Don’t miss Córdoba on a trip to Andalusia, Spain. Its old town is the largest urban area in the world declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. But it’s walkable, with charming narrow streets and paths, like this one:
photo by Dean Curtis, 2014
On Plaza San Miguel, next to the 13th century San Miguel church, is a famous restaurant that dates back to 1880, Taberna San Miguel, also known by the popular name “Casa El Pisto” (pisto is a Spanish dish like ratatouille, with eggplant or zucchini , tomatoes, onions, and peppers).
photo by CasaElPisto.com
photo by Dean Curtis, 2014
Many famous Spaniards have been regular customers at Casa El Pisto over the years, including the bullfighter Manolete. A section of the restaurant has a memorial to him.
photo by Dean Curtis, 2014
“The camel is an animal that doesn’t drink, don’t be a camel!” – photo by Dean Curtis, 2014
The bar and beautifully tiled dining rooms are filled with historical artifacts: artworks, photographs, and documents. I dined in the courtyard, which had tiles with humorous inscriptions on them.
courtyard – photo by www.theaustralian.com.au
One of the specialties in Córdoba is salmorejo, a thick, chilled type of gazpacho made with tomatoes, bread, olive oil, and seasonings, and topped with ham and/or hard-boiled eggs. The version at San Miguel is excellent.
photo by Dean Curtis, 2014
I used lots of bread to wipe the bowl clean. Bread from San Francisco?
photo by Dean Curtis, 2014
Casa El Pisto’s menu includes other regional specialties such as rabo de toro (bull’s tail), pisto (ratatouille), manitas de cerdo (Pig’s trotters), and carrillada ibérica al vino viejo (Iberian pork cheeks cooked in wine). I had the rabo de toro, which was very tender and flavorful.
photo by Dean Curtis, 2014
photo by Dean Curtis, 2014
I love their business card designs!
Sunset on the Guadalquivir River at the end of my wonderful day in Córdoba – photo by Dean Curtis, 2014
Casa El Pisto – Taberna San Miguel
Plaza de San Miguel, 1, 14002 Córdoba, Spain
phone +34 957 47 01 66
Open Mon-Sat 12:00pm – 4:00pm, 8:00pm – 12:00am, closed Sunday
Looks like another great find. I am curious; what accompanied the Rabo de Toro, diced squash?
James, it was simply diced fried potatoes. I’ve seen photos online of thick potato chips accompanying the dish, which I would have preferred.