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Recollections, reviews, discoveries, and future plans.

EATS | Spain > Manacor > Factoría Restaurant

factoria-gastrobar.jpg

Tonight I had one of the best meals of my life.  I was sitting at my home in the countryside of Mallorca and was feeling bored and hungry when I decided to venture out to another town in search of something to eat.  I drove about 30 minutes to Manacor, which is Mallorca's second largest city and the birthplace of tennis player Rafael Nadal.  Once I arrived in Manacor I found a place called Factoria Restaurant.  I was greeted by Juan the bartender and he set me up with a table.  I was flying solo tonight and may have actually enjoyed the essence of my meal more because of it.  I can't remember ever having a dining experience that had me savoring every bite from beginning to end.  I was fully immersed in the flavors interacting with my tastebuds, and no joke, I was smiling after each bite because everything tasted so good.

I had the black yucca bread appetizer and highly recommend it because it's f--cking delicious.  I followed that up with the grilled pork dish and there are no words to explain how tasty that was.  I almost drowned in flavor ecstasy and was enjoying my meal so much that chef and owner Tomeu Bauzá, actually came out to thank me for my appreciation of the culinary art he was creating in the kitchen.  We chatted for a bit and then it was time for dessert.  He walked me through each option, but in the end I still couldn't decide so he brought me both, again more flavor ecstasy.

I thoroughly enjoyed my solo date with food tonight.  Chef Tomeu is a super cool guy creating flavorful masterpieces and is grateful to have the opportunity to share his art with others.

Thank you chef Tomeu, Vanesa, and Juan for an amazing dining experience.  I'll definitely be back!

FACTORIA RESTAURANT
Plaça Weyler, 1
07500 Manacor, Illes Balears
Spain
+34 654602 769
www.factoriagastrobar.com
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EATS | Spain > Palma de Mallorca > El Aquanauta

I arrived in Mallorca on April 19 and prior to getting here, I was craving some good Mexican food, which I had neglected to take advantage of before leaving San Diego.  I've been living in the countryside near a village called Montuïri and there really aren't too many food options nearby, definitely no Mexican food because this is Spain after all.  Anyway, after a couple of weeks in the countryside, I decided to spend a weekend checking out Palma.  After arriving by bus I was walking to my hotel, still craving Mexican food.  As I stopped to check some directions I looked up and saw that I was standing in front of a place called El Aquanauta and saw the word "tacos."  I went in, had a seat and ordered 3 different tacos off the menu.  Each one was great and I was wishing I had a larger appetite and more accommodating belly that would allow me to try more from the menu.  These tacos were easily on par with anything in southern California.

I've been back a few times, not only because of the great food, but also because the staff is super cool and very welcoming.  The chef Raúl is from Mexico so he knows his shit and is a great guy to shoot the shit with.  He's lived and worked all over the world so we've had plenty of good conversations across a wide spectrum of subjects.  The owner Andres actually spent time in San Diego researching taco spots to get inspiration for El Aquanauta, which makes this a very appealing place to hang out when I want a taste of home.

If you find yourself in Palma you should definitely make a point of having a meal here, whether you're looking for Mexican food or just looking for good food, in a cool environment, with a staff that enjoys their job.  This place is a great hang out or meeting spot to get the night started.

El Aquanauta
Avenida Argentina, 27
Palma De Mallorca, Spain
+34 871 80 49 30
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Food Find - Makers & Finders

Makers & Finders
1120 South Main Street
Las Vegas, NV 89104
makersandfinderslv.com

Makers & Finders is an awesome coffee shop and restaurant located in the Art District of Las Vegas.  After working in Vegas for almost 3 months I thought I was going to lose my mind because it really isn't my scene and definitely is not a destination I would choose to go for fun.  However, toward the end of my stay I discovered Makers & Finders and really liked it and actually miss it now that I'm not there.  I'm not really a big coffee drinker, but all the coffee there tasted as good as the presentation looked.  Since I don't normally order coffee my typical drink of choice was always the chai tea latte and I've been craving it everyday since leaving Vegas.  I was just in San Francisco and couldn't find anything there that was even close to being in the same league as that chai tea.  I know that I'll have to go back to work in Vegas at some point in the near future and I'm excited to head back to Makers & Finders as soon as I get there.  Aside from great coffee and tea, they also serve some amazing food.  If you happen to stop by there get a shot (or two) of the new espresso from Honduras that they're experimenting with.  The last time I was there Josh Molina, one of the owners, gave me the very first sample and it was surprisingly good, better than any other espresso I've tried during my short espresso drinking history.

 

 

Food Find - Chantal Guillon

photo credit: http://gfinsf.com/author/lvalenti/

Chantal Guillon
437 Hayes Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

I was working up in San Francisco last week and made a point of stopping by Chantal Guillon in Hayes Valley to get some macarons.  I was never really a fan of macarons (not to be confused with macaroons) until recently when my friend Sara made some for me which changed my opinion of them.  The last time I was up in the Bay Area macarons somehow came up in conversation, so a friend of mine took me to Chantal Guillon.  Chantal's little meringue based biscuits, cookies, confections, or whatever the hell you want to call them, were so damn tasty that they made me overlook just how feminine this place is.  If you're ever in San Francisco and enjoy sweet French deliciousness, then I highly recommend making a pitstop at Chantal Guillon.