Maracas 2017: a Review

Back in my second home of Benalmádena, I naturally gravitated to my favourite café-bar, Maracas, on Playa Bil-Bil. The popular venue celebrates fifteen years of business and international friendship this year. This is my fourteenth year of frequenting. Dani the waiter raised his eyebrows in greeting whilst serving elsewhere, but once free came over for our order. Sunday is always the busiest day of the week for the staff as the tourists are augmented by the locals on their day off who also want to enjoy the benefits of their blessèd municipality, now grown to seventy thousand registered residents. Maracas is not the cheapest place to eat and drink, but obviously one must expect to pay a small premium for being able to enjoy a cocktail or paella right on the beach and within a couple of metres of the gently lapping sea.

It was a warm Sunday, so we commenced with a caña apiece @ €2, that’s a small draught beer. In Spain, one will observe even respectable-looking women as well as the menfolk taking a small beer first thing of the morning. This does not signify a nation of drunkards or alcoholics: recent research has proven the benefits of this small pick-me-up.

As the afternoon progressed we moved on to tinto de verano @ €2.50, a cocktail of chilled red wine with a sparkling lemon drink, often Sprite or lemonade. It is surprisingly refreshing and not as sweet as perhaps one might anticipate. We chatted with: a group of four German, late middle-aged chaps on a friends’ break; an extended queer family and their beautiful bairn; a very middle-class family from Holland; and, a Spanish mother with her brood of peckish children. One has probably gathered that Maracas is a friendly place for all: child-friendly; gay-friendly; alien-friendly…

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The time to eat arrived. My chum ordered a hamburguesa de ternera - this strictly-speaking ought to be a veal hamburger, but is often made from beef cuts. My companion loved the burger: tasty, juicy and not over salted. He was also content with the filling. The bread roll was not the best and crumbled. Over all, at €4.50, he was very content.

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I opted for a dish Maracas introduced about three or so years ago, ensalada pasta tricolor. In a large bowl were three colours of perfectly cooked pasta twists, with sweetcorn, chicken, walnut halves, diced cheese, and hard-boiled egg slices. One has the choice of several speciality dressings or one can use the balsamic vinegar &/or olive oil brought to table whenever one places an order for food. At €8 this represents great value for such a substantial meal.

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We shared a large bowl of perfectly cooked French fries, patatas fritas (in Spanish this can mean chips [US fries] or crisps [US chips]). Accompanying our luncheon we enjoyed a medium, chilled rosé, vino rosado, @ €2.

After three hours of chilling on the beach in the sun, we were were ready to head back to our hotel for a siesta (nap). Of course, we shall return to Maracas.

Highly recommended. %D

Maracas 3: Reseña de la comida (español)

Esta es la tercera parte de mi tríptico sobre el café-bar Maracas en Playa Bil-Bil: aquí se revisan las ofertas de comida. La primera parte consiste en un homenaje fotográfico y una viñeta humorística. La segunda parte es un himno a todos los camareros de todas partes a través del retrato de mi camarero habitual.

He estado frecuentando Maracas durante trece años - ¡aye, cómo pasa el tiempo! Tengo muchos, muchos recuerdos felices, incluyendo las comidas que he comido aquí. ¡Soy un entusiasta después de todo! He traído a todos mis amigos (que me han visitado en Benalmádena) para probar los placeres simples del sol, la arena y el susurro tranquilo del mar en la comodidad de una de las sillas de ratán de Maracas, mientras se toman una bebida fría y, a menudo disfrutan de un aperitivo o aún un plato completo.

Como he estado visitando Maracas durante tantos años, es poco probable en este artículo hable mal de la comida; todo lo contrario, por el precio y la calidad, comer aquí es lo recomendado. Por supuesto, no estamos hablando de la alta cocina. Sin embargo, después de haber comido en varios de los restaurantes frente al mar en la Playa Santa Ana (muy popular entre los turistas), en los que me he sentido completamente defraudado por caro, y, desde mi perspectiva de conocer mejor, la cocina de mala calidad. A modo de ejemplo, el año pasado pagué € 6 sólo por una ensalada verde de lechuga picada y rodajas de pepino. Una barbaridad en mi opinión. Sé que las empresas tienen que ganarse la vida: Maracas, por lo tanto, debe servir como un modelo. El año pasado “Maracas”, la ensalada de la casa, llevaba lechuga verde, maíz dulce, tomate, cebolla, espárrago blanco, huevo duro y atún y tenía un muy buen precio de € 7. Lo dice todo, ¿no es así? Por supuesto, con la inflación, etc., los precios tienen que subir de vez en cuando. A principios de este mes, los precios efectivamente suben. Así que la ensalada de la casa (junto con otros) ahora cuesta € 8. Y cualquiera que piense que la ensalada no puede saciar a uno, debo señalar que las ensaladas se sirven en tazones grandes y con una cestita de pan fresco.

