Since the climate crisis became aware, many companies have launched into the so-called “greenwashing” showcase. This is not the case of Mas Salagros, the first EcoResort on the peninsula, which is expanding its five-star luxury offering with the authenticity of its commitment to the environment with 100% organic gastronomy and a spa from the Aire Ancient chain for complete well-being with oneself and the planet.
Restaurant 1497, which is the year of the first documented mention of the Mas Salagros farm, This year it received the recognition of two suns from the Michelin and Repsol guides.precisely because of its gastronomic commitment based on organic and local products, led by the chef Beniamino Campolo and with master Esteban Balagué in the room. Both lead a team of about twenty professionals committed to creative cuisine despite the limitations of the market and the culinary techniques involved in respecting the honesty of ecological commitment. A circumstance that they compensate for by surrounding themselves with small local suppliers and their own organic garden.
It is spectacular to see the extraction of honey directly from a part of the panel that the maître d’ presses in front of the diners to finish one of the desserts. A panel that the beekeeper provides them with his own bees from Montseny and that puts the icing on the cake of the immersion in a commendable ecological gastronomic experience, like the pollination work carried out by the industrious winged workers with their contribution to the reproduction of plants. The same thing happens with the eight cheeses with which the tasting menu ends, all artisanal and natural (unpasteurized) They come from a farm in Granollers and are refined by family producers, which is why they do not always have them available.
The philosophy of the 1497 restaurant is linked to that of Mas Salagros, a farm that Sergi Elias, son of one of the three families that created Caprabo, acquired in 2015. in 1962 and which was the first supermarket in Spain. Elías is also the founder of Veritas which has been distributing organic products in its chain of 80 stores for 22 years. The Vallromanes complex, 20 minutes from Barcelona, has 60 rooms, including five suites, distributed in different buildings, all equipped with ecological and natural elements (wood, cotton, latex and amenities or welcome products, etc.) and committed to a sustainable economy through local purchasing and the treatment of energy and waste. The other peak of the complex’s well-being are the bathrooms. Ancient Aire with its hot springs tour proposal in the old Roman way, saunas and massages of all kinds.
The best thing about 1497 is to discover its gastronomic proposal of territory, season and ecological commitment through one of its tasting menus: the most complete (120 euros), the so-called “slow” (80 euros), a smaller one or the one offering a “vegan experience”, also for 80 people. The dishes of these menus change constantly according to the seasonal products selected by Beni, which is the abbreviation of the chef’s name. In view of the guests, a refrigerated wine cellar with nearly 200 ecological and biodynamic referenceswhich encourages you to put yourself in the hands of the selection proposed by the sommelier to accompany the meal.
Accompanied by Parxet cava, a 2020 reserve brut, now owned by Codorniu, the tasting menu began with the columnist’s visit with three starters: almond mousse, ham, grapes and herb oil; a repurposed chicken croquette, a smoked and black garlic point and the third of Tuna tartare on crispy nori seaweed, sesame oil, soy and avocado emulsionThe bread is artisanal and is served with sourdough and seeds, accompanied by two oils: a picual from Jaén and another arbequina from Valls.
Along with the Mataró craft beer, a highly fermented grape beer with grape must from the same grape variety as its name, comes a burrata accompanied by burrata mousse, candied eggplant, marinated tomatoes, black olive soil from Aragon and rocket leaves. It is followed by Tartare of Pyrenees beef from Pallars smoked with beech smoke with creamy old-fashioned mustard and crispy onionan ideal dish to accompany a 2022 Risling which, with its acidic and sweet hint, contrasts well with the spicy and smoky hint of the meat.
He Fresh Spinach Pasta Ravioli Stuffed with Roasted Pumpkin and Ricotta with Lobster Butter and Jus and Wine Reduction Pairs with Pagos d’Angux rosé, a high-altitude wine from Ribera del Duero from the 2023 harvest. An organic French cider from Roger Groult accompanies potato gnocchi with slices of roasted Iberian pork, semi-dried tomatoes and thyme jus. white wine.
Menade organic Verdejo presents the Scallop gratin with parmesan, herb cream and fresh shoots and roasted carrot before the baked wild turbot arrives with a warm lentil salad, cured bacon and peppers accompanied by roasted aubergine mousse and caviar and accompanied by Albariño Corisca, another organic wine like the 200 that make up the winery. The grilled beef fillet with shallot butter and Syrah reduction, accompanied by mushrooms stewed with bone marrow, finishes at the table with grated wasabi from a producer in Arbucias, in Montseny. This last dish is accompanied by Chateldon, a 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon reserve from Penedès.
With the sweet wines of Garonnelles and Ménade, the menu culminates with the pre-desserts of eight cheeses with homemade jams, another of textures of apple, yogurt and honey extracted from the honeycomb pressed on the table previously described; pistachio and mascarpone tiramisu and the highlight of the white chocolate parfait with strawberry and balsamic soup, an artisanal ice cream made by a family from Granollers.
An alternative to 1497 is the Cibus Restaurant which shares a kitchen and offers a more informal option with rice, fideuás, embers, fish. The EcoResort also has a Gastro Wine Bar next to two swimming pools overlooking the natural park and completes its offer with a range of activities that promote disconnection, such as yoga, electric bicycle rental and a perfume workshop to immerse the client in another experience, such as walking through the humid forest of the natural reserve to Climb one of its hills and discover the Maresme landscape, the sea and the metropolis of Barcelona at your feet.
