A Vegetarian Outpost in Roast-suckling-pig Country
Tuesday, March 22, 2006
Segovia, Spain
Dear International Living Reader,
Segovia, a Castilian city best known for its 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct and Alcazar castle (pictured above), presents a chorus of intriguing flavors and innovative cuisine. Restaurants run the gamut from high-end to take-out, and everywhere is the star of Segovian cuisine: cochinillo asado, 21-day-old roast suckling pig.
Perhaps not the best place in the world for a vegetarian to live. Or so I thought until I discovered Almuzara, a cozy little restaurant tucked away on a narrow street off the main square, predominantly vegetarian (I usually keep that last bit to myself; in Spanish terms, it's near-heresy).
Once seated at one of the carefully arranged, green tainted tables near a window overlooking the 16th-century cathedral, we splurged on the highly diversified menu that includes soup, pasta, a variety of pizzas, and an interesting platos combinados (dinner platter), all topped with savory desserts. A standout on the menu is the tofu con calabacín, pasas y tostadas--scrambled tofu with fresh zucchini, onions, and toasted bread, with melted cheese that dissolves in your mouth. Meat lovers need not despair; almost every dish comes with a savory meaty alternative. If you're after something sweeter, yet equally scrumptious, you could try the vegetarian chop suey--brown rice and thinly sliced baby carrots combined with roasted leaks and apples.
Even sweeter is the price--dinner for two (appetizer, main course, and coffee) costs about 20 euro ($25).
Almuzara is bright and homey, and well-run by the owner (who the locals thought was crazy to open a up a restaurant with a rich vegetarian menu here 23 years ago). During one of Segovia's cold winter nights, the owner walked around the tables offering us wool blankets to cover legs and shoulders.
Restaurante Almuzara is on C/Marqués del Arco, 3 Segovia; tel. + (34) 921-460-622. Closed all day Monday and lunchtime Tuesday.