Para aquellos que sólo quieren un bocadillo rápido, te recomiendo el sándwich mixto, jamón cocido, queso en rodajas y pan tostado con mantequilla. Al precio de € 3 esto no se ha encarecido. Con una copa de vino tinto frío (si no has probado esto, es bastante refrescante - ¡incluso los franceses lo hacen!) El costo total es de € 5. Uno no puede quejarse en eso.

Si el comensal está especialmente hambriento, el campero es tu opción; pero mejor que pedir para compartir.

Debido a los aumentos de precios, los menús se han encarecido. El chef en Maracas ha aprovechado la ocasión para añadir nuevos platos. Siempre dispuesto a probar algo nuevo, he optado por la ensalada pasta tricolor. La fotografía de abajo da una impresión de la taza, pero no bastante como para mostrar el plato en su plenitud. Como puede verse, una copa de vino rosado frío acompañó a la comida.

[Descripción de la imagen: ensalada pasta tricolor en la mesa]

Comenzando a las siete en punto, tacos finamente picados de un jamón ligeramente ahumado, despiertan el paladar. A las doce, las aceitunas negras jugosas, fuertes y picantes, con sabor de té fuerte; felizmente desafian al jamón. No soy fan de las aceitunas negras; pero si pudiera obtener un suministro de estos, las consumiría de buen grado. A las tres en punto, dados cremosos (tanto en sabor y textura), siempre tan levemente salado, de queso fresco con la espiga de queso de cabra. También había una dulzura en el queso, que contrastaba magníficamente con la salinidad de las aceitunas. A las cinco, el maíz dulce brilla perfecto. Tan jugoso que, aunque no fue a la barbacoa, tenía el mismo dulzor y sabor concentrados y intensos. En el centro del reloj están las piezas de pollo con la aparición de queso amarillo-blanco desmenuzado o pan blanco rallado. Increíblemente jugoso y con sabor a pollo real (¿cuánto pollo se ha encontrado que es completamente sin sabor, después de todo?). Y detrás de la cara del reloj, la pasta, cocida y servida al dente. Los colores del verde (sabio) y rojo (melocotón) que recuerda a tonos sepia. Una paleta impresionante para el paladar.

Existe una variedad de aderezos para ensaladas, incluyendo: rosa; francesa; cesa; yogur; yo he optado por la salsa de albahaca. Incluso en los llamados "buenos" restaurantes la ensalada puede estar aderezada excesivamente; esta salsa sin embargo tenía un toque muy ligero y por lo tanto conjugaba perfectamente con todos los otros ingredientes.

Mis únicas críticas negativas del plato son respecto a la pasta: la textura era un poco almidonada; y, no sé apreciaban los sabores del tomate o la albahaca en sus respectivas pastas. Esto puede ser por llevar cocida y después haber sido refrigerada; pero en un clima caliente, esto es más bien una necesidad. No obstante, sobre todo, la ensalada es un éxito definitivo y se pide de nuevo. ¡Disfruta!

[Descripción de la imagen: sándwich club de playa en la mesa]

No puedo terminar mi opinión sin hacer referencia a mi plato favorito de Maracas (ver imagen superior), su sandwich club, que consiste en ensalada, jamón, queso, huevo, pollo y tocino. A € 7 representa una comida abundante para uno. Y es ¡¡¡ de-li-cioso !!! %P

Maracas 3: Food Review (inglés)

This is part three of my triptych on Maracas café-bar on Playa Bil-Bil: here I review the food offerings. Part one consists of a photographic homage and a humorous vignette. Part two is a paean to all waiters everywhere by way of portraying my regular.

