2 Going 1 Way
A blog following the adventures of Sam and Georgi around the world. Join us on our adventure as we travel, eat, inspire.
Laureles was our first port of call in Medellin. A nice little family based neighbourhood with some lovely bars and restaurants set amongst the terraces.
Caduff $
Italian pasta restaurant Caduff, is a new restaurant to the Laureles area and brings homemade pasta to the forefront of their business. The first time we walked past, Georgi thought it was an ice cream service area at the front of the restaurant, but actually it’s a station where you can buy fresh pasta by the gram. Not what you usually think is being sold by the gram in Colombia…lo.l
I couldn’t resist but go for the penne bolognese, it was so fresh and moorish with plenty of garlic. Served with fresh out of the oven focaccia to keep you thirsty for more Club Colombia Rojos.
Georgi had the salmon with pesto fettuccini and more fresh focaccia. The salmon fillet was cooked to perfection by the chef, combine that with homemade pasta and you have a winning result every time.
I always think an open kitchen is an honest kitchen. Seeing the chefs prepare your food in front of you is something special, you definitely gain a sense of trust with the cooks.
Being a new restaurant it will take time to build a reputation as most tourists are in the El Poblado area of Medellin, but hopefully they can get the exposure they need as the food is truly worth travelling for. I highly recommend sitting near the back, there’s a sneaky open air section with a little water feature, perfect for date night when the sky is clear.
I say it time and time again, who doesn’t love a good burger?? This place was amazing! Again it’s quite a new restaurant but it seems like it has taken off well. Whilst we were sitting outside the living room style service desk, the Uber Eats delivery drivers kept on coming! There’s only two or three tables outside with space for eight maybe ten people at a push, but it’s so worth it.
I eat anything, so I love getting the restaurant owners to pick my meals, plus I can never decide which stacked up burger to go for. What I received was the Jack burger; a chunky beef patty marinated with Jack Daniel’s whiskey, served on a potato bun with american and mozzarella cheese, smoked bacon, homemade Jack Daniel’s bbq sauce, organic lettuce and home made waffle potato fries.
Wow! What a time to be alive. I said it in my Insta post and I’ll say it again, I think it was the best burger I’ve had since Gott’s Burger in San Francisco. And that’s a huge compliment.
The success carried onto Georgi’s order, the veggie time burger patty was made with rice, black beans and beetroot. It was topped with tomato, lettuce, onions, gherkins and American cheese! One of the best veggie option burgers Georgi has received on our travels.
I have to mention the man behind the business, Martin, he is such a good lad. He’s very forward thinking. Both Georgi and I were impressed with his branding and everything that came with it. The artwork was very modern, not like you usually see in this part of the world, he also knew the importance of following food trends, even admitting Colombia was a fair bit behind on most. I have a good feeling Martin and his team will be around for years to come, definitely make the visit if you can, if not definitely order via Uber Eats.
Montaditos $$
Montaditos was on the main strip of restaurants and bars, which we found on our last night in Laureles. Finding lively areas always seems to happen when we’re about to leave lol. With live music playing and the tables filling up I knew we were in for some good food. Before we went we thought it was strictly a tapas eatery, that’s all they seemed to advertise online, but once looking at the menu we discovered they have many more tasty treats to pick from.
To start with, the team suggested we try an assortment of mini tapas, a small taste of what was to come. This wheel of food was perfect to share, some tables ordered a wheel of 12 with a bottle of wine, what an evening.
For main course I went for the steak wrapped in bacon with a blue cheese sauce and mash purée.
The steak was cooked beautifully rare for me, I haven’t had a nice juicy piece of meat like that for a while, better still it was covered in blue cheese sauce. It definitely kept me topping up on the local beer.
Georgi went for the cheesiest main which was the burrata with tomatoes. Such a simple dish but so light and fresh.
The burrata has a solid mozzarella shell with innards of stracciatella and cream, perfect for spreading onto fresh bread, topping with fresh tomatoes and drizzling with olive oil or a balsamic glaze.
Our whole evening was fantastic, we were looked after so well. Our broken Spanish seems to make more friends than foes, so we shall keep on trying and sampling what the local eateries have to offer. Make sure you try Montaditos and find this lively little street if you’re staying in Laureles! It’s a must.