The moment has arrived for the season’s opening of Menjars de la Terra. In Elche countryside, a renowned restaurant takes the stage as the first host, signaling the launch of a regional culinary journey that will spotlight Alicante’s gastronomic treasures across Baix Vinalopó and beyond.
Following the successful return of the province’s most loved gastronomy days, organized last year by INFORMACIÓN with support from the Provincial Council, the kickoff of this new edition centers on a region rich in flavors. Baix Vinalopó is once again in the spotlight, inviting locals and visitors to explore a diverse culinary landscape.
The chosen venue for the inaugural night was the Carlos restaurant in the Elche countryside, celebrated for spacious, well-maintained facilities and a well-earned reputation for high-quality ingredients and respectful preparation. The team, led by manager Carlos Oliver, presented a thoughtfully designed menu that begins with a welcome cocktail featuring Elche’s Mollar pomegranate juice and continues with a selection of appetizers such as rustic bread with extra virgin olive oil, aioli and fresh tomatoes, fried artichoke crisps, a local sausage and cheese plate, and succulent shrimp. The menu also features a tiradito with artichokes and young garlic and a Mediterranean salad with molar pomegranate. Mains offer a choice between rice dishes prepared over wood fire, including rabbit and snail rice, shellfish rice, and seasonal vegetable rice, or Iberian fillet with potatoes and date sauce. A dessert option highlights Elche’s famous molar pomegranate cake. Wines from Alicante DOP accompany the meal, including white Marina Alta and red Laudum from Bocopa and red La Dama from Faelo.
The event proved highly satisfying for the 35 restaurants that joined last year and for the public, which showed strong turnout with thousands enjoying specially crafted menus. This success reinforced the organizers, sponsors, and collaborators’ decision to repeat the experience, drawing on a format that blends tradition with modern flair. The days are curated by journalist, author and gastronome Antonio González Pomata, whose approach to the gastronomy events of the late 20th century helped shape this vibrant revival.
Baix Vinalopó dining suggestions from Menjars de la Terra fill the rooms
The festival returns with a refreshed format. Backed by the Provincial Council, the touring program visits different regions for a week of gastronomic discovery, featuring a new participating restaurant each day. The collaboration with Denomination of Origin regulatory Councils across the province underscores a commitment to promoting Alicante’s regional products.
In this edition the focus is on the Mollar Granada from Elche, a standout Elche product with a Protected Designation of Origin. Each menu includes at least one dish that highlights this local treasure, reinforcing the event’s dedication to regional excellence.
These days are open to the public, offering a special chance to savor the culinary riches that define the area’s eating culture. To partake, guests simply call and reserve a table at the restaurant of their choice, enjoying a curated experience with live cooking and seasonal ingredients.
Menus and restaurants in Baix Vinalopó
MONDAY, JANUARY 29
Carlos (Elche)
Welcome cocktail: Olives and toasted almonds. Artichoke chips. Salad tartlets. Natural pomegranate juice.
Appetizers: Rustic bread with extra virgin olive oil, aioli and fresh tomatoes. Pipes and carases. Local cheese and sausage plate. Shrimp. Tiradito with artichokes and young garlic. Mediterranean salad with molar pomegranate.
Main courses to choose from: Rice with rabbit and snails, rice with shellfish, or rice with seasonal vegetables, or Iberian fillet with fried potatoes and date sauce.
Dessert: Elche molar pomegranate cake. Coffees and infusions. Wines: white Marina Alta, red Laudum, red La Dama. Waters, soft drinks.
Price per person: 42 € (VAT included).
Reservation details are provided at the restaurant.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 30
Inn (Torrellano)
Appetizer: Coca Aurora with roasted vegetables, sour cream and smoked sardines. Starters on the table: Camp d’Elx salad with paprika. Mollar artichoke flower with pomegranate chutney, Iberian ham shavings and toasted pine nuts.
First course: Alicante wheat stew with pork ribs. Second course: Oxtail timbale stewed in red wine with vegetables. Dessert: Jijona nougat cream millefeuille with tangerine sorbet. Coffees and infusions. Wines: White Les Freses, Finca Collado Red. Waters, soft drinks.
Price per person: 42 € (VAT included).
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31
Brotherhood (Santa Pola)
Starter: Bread with tomatoes and aioli. Brotherhood salad with salty meat. Fried fish. Grilled squid from Santa Pola Bay. Boiled shrimp and white shrimp.
Main course: Creamy red rice with artichokes, fresh garlic and red pepper. Dessert: Homemade style. Coffees and infusions. Wines: Marina Alta white from Bocopa, Louis XIV red amphora. Beverages including juices and beer.
Price per person: 42 € (VAT included).
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1
Matola (Elche)
Starter: Toast with pipes and carases. Red tuna tartare with molar pomegranate pearls. Oxtail cannelloni with molar pomegranate. Squid sautéed with artichokes. Green salad with artichoke and molar pomegranate.
Main course: Vegetable rice and Iberian neck. Dessert: Jijona liquid nougat filler. Coffees and infusions. Wines: Les Freses white, Sein red, Mistela La Palma. Waters, soft drinks.
Price per person: 42 € (VAT included).
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2
Las Palmeras (Crevillent)
Starter assortment: Crevillent coca variations with grated tomato and Cuquillo olive paste. Smoked bacon crackle with molar pomegranate salad and Monastrell chutney. Artichoke confit with white shrimp and tuna parmentier with toasted cashews.
Tasting plates: Rice with soup Five handfuls. Shepherd’s migas with Aledo grapes. Main course: Lamb braised with rosemary broth from Sierra Crevillentina. Dessert: Horchata torrija with butter and sweet wine featuring molar peel.
Coffees and herbal infusions. Wines: Marina Alta white and Casica del Abuelo red. Beverages as above.
Price per person: 42 € (VAT included).
Reservation and availability will vary by venue and date.