I could have opened up a restaurant in downtown Madrid last night. This amateur chef was firing on all cylinders. Heck, I was even firing on cylinders that I didn’t know I had. Making croquetas has always been something that I have wanted to do – successfully. I tried it once with my dad about…
Tag: Spain
A Perfect Day in San Sebastian – Part 2
“Siesta” marks a huge split in the day in Spain. I have been told that for those Spaniards in the corporate world, it is a thing of the past. However, in the small hill towns of La Rioja and even the winding back streets of “La Parte Vieja” of San Sebastian, it is still very…
A Perfect Day in San Sebastian – Part 1
Sundays in Spain are pretty hard to beat. One can choose church in the morning or, if you were like us, opt to let your 4 year old and 8 month old sleep in after a typically late Spanish Saturday night. The majority of the morning was rainy and gray so we hunkered down until…
The Surprise of Pamplona
There are certain places you hear about in the world that you almost feel like you know even if you have never been there. Names like “Paris” and “Rome” bring up images of the Eiffel Tower and Coliseum respectively, right? Of course, when you picture, “Pamplona” you picture the running of the bulls, correct? I…
Patatas Alioli
Spanish cooking is very traditional fare. Unlike other European cultures, there is not a prevalence of foreign foods on offer in the bustling cities of Spain. There are exceptions, of course. If one looks hard enough, you can find a smattering of Japanese, pizza and even burger places. However, the preponderance of cuisine in Spain…
La Bodegueta – Barcelona, Spain
Ever since I turned 18 and left small town Nebraska for Spain, I’ve become a bit of a nomad. I’ll always be a red-blooded American but when people ask, “Where are you from?” it gets harder to answer with each passing year. So, to compensate for this lack of real “home” I’ve collected a short…
Alcachofas Laminadas (Fried Artichokes) at Ciutat Comtal – Barcelona, Spain
Sometimes, all it takes is one plate of something to justify a blog post. On my latest trip to Ciutat Comtal in Barcelona, Alcachofas Laminadas were that plate. It is a dish that only the Spaniards could pull off. It’s completely simple (artichokes, salt and oil), but so full of flavor and head-scratchingly brilliant in…
La Vinya del Senyor – Barcelona, Spain
Every time I go to Barcelona, I print out a paper list of my favorite places in the city. The majority of the time that I’m there, I am showing a few other people around, so it helps to be a little type “A” and have the printed list in my back pocket – complete…
Headed to Spain… Not Soon Enough
There are lots of places in this world that I love to go but the only one that makes me more excited to travel to than Texas is Spain. I spent a year in Spain as a foreign exchange student way back when and the luster if the Iberian peninsula has never faded for me. …
La Venencia – Madrid, Spain
I was out to dinner the other night with my family and friends and did a little research before I went. It was a warm summer evening and we were going to be dining outside under a cloudless sky. The thought of sucking down heady Czech beer seemed a little heavy handed to my palate…
Corazón Loco – Madrid, Spain
Perched on a corner just around the bend from Cava Baja and just up the street from Almendro 13 sits one of the most quintessential Spanish hipster wine bars that I’ve ever seen. When I say hipster, I must make it clear that I’m not talking about Euro-hipsters – the vapid, label-wearing big sunglass bunch. …
Tortilla de Camarones
It’s easy to get in a rut when dining in Spain. However, Spanish cuisine is incredibly varied when you decide to extend beyond the staples. Factor in that most of Spain is bordered by the sea and it increases your chances of finding something you had never heard of. On my last trip there, one…
Sherry Rebujitos in Grazalema, Spain
Our last trip to Spain opened my eyes to lots of new food and deepened my understanding of a few of the most classic Spanish drinks. One of the tipples that I really got to know on this journey was Sherry, or Jerez, as it is called on the peninsula. I’ve been a fan of…
El Tempranillo – Madrid, Spain
La Latina’s El Tempranillo makes you feel like you’re stepping into a forbidden guiri-free slice of Spanish bar culture. I’ve never seen anyone in there speak a word of English in my 3 or 4 visits. I think the fellows behind the bar would like to keep it that way as well. On our last…
Plaza del Salvador – Sevilla, Spain
This has to be my favorite part of Sevilla and it’s certainly one of my favorite characteristics of Spain. Cañas outside in a plaza (this one is Sevilla’s Plaza del Salvador) on a nice day with your closest Spanish compatriots. Our cañas were served for 1.10 euros from “La Antigua Bodeguita” located on the edge of…
NotHemingway 