A new gastronomic route to taste the best seasonal fruit and vegetables

The Ametller Origen Gastronomic Route kicks off, an innovative initiative that aims to promote and encourage the consumption of fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables with five renowned restaurants in Catalonia. Specifically, this five-stop route will pass for a month through recognized restaurants in this area: Virens, AlGrano Bistro, Belbo Terrenal, Bistró Mató and Hard Rock, led by chefs Rodrigo de la Calle, Gabriele Milani, Alberto Vicente, Abel Jiménez and Jordi Conesa, respectively.

The new gastronomic route will be held from April 14 to May 14 and will offer participants menus at a fixed price of between €15.50 and €35 euros. This initiative aims to have four editions this 2023, with other dates in June (with different hotels), at the end of summer, and at the end of autumn.

The objective is for diners to value the fact of tasting fresh and seasonal fruit and vegetables gastronomically prepared. The selection of products comes from the fields of Ametller Origen which, in addition to retail sales in stores such as those it owns in Numància, Via Augusta and Calvet, is also a prominent supplier of fresh vegetables for important restaurants in Catalonia through its division Ametller Origen Gastronomia.

Ineludible Virens

Regarding the trip, the first stop takes place at the unmissable Virens restaurant, awarded as the best revelation restaurant of the year and 18th in the We're Smart World ranking. At this starting point, diners can enjoy the high green cuisine of chef Rodrigo de la Calle in the heart of the city. This establishment, located in the Hotel Almanac, allows rediscovering the flavor of local cuisine with a differential proposal, with the most sophisticated suggestions.

Virens, which has also been recognized as one of the 100 best vegetable restaurants in the world in 2022 by the We're Smart Green Guide, will offer for this spring Gastronomic Route a 32€ menu in which five vegetable starters, four main courses ---three of them with an 8€ supplement--- and three desserts can be chosen, with water and coffee included as drinks.

Thus, the proposal designed by chef De la Calle incorporates dishes such as Grilled Avocado with pumpkin and crispy seeds; Roasted Glass Red Pepper Salad, trout roe and fresh leaves; White Asparagus sautéed in black butter with capers and nasturtiums; Morels and green asparagus in wok with their pickled juice and sour cream; and Umami Tomato Salad with stracciatella and poularde.

When choosing the main course from this menu at the Hotel Almanac restaurant, we can opt for an Artichoke Risotto with crispy broccoli flowers; a Creamy Palamós Red Prawn Rice in carpaccio with mushrooms; Monkfish Tacos in wok with Maresme peas al pilpil; and Iberian Pork Cheeks with spinach and nuts. Finally, Virens offers Catalan Cream with roasted pumpkin with cocoa and chocolate; Fruit Macedonia with hibiscus and celery and onion ice creams; or a Coconut Milk Rice with red fruits and flowers.

Cucina italiana

The second stop on the route is an oasis of cucina italiana by Gabriele Milani at the iconic AlGrano Bistro. This chef, who has worked at Martín Berasategui's three-Michelin-starred Lasarte, proposes a journey through Italy, from north to south, in the Sant Antoni neighborhood.

His proposal for the Gastronomic Route is to bring together the best of Italian and Catalan gastronomy in a single dish: the Cannelloni stuffed with sautéed seasonal white asparagus, ricotta and truffle with a mushroom béchamel.

Ode to the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean cuisine of Alberto Vicente is the next stop on the road. Belbo Terrenal, in the heart of the Eixample and within the Hotel ME, is an immersion in the ingredients of the Mediterranean Basin to taste, evoking the presence of plants and fruit trees.

For the spring edition of this new route, Vicente has chosen for the starters Fuentesauco chickpea salad with romesco and Iberian ham; Sugar snap peas with marinated sardines with grilled pepper; and for the main courses, Hake with creamy white asparagus and raw asparagus or Iberian "pluma" with spiced dried apricots. The dessert to culminate the experience is Pear in wine with vanilla chantilly.

Market cuisine

At the foot of the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Pedralbes, Abel Jiménez awaits travelers on the route with Bistró Mató's market and homemade cuisine, characterized by rice dishes with local and, above all, seasonal products.

For the gastronomic route, the chef has designed a tasting menu whose stars are Confit artichokes with "butifarra de perol", egg yolk, tartufata and pea shoots; Seasonal vegetable rice, cod and romesco; and Macerated strawberries, basil and chantilly.

Vegetables and rock

Without neglecting seasonal produce, chef Jordi Conesa proposes at Hard Rock an offer designed for palates looking for quality produce with a touch of rock and roll. As a whole, this temple of national and international music offers different dishes with a fresh and Mediterranean touch, where meat with a Welfair Animal Welfare seal stands out, as well as the treatment given to vegetables.

Specifically, for this edition of the route, Hard Rock will prepare a Beef burger with caramelized spring onions with Portobello, Urgelia cow cheese, arugula, confit cherry tomatoes and smoked sauce, served on toasted brioche bread, with a side of French fries and sweet potatoes, with fresh cheese cream and chives.