A very special lunch

We’re clearly foodies. Some would say we are obsessed with food, particularly when we travel. We remember vividly the chilled cherry soup we had in Budapest 35 years ago. Or the fresh tuna sashimi we ate on a Micronesian island almost every day we were there 9 years ago. We do look for iconic regional foods when we travel — buckwheat crepes in Brittany, paella in Valencia and fish couscous in Trapani. We seek out the best in local produce in the peasant markets in France and on occasion, eat at Michelin star restaurants we can afford. And we are often surprised that many of those Michelin starred restaurants are tucked into corners of rural Spain and France. Who knew?

Peter found there were dozens of Michelin restaurants near where we stayed in the Valencia region. A couple were one and two star places — out of our price range. One three star nearby that was rated as the 14th best restaurant in the world by some magazine. 500€ with wine pairing. Really out of our price range. We found two restaurants nearby that were sort of “honorably mentioned” places, called bib gourmand. I guess you’d consider 1/2 stars. And in our price range.

We expected a good meal when we walked through the door of Casa El Tio David. https://casaeltiodavid.com/en/. It had a bib gourmand rating, after all. We did not expect to leave with what felt like new friends. Tio David is a family owned operation — father and son out front (both named David) and Mom in the kitchen.

The son spoke enough English, largely the universal language of travelers in Europe. Very eager to help us make good choices through the menu. For about $45 a person, we could each get four “snacks,” three appetizers and an entrée or two half orders of the entrées. What a deal!

Almost before we had ordered, the first “snack” appeared. An olive oil ice cream with a lightly pickled asparagus tip and a drizzle of fresh olive oil. Not sweet. Very rich and the asparagus tip was a perfect textural and clean taste….a quality we experienced over and over again. Essentially simple rustic dishes, the son explained, food he grew up with, now elevated with textures, contrasting flavors and unexpected twists. Crispy local black rice. Fried capers. Tiny herb leaves. We told Dad half way through the meal that he had married well. Big smiles as he patted his stomach.

With each dish, Dad came to the table and with great enthusiasm described what we were about to enjoy. All in Valencian. We understood almost none of it. The son would then translate, usually an abbreviated version. The four of us shared a bottle of cava, but decided we wanted some red, a half bottle, with the entrée, a braised lamb. After some discussion with the son about which wine would be best (he was a very knowledgeable sommelier) he brought a whole bottle to the table, told us to drink half and “Dad would enjoy the rest.”

We enjoyed the lunch so much we decided to come back on our last evening in the area. But the real reason—because of the father/son tag team. As is so often the case, the staff made the evening special. They made it a party. After running the restaurant for 25 years, they still brought joy and fun and enthusiasm to the job.

We sent our compliments to the chef and said our adios, three hours after we sat down for our two o’clock lunch.

On our second visit the food was as good, the staff just as much fun. No disappointment at all. And then there was the Moorish lamb, the corvino (a white fish) served with shrimp and baby squid, tomato, and black rice chips, tiny octopus slices with lightly pickled garden vegetables, capers, fried lentils and seeds or chorizo purée with fried bacon cubes, a smoked egg yolk, mushrooms and brandy soaked raisins — dishes we were too busy enjoying to remember to take pictures.

The final delight came when the son told us mom, the chef, wanted to meet us! She arrived dressed in her official Michelin coat, chef’s hat on and fresh lipstick! Hugs, bis’s and handshakes all around. She presented us with bottles of olive oil. Proudly they explained the olives came from their trees, that they had picked the olives themselves and each bottle was hand numbered and lettered with the date of production and their version of a “Best Buy” date. With great reluctance we said goodbye four hours after we had sat down.

We doubt any fancy meal, regardless of how great the food is, will top this experience. Ever.

And if you are ever anywhere near this restaurant, stop by and say hello to our friends!