AMAYA GARCIA

Updated Thursday, February 1, 2024-09:39

From Ponzano to Bierzo with delicious bites. We entered Le Qualité Tasca, a small place on the famous Madrid street where a small embassy of this region of León was installed ten years ago. In front, Marcos Gavela and María Antón, two lovers of good food who decided to fulfill a dream. "We have always liked to eat well and we saw that in many places it did not reach the level we expected," says the first. The quality of the product always fell short and here they saw a business opportunity, which also involved making known many of the treasures of their land. "I grew up with a garden and animals in Bierzo," explains Marcos. "I wanted to incorporate a lot of the products that I knew and couldn't find when I went to restaurants." Those that were based on tradition, sustainability, care for the environment and support for small producers. "This is now a common discourse, but ten years ago the panorama was very different."

This is how the project started, one of those dining rooms that make little noise but once you step on it you always want to return. "Madrid is a difficult place and surviving means having your own personality and knowing what you want to offer."

Because of the quality but also because of the customer service

, who receives information from the suppliers, the methods used in each dish, Le Qualité has gained a loyal clientele. "We currently have about 50 producers," says Marcos, who takes the car once a month to look for new 'partners'. "We are seduced by putting the best product on the table."

On their menu, at the moment, there are 28 dishes. "There are those that have been with us from the beginning, like the foie

mi-cuit

that we from Selectos de Castilla make with frixuelos and caramelized Canarian banana." Also the roasted rib tacos with León blood sausage and parmesan biscuit have become in a real attraction for this cozy space with capacity for 20 diners. "

We try to vary the menu a lot

-always close to the season-. In just a few days we will change it and there will be notable developments," announces this entrepreneur who, before making the leap into the hospitality industry, made his living as a salesperson.

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From the beginning, this tandem was clear that they had to give

a first and last name to all the products

they were adding to the menu. "Quality was an absolute priority, but also knowing who was behind it." Marcos explains. An example of how they search and work with producers. "Our lambs come from a farm in Badajoz and when we went to ask Isabel, the owner, she wanted to know our philosophy. She liked what she saw and we started placing orders. In the end, everything makes sense." Contact with them is not interrupted, on the contrary, it intensifies once they enter the 'family'.

There is no shortage of sausages on the menu, a carpaccio version of tongue or beef jerky.

The garden enjoys great prominence

, with some delicious artichokes and leeks. The host's recommendation is those cuttlefish and shrimp meatballs. And the original point is the sobao pasiego with Sausages Julio ear stew and DOP Cebreiro cheese from Queixos Castelo.

The awards have also reached number 48 of Ponzano.

The bravas

(they came in second place in the 2022 contest as the best in the world) and

the

DOP Cebreiro de Queixos Castelo cow cheese cake and Veigadarte goat cheese (in 2023 it was chosen second best in the Community of Madrid) deserve a permanent place on command. At first, they opted for "more traditional home cooking," but over the years they have refined the proposal by introducing "touches of fusion and innovation, but without going overboard so as not to lose our essence."

If Bierzo was initially the axis on which the gastronomic experience revolved, little by little they have opened up and incorporated products from all over Spain, from Extremadura to Andalusia, passing through Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León. "Everything enriches and, if something is good, I don't shy away from offering it." What it's about is enjoying. Wooden tables, chairs and shelves, colorful tableware, plants and some mirror paint the room. "

We are looking for a place to open another restaurant

." The idea is to do it in the Salamanca or Retiro neighborhood. "It will be something bigger, that's for sure. We want to grow and we believe that after a decade it is time," Marcos says with a laugh.