To be honest, I didn't think much of the unsuspecting vinoteca with wine barrels, painted red, in…read morefront of the entrance, very close to "Camping Nigran". But I was with one of my good friends who seems to know every chef and winery owner in all of Galicia, so I trusted his judgment when asked to join him at a vinoteca that was cozy, intimate, yet private. The dining area of the vinoteca was partitioned with barriers made of straw, which allowed us to carry on our own conversation, yet people-watch (and of course, I ran into someone I knew, a few tables down from where we were seated). The design of the restaurant, which pays homage to the rustic Galician interior of many local vinotecas, had its own hip and modern flair with its ornate light fixtures and upholstery for the chairs. Later, I learned that O Bagazo won the 2012 "Most Creative Tapas" contest in Val Miñor (the area of Spain where the restaurant is situated), using conservas from the area.
The wine list is extensive and features an impressive list of wines from Galicia and beyond. My friend deferred the bottle decision to me and because being in Nigran with him was like my "homecoming", I ordered a bottle of Mencia from Ourense (Ourense is in Galicia, but further inland). The wine was velvety, rich, and had a lingering finish - perfect for that particular chilly winter day. Believe it or not, the two of us were unable to finish this bottle of wine but O Bagazo is prepared for situations like ours and "doggie bagged" the remainder of the wine so we could take it home with us.
The food at O Bagazo is just as remarkable as the wine selection. We ordered an assortment of embutidos, which were from Salamanca (which makes some of the best chorizo I've ever tasted and we sadly cannot import to the US; it's much more spicy, complex, and flavorful than the domestic-made chorizo) and one of the simplest items on the menu. The fattiness "cut" some (only some!) of the effects of the alcohol. In order to experience the true gastronomic fare of the restaurant, we ordered the bacalao with goat cheese in an apple sauce. I was a bit concerned about the bacalao and cheese combination, but the cheese was used sparingly enough where the delicate flavor of the bacalao was able to be detected - and savored.
Our service was fantastic - sometimes, it can be an impossible feat to get the attention of a server (especially since the bar was so busy), but our waitress periodically "checked in" on us, yet never rushed us. (Yet another reason why I miss going out for dinner and drinks in Spain.)
Between not finishing the bottle of wine and not ordering more for dinner (the never-ending stream of Galician bread that accompanied our cured meats and main course filled me up!), I am now feeling rather ashamed. But because O Bagazo has a Facebook page, which they update with their specials of the day, I live vicariously through the mouth-watering photographs of salads with baby eels and shrimp or venison stew (and maybe I'm also a little bit bitter I'm not in Spain at the moment). I'm confident that I'll be back soon, for a long-overdue catching up with one of my best friends.
