Tapas- We had our fair share of tapas while in Spain. Tapas are a variety of small dishes that come cold (ie. cheeses and deli meats) and warm (ie. fried). The beauty of tapas is that you can pick a few to make up a meal. In some areas of Spain, tapas can come complimentary with a drink order. My favorite place was an outdoor restaurant in Sevilla called Vineria San Telmo. The ambiance was fantastic, and the food was so savory. The tapas served were also very unique from other tapas joints that we tried in Spain. Mmmm...I would love some chiporones (deep fried small squid) right now.
Pinchos (or Pintxos)- I know this wasn't on the list of things I had to try, but I ended up adding this onto the list just prior to my trip after a friend recommended them to me. Pinchos are more prevalent in Northern Spain, and are similar to tapas because of their tiny portions. The biggest difference is that they are often spiked with a toothpick accompanied with a piece of bread. It is often eaten while standing and surrounded by shelves filled with pinchos. You then grab the pinchos you want, and collect the toothpicks on your plate. At the end of your meal you are charged by the number of toothpicks you have accumulated on your plate. Shortly after we were robbed in Barcelona, we went to my favorite pinchos place called Golfo De Bizkaia.
I was obsessed from that point on. I hunted for pinchos everywhere I went in Spain, and if I couldn't find pinchos then I would settle for Tapas.
Sangria- I've had my share of good and bad sangria. Sangria is like a Spanish punch filled with fruits, red wine, and sometimes brandy. I asked my Barcelona friends to take me to their favorite Tapas place for some Sangria. They took me to La Bombeta. My friend and I were the only foreigners in the entire place. Sangria isn't my drink of choice because I prefer white wine, BUT, during hot summer days sangria with that twist of fruit is just what I need.
Paella- Paella is a dish made with rice, saffron, veggies, chicken and seafood. I love rice. I grew up eating A LOT of rice, and my mom would make a huge pot of it every day. While traveling in Malaga we decided to look for a good paella joint. Since Malaga was on the coast, I was very hopeful that we would get some fresh seafood for my Seafood Paella. I was wrong. My paella was served in a paellera (a pan that the paella is cooked on and traditionally served on). I ate a few spoonfuls before I gave up. It was awful. It's not a good sign when you prefer to munch on the stale bread in the middle of the table over your overpriced main entree.
You can't win them all, but 2 out of 3 isn't half bad!
Date Accomplished: October 27th, 2011
