La Bellota celebrates ten years in the heart of Calanda. A decade in which the establishment has established itself as a meeting point for residents and visitors thanks to a proposal based on homemade cuisine, local products and a menu that evolves to the rhythm of the seasons.
Located in one of the main squares of the Teruel municipality, the restaurant lives especially closely some of the most important dates of the local calendar. The Easter or the festivities of Calanda fill their tables with neighbors and visitors in search of a family atmosphere and a cuisine closely linked to the territory.
UNA COCINA CON SABOR A CALANDA
The menu at La Bellota changes according to the time of year and reserves a leading role for the products of the area. Among them, the Calanda peach stands out, as it could not be otherwise, which during its season is incorporated into different dishes.
One of the most successful dishes among customers is the cheek and peach risotto, a combination that brings some of the most recognizable flavors of the territory to the dish. On special occasions they also prepare peach salmorejo, while other Aragonese products, such as lamb, maintain a regular presence in the kitchen.
For those who visit La Bellota for the first time, its manager and owner, Natalia Muñoz, has some clear recommendations: the lamb ravioli, the ear (already one of the star tapas of the house) or one of its risottos, such as the octopus risotto.
The cuisine, however, is not limited to the most traditional recipes. The establishment also seeks to surprise with different proposals, from salads with ice cream to combinations with fruit, with which it intends to offer a varied and different menu from that of other establishments in the town.
HOMEMADE DESSERTS AND RECIPES THAT TASTE LIKE EASTER
Desserts are another of the pillars of La Bellota. Among them, tiramisu stands out, a recipe that Natalia has been preparing since she was young and which, she says, is still one of the safe values on the menu. Cheesecake is also common, although the restaurant plays with different versions and flavors, such as pistachio or Lotus.
Easter, one of the busiest times of the year in Calanda, also leaves its mark on the kitchen. During these dates, La Bellota incorporates special elaborations such as peach ice cream accompanied by torta de alma, a traditional paste of the town.
Another of the most eagerly awaited dishes is cod with tomato, linked to Lent and converted over the years into one of those recipes that many customers hope to find again every Easter.
DE ZARAGOZA A CALANDA PARA LEVANTA UN PROYECTO DE VIDA
The history of La Bellota began a decade ago. Natalia and her husband were working at Zaragoza when the possibility of taking over the establishment they run today appeared. «The only bridge we had to return to the village was to take a business,» recalls Natalia.
During the Christmas holidays they closed the agreement and began to prepare the project with the aim of opening its doors in February. That return to Calanda ended up becoming a life project that, ten years later, continues to grow.
During this time, La Bellota has expanded its activity and has participated in different initiatives related to gastronomy and the promotion of Aragonese products. One of those moments came at Fitur, where Natalia presented the Calanda peach in the space of Aragón and prepared her peach ice cream with soul cake.
The establishment also participates in the Gastrofestival of the Feria de San Miguel, where chefs from the area prepare tapas with Aragonese products, and collaborates with the Buñuel-Calanda International Film Festival, in charge of preparing dinners for actors and directors. In addition to this, catering services are provided for events, talks and conferences, including some organised by the Government of Aragon.
MUCH MORE THAN A RESTAURANT
The activity of La Bellota does not end at its tables either. The business has another space next to the restaurant in which Natalia organizes children’s cooking workshops, thus expanding her link with the town and bringing gastronomy closer to the little ones as well.
Ten years after that decision to return to Calanda, La Bellota continues to bet on the same formula: local cuisine, local products and a menu that is constantly changing to adapt to the seasons. A decade of putting flavour to the centre of Calanda and making local produce one of its main hallmarks.
