My email notification pinged a few seconds after I’d hit the little paper arrow with a food suggestion for a friend.
“Rats, the place we’d like to go for lunch is only open for dinner on the weekends.”
Crestfallen to be missing out once again on the nearly year-old ecological restaurant buried in Soho Bendita, I decided to save sampling Fargo (C/ Perez Galdos, 20 in the Alfalfa) for another night.
That night was the night before Phyllis and I would be meeting for lunch to celebrate a 30th birthday, and where else would a vegetarian choose to go but a slow food, ecologically-centric eatery that’s de moda?
I parked my bike and met Mickey in front of a building painted the color of a spring sky in Seville. Living in the neighborhood, co-owner Yann greeted her immediately and offered up suggestions for a birthday treat. What struck me about the space is that it was stark but felt cozy, from the small bar near the entrance to the corridor-like dining room.
Yann was part of the concept at ConTenedor, a slow food kitchen around the Feria neighborhood, and was looking to branch out into something that valued ecological products. Meats, veggie and fish dishes graced the slate chalkboard menu.
After an aperitif and thirty minutes of catching up, Yann came to take our order. Because the space has a decidedly eco feel, the menu changes almost daily, according to what’s at the market.
We settled on a plate of pumpkin and raisin croquetas to share and a dish for each of us – I’d been sick during the week and stuck to a taboulé with mint, granada seeds and pineapple. Mickey chose a chickory soup and Kelly went for the veggie burger, plus water and freshly squeezed juices.
The croquetas were definitely the star of the night – creamy and full of flavor, and the veggie burger was filling. My upset tummy left feeling like it was satisfied and that I’d chosen foods that wouldn’t bother me. The service was spot-on between Yann’s friendliness (and dance as he brought out the food) and the presentation of the dishes – appetizing without being pretentious.
When it came time to order dessert, the birthday girl was set on two – you only have a birthday once a year, anyway.
We chose two, but I beelined to the bathroom for the second time in two minutes to tell Yann we were ready for the dense chocolate mousse we’d ordered before.
As the night stretched longer, our voice grew louder, despite the lack of alcohol. We are rarely able to find time to spend together, so we lingered at the table over tea and the last few bites of dessert.
If you go: Fargo is located at the heart of the Alfalfa neighborhood and set between boutiques in the trendy Soho Bendita area. The address is Calle Pérez Galdos, 20. Open Monday – Thursday from 8pm until midnight and weekends for lunch and dinner – they’re also rumored to have a staggering wine list, though we didn’t imbibe. Reservations accepted: 955 27 65 52. We paid about 20€ a head.
Have you ever eaten at a bio restaurant?
About Cat Gaa
That sounded delicious until you got to the part about beelining it to the bathroom twice in two minutes to talk to the owner about your dessert!
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Once was to use it, once was to tell Yann that we were ready for dessert! No weird side effects from the food