A luxurious dinner
This week I returned to Cantabria, after nearly two months without seeing my family. The occasion deserved a special dinner so we went to "Los Raqueros", a great restaurant located in the heart of Santander close to Puerto Chico.
First of all, I should clarify the curious name of the locale: "Raquero" is the word that was given to poor kids, often orphans, who in the late 19th century frequented the port of Santander to collect coins tossed into the water by onlookers who wanted to see the youngsters hurl themselves in after them. This quintessentially Cantabrian word has been integrated into the vocabulary of La Tierruca (the native name for Cantabria), and is now used to nickname any rogue or rude young (or old) person. There have been many times that my mother has scolded me with "you’re such a raquera!”
But back to the topic at hand: the restaurant. Fortunately, the atmosphere of the restaurant "Los Raqueros" has little to do with the scoundrels that give it its name. It’s elegant, cozy, and has exquisite service and dishes to match.
To start with, you have braised octopus on potato foam (a type of puree). Simply SPECTACULAR! I am a fan of octopus and I never pass up the opportunity to eat it whenever I can...but this dish in particular made us want to clean our plates (and we did! Not a drop of potato foam left!).
The main courses for each one of the guests were pork fillets for dad, caramelized artichokes for mum, sea-bass in meat gravy for my younger sister, and Bluefin tuna in sweet and sour sauce for yours truly.
Although I can only speak for the tuna, I judged by the faces, gestures, and cries of my companions that their dishes were as good as mine. For my part, I loved the Bluefin tuna, one of the most delicious things I've eaten lately (living alone in Barcelona, normally I cannot afford these luxuries...but what are you going to do). It was slightly raw in the center and had a Japanese influence (not to mention the huge piece of wasabi that I inadvertently, put in my mouth, which made me suffer so much I cried a few tears, I think that was the intended effect) and, above all, very tasty.
Although I cannot tell you how much dinner ended up being with the wine, etc. (this time I did not pay) as a reference I’d say that the starters were around 15-17 euros (the octopus and artichokes) and the main dishes about 20.
In short, a great night thanks to the stupendous restaurant and, above all, by virtue of being treated by my family. The next time I’m home, I'll definitely return.
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