MANILVA AND VENTA GARCIA.

FRIDAY 2^nd/ SEPTEMBER 2011.

We were up bright and early to go over to Gibraltar to pick David and Jane up from the old airport, still no sign of the new one opening; Brenda went across the short walk over the border to greet them and then she rings me and I pick them up as they come across. As we arrived back in the village and parked in the underground car park it was starting to rain! It was forecast, it was the tail-end of Hurricane Irene! The girls had the umbrella and David and I played the hard men, we got soaked as the heavens opened! Welcome to Sunny Manilva!!

The forecast for the rest of Friday and over the weekend into next week is hot and sunny – and it was. We then caught up with all their news, married a month ago, opening ‘ The Lord Binning Pub and Kitchen ’in Kelsall outside Chester ( The old Morris Dancer ) just over a week ago being top of the agenda ! We had our first bottle of Codorniu Cava Rose Brut to toast the happy couple, then with the small buffet of Tapas local Chorizo, Cured Hams, Smoked Meats, Green and Jane’s favourite White Asparagus, I opened a special bottle, that David and Jane had given us on their last visit in May ‘ Puligny Montrachet 2008 ”Joseph Faiveley – it was fabulous and went with the large Argentina Red Prawns which I cooked ‘ A la Plancha ’with Sea Salt !! A siesta was called for before the nights celebrations started.

VENTA GARCIA.

We had booked a table at the Venta after asking David and Jane where they would like to go; they immediately said Venta Garcia after a rather special lunch last time when they stayed with us in May. We headed up the Casares road for a pre-dinner bottle at our next favourite spot “Hotel Hermitage and Celima Restaurant ”in the mountains over looking the coast and the Mediterranean, a bottle of ‘ Jane Austere ’Pino Noir Sparkling Rose started the evening off in the right fashion. We then dropped back down to ‘ Venta Garcia ’lower down the road; as we arrived it was just dusk on a balmy evening and we had our breaths taken away, when we were last there it was a building site, now three months later the outside patio, bar and new entrance and restaurant has opened and it has been done with spectacular style and comfort with attention to detail that is out of this world. The pictures below give you only a taste of the conversion, you have got to visit to get the full effect ! The food and the restaurant are also mind blowing at the same time; we ordered two bottles of Codorniu Cava Rose Brut to toast David and Jane as you can also see in the pictures. To start with we ordered two dishes as the first course’s are large, the house Chicken Croquettes deep fried in breadcrumbs and a Wild Mushroom Risotto perfectly cooked and presented, I can still taste them both now ! David choose a very fine Rioja ( Detail to follow) which was superb, full bodied, rich aroma and bouquet to match, served in the finest wine glasses. For our main course David had the Baby Suckling Pig, succulent and very rich, falling off the bone, Jane had the small fillets of Baby Lamb,Pink,Brenda chose the Fillet of Halibut house special which had a strong meaty taste and I had, guess what, a large Entrecote steak, cooked medium rare with Rock salt and accompanied with fresh Patatas Fritas and a Blackpepper Creamy sauce on the side !The steak was mouth watering, melted in the mouth and tasted so good, everybody had a slice to confirm as I went into raptures ! To finish Jane and I had the Crème Caramel and David had the Apple Fritters with Brenda, coffee’s and the complementary round of drinks, Jane had Limoncello,Brenda had a fine Armagnac and I had a very potent ‘ Caiprinha ’finished off a memorable evening and dinner down here in Sunny Manilva with our dear friends. When we got back to the village the Flamenco concert in Calle Mar had been sadly called of due to the earlier threat of rain !

Thought for the Day;

A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

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