I have been frequenting Maracas for thirteen years now - my, how time flies! I have many, many happy memories, including of the meals I have eaten here. I am a foodie after all! I have brought all my friends (who visit me in Benalmádena) to sample the simple joys of sun, sand and the calming susurrus of the sea in the comfort of one of Maracas’ rattan lounge-chairs, whilst sipping on a cooling beverage and, more often than not, indulging in a snack or even full meal.

As I have been visiting Maracas for so many years, I am unlikely in this article to be castigating the food; quite the opposite, for the price and quality, eating here is to be recommended. Of course, we are not talking haute cuisine. However, having eaten at several of the sea-front restaurants on the popular Playa Santa Ana, I have felt completely short-changed by expensive, and, from my perspective of knowing better, poor quality cuisine. As an example, last year I paid €6 just for a green salad of some roughly chopped lettuce and sliced cucumber. Pretty outrageous in my opinion. I know businesses have to make a living: Maracas, therefore, should serve as an exemplar. Last year Maracas’ house salad of green lettuce, sweetcorn, tomato, onion, white asparagus, boiled egg and tuna was priced at €7. It says it all, does it not? Of course, with inflation etc., prices have to go up from time to time. At the beginning of this month, prices did indeed rise. So the house salad (along with their others) now costs €8. And anyone thinking, salad will not sate one, I ought to point out that the salads are served in large bowls and come with a small basket of fresh bread.

For those just wanting a quick snack, I recommend the sandwich mixto, boiled ham, sliced cheese on buttered and toasted bread. At €3 this has not become more expensive. With a glass of chilled red wine (if you have not tried this, it is quite refreshing - even the French do it!) the total cost is €5. One cannot complain at that!

If the diner is especially hungry, the campero is for you; but better to order it to share. That is, after all, the Spanish way.

Due to the price increases, the menus have been reprinted. The chef at Maracas has taken the opportunity to add new dishes. Always willing to sample something new, I opted for the ensalada pasta tricolor (tricolour pasta salad - bet you worked that one out for yourself!). The photograph below gives an impression of the bowl, but does not quite show the full 3-D mound of comestibles. As can be seen, a glass of rosé (copa de rosado frío) accompanied the repast.

[Image description: ensalada pasta tricolor in situ at table]

Commencing at seven o’clock, finely diced cubes of a lightly smoked, firm ham (a tastier version of luncheon meat!) awoke the palate. At twelve, roughly sliced, juicy, tangy, with a strong-tea-taste black olives quite happily challenged the ham. I am no fan of black olives; but if I could obtain a ready supply of these, I would be a convert. At three o’clock dice-sized cubes of firm, creamy (both in taste and texture), ever so slightly salted “queso fresco” cheese with the tang of goats cheese. There was also a sweetness to the cheese, which contrasted superbly against the saltiness of the olives. At five o’clock sweetcorn shone forth all its brilliant, perfect yellowness. It was so very juicy and, although it was not barbecued it had that selfsame concentrated, intense sweetness and flavour. In the clock’s centre were chicken pieces - morsels really - with the appearance of crumbled white-yellow cheese or white-bread breadcrumbs. Incredibly moist and with actual chicken flavour (how much chicken does one encounter that is completely flavourless, after all?). And behind the clock-face, the pasta, cooked and served al dente so did not collapse or go all soggy. Colours of green (sage) and red (peach) reminiscent of sepia tones. A stunning palette for the palate.

There is a choice of salad dressings, including: rosa/marie rose; francesa/French; cesa/cæsar; yogur/yoghourt; I opted for salsa de albahaca/basil sauce. Even in so-called ‘good’ restaurants salad can be over-dressed; this salsa however had a very light touch and thus perfectly pulled together all the other ingredients.

My only negative criticisms of the dish are in respect to the pasta: the texture was slightly too starchy; and, there were no discernible flavours of tomato or basil in their respective pastas. This may be accounted for by it having been chilled; but in a hot climate, this is rather a necessity. Nonetheless, over all, the salad is a definite success and I shall be ordering it again. It is also suitable for sharing - the Spanish way is for everyone to just tuck in. Enjoy!

[Image description: sandwich beach club in situ at table]

I could not end my review without referencing my favourite Maracas plate (see image above), their sandwich beach club, consisting of salad, ham, cheese, egg, chicken and bacon. At €7 it represents a filling meal for one. And it is de-lic-ious!!! %P


[¡Una versión española hará pronto!]