Aponiente
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The town of El Puerto de Santa Maria was once known as the town of 100 palaces due to the wealth of its seafaring merchants. It was from here Christopher Columbus set sail to the New World. It is one of the three towns of the sherry triangle and home to some of the world’s finest sherry. It also is home to Aponiente, the only two-star Michelin restaurant in Andalucia. Commanded by Angel Leon, regarded as one of the best chefs in Spain, his creative use of fish which normally would be discarded has brought the attention of the world to his doorstep. He even makes chorizo from fish and has customized a machine that extracts all the goodness out of local seaweed. Some of the sauces appear black, but when you reach the bottom of the plate, you discover they actually are dark green. Select the menu degustation to sample the best of his genius. Better still, if you don’t have to get behind the wheel, enjoy it with the sherry pairing menu. It was here many years ago that I discovered a sherry that changed my life.