century later, the business project started by businessmen and friends Francisco Campos and Pepe Cobos employs more than 200 people.

A visit soon to El Pimpi Marbella is on the cards.

© The “Guiri” Gourmet

Acknowledgements:

A1 Translations

Diario SUR

El Pimpi

Juan Soto

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

A1 Translations, Ángeles Muñoz, Antonio Banderas, Bodegas El Pimpi, Costa del Sol, Daniel Shamoon, Diario SUR, El Pimpi, Francisco Campos, “Guiri” Gourmet, Hotel Puente Romano, Juan Soto, Malaga, Marbella, Paul Whitelock, Pepe Cobos