Instead of planning how we’ll spend each travel day, Dan and I prefer to head out with a general idea of where we want to go and stop when something catches our eye. It might be a world-class museum one day, other times it could be a fabulous view along the side of the road or an inviting coffee house. It paid off in Andorra when we passed a tiny restaurant called l’Hort de Casa.
While driving around the country’s northwest we decided to take a break for lunch. Not having any recommendations in hand, we did our usual routine: Look for something that resembles a restaurant and then check for full tables or cars in the parking lot, especially cars with local plates. (That’s a good clue to good food, because locals know where the best restaurants are.)
We somehow ended up in a town called Erts where a small stone-and-wood building sat on a small side street. our only clue to what was inside was a simple wooden sign over the door humbly proclaiming “RESTAURANT.” It looked so inviting, what with all the vines and greenery and a small terrace in the front overlooking the mountains, that we couldn’t resist. We went in.
Inside L’Hort de Casa: mountain ambiance
It was a pleasant October day, but the air was a bit chilly and the outdoor tables were empty so we decided to eat indoors. The aroma of fire-grilled food greeted us as we entered and were warmly welcomed and seated by a very friendly woman.
We could tell that we were in for a treat.
Aragon? I didn’t know that it had its own cuisine, or even what part of Spain it’s in. All I knew of it was that it was once a kingdom (Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of Henry the 8th).
Whatever. Everything on the menu looked delicious.
The menu offered a lot of dining options, all fairly priced. We ordered local beers and were brought a basket of crusty bread and a dish of Spanish olives while we made our selections.
Then while we were waiting for our meal, I made a 17-second video clip of the interior of L’Hort de Casa in Andorra and learned that the woman who we thought was the waitress is actually the owner. Actually, it turned out that she was the only one working in the restaurant.
Our first taste of Aragonese cuisine
Dan went with her recommendation and ordered a flavorful homemade beef noodle soup to start. I couldn’t resist a wild mushroom salad with a balsamic reduction dressing. When it came I was thrilled to see palm hearts in it as well. And yes, it was delicious and the mushrooms were tender, not woody.
Apparently Aragonese cuisine includes snails, because it’s the restaurant’s specialty. No slime for us though; when we saw the duck breast on the menu, we went no further. We both ordered it.
The duck breast was sprinkled with kosher salt before meeting the grill. It was accompanied on the plate by grilled pepper and potato that were drizzled with a fragrant Spanish olive oil. A bit of smoke and salt was all it took to make this an amazingly flavorful dish, so tender that we could have cut it with a fork.
Then the bill came
Our final bill for starters, entrees and two beers came to €36.50 plus service charge. Considering the flavor and atmosphere, it was worth every euro.
Do you think that’s a fair price? Let us know in the comments.
Inspired?
Pin this to your Pinterest travel board for future reference, then follow us on Pinterest.
