Hola València - IV

Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall

"As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans."

Ernest Hemingway was passionate about València.

He fell in love with this city from his first visit here in 1925 travelling straight from Pamplona's Fiesta de San Fermín & it was more bullfights which drew him here. He was soon enamoured by the locals, the architecture & the food & drink. Definitely the drink. He would go on to be inspired to bring the life of València to the page in The Sun Also Rises, For Whom The Bell Tolls & Death in the Afternoon

There's no question then that as part of this Spanish adventure we head to what was the author's favourite haunt with friends post-bullfights in the summer. 

https://lapepica.com/en/history/

You want the best paella? By the beach and the Med? With an extraordinary family history and tales of a Nobel Prize & Pulitzer Prize winner mixing his own Sangria in the restaurant's kitchen plus taking customers' orders now & again? 

Look no further than La Pepica.

There are photographs of Papa Hemingway to be seen in La Peptica. It's an extraordinary place & it's big but still retains an intimate family, friends vibe somehow. 

Shall we get to the food? 

Thought you'd never ask.

To begin & to share .. From their menu plus translations ..

Anchoas 000 del Cantábrico sobre base de tomate rallado 

Anchovies 000 from Cantabrian Sea on freshly grated tomato

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Pan Pepica con aceite y perejil, servido con alli i oli y tomate rallado

Pepica’s bread with oil and parsley, served with garlic mayonnaise & grated tomato

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To share for two ..

Paella Pepica 

Origen del arroz Pepica, en una visita a nuestro restaurante del pintor valenciano Joaquin Sorolla junto con otros artistas, Josefa preparó el arroz de siempre pero con el marisco pelado para evitar que se ensuciasen.

Pepica Paella with fish & peeled seafood

The origin of Pepica’s rice came from a visit to our restaurant by the Valencian painter Joaquin Sorolla along with other artists, Josefa prepared the usual rice but with the peeled seafood to prevent them from getting dirty. 

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The anchovies with tomatoes set the mark for what was an absolutely delicious lunch. The paella had that wonderful bottom layer of Socarrat, a crispy, mouth-watering crust. 

There were leftovers to take back to our home. 

Last words from Ernest then .. 

"In Valencia, it's damned stupendous at the beach or in the city to eat a melon washed down with a real cold jug of beer."

AMM