The Forum, Tarragona

Tuesday June 9

We wanted a fish place for the midday meal, and once again depended on the nice man at the hotel, who sent us to El Llagut (conveniently opposite the museum). Started with entremeses: shrimp in shell, sardines in oil, smoked salmon on toasts, and sea-snails you could barely winkle out of their conchlike shells (with several we gave up); also a bowl of some steamed mussels, which were easier to get to. Our fish mains were Lluç al forn, hake adorned with parsley and big chunks of garlic on a mound of crispy sautéed potatoes, and arroz amb galeres - a cauldron of rice soupy with squid ink and parts, and some wierd-ass buglike crustaceans that had very little meat in their transparent shells, but were fun to pick at.
The wine was that of the University in whose Rectory the conference is being held: Universitat Rovera I Virgili (quite good, for an academic wine...). There were even desserts included in the set menu - nice icy lemon sorbet, and crème catalan (brulée).

It's always a bit frustrating to go out with a bunch of people after a day of papers at a convention. You walk around, looking for a place that will satisfy, if not please, everybody. There's always some reason for objection or hope of something better, so you keep walking. Some fall behind, some get lost. When you get to a place you like, there are no seats left for such a large party. So that's why eight of us were shut out from Txantxangorri, which was packed, and headed across the Plaza to the Forum restaurant.
The meal was filling, cheap (a 12.50 euro menu - can't beat that), and fine, with copious amounts of wine. We started with canellone stuffed with spinach and some white asparagus with prosciutto - I mean jamon. The fish main was dorado, which was just okay, but the beef was a thin but perfectly rare entrecote with gorgonzola sauce. Irene forgot what she ordered and ate Clayton's meal, so he had to wait while they cooked another one.