18 Monday Feb 2019
Posted in events, restaurants, sevilla, spain, tapas bars
Back to the splendid Portuguese Pavilion for this year’s Premios Gurmé. Nice to see some of my friends nominated and awarded, and later to hang out with them at the after party. But next time I won’t wear heels!
16 Saturday Feb 2019
Tags
andalucia de santa maria, cuatro gatos wine fest, el puerto de santa maria, el puerto getaway, wines
The fourth edition of the CuatroGatos Wine Festival was quite different from last year’s event. This time it was held inside a lovely hacienda on the outskirts of El Puerto de Santa María and there was also the promise of a special dish prepared by Michelin star chef Ángel León. I met my friend Tomoko @Fu_yan at the train station and, having just missed the Wine Bus, got a taxi over.
[click to enlarge]
It was a great afternoon revisiting old friends and making new ones. And thanks to Tomoko I tried several wines I may not have otherwise (brand new love is La Choza by Bodega Callejuela). I was also happy to discover that several of the wines I liked are available in Sevilla, and almost all of them at Ana Linares’s fabulous wine shop Lama La Uva (will be visiting her soon!)
Tomoko and CuatroGatos founder Federico Ferrer
Although there were a lot more food options this year, with several stands set up on the patio, Tomoko and I decided to walk over to Restaurante El Faro so we could sit down for awhile and, frankly, have a nicer lunch. 😉 Which you can see, we did indeed have. The only thing was that by the time we got back to the event, several of the producers were already packing up (!!). Since they were offering another Wine Bus back to the train station around 8 pm we assumed that the producers were going to stay around longer. Oh well. It was still a fabulous day and great to hang out with Tomoko again.
spectacular lunch at Restaurante El Faro
03 Saturday Nov 2018
La Esperanza de Triana is one of the two “grande dames” of Semana Santa in Sevilla (the other being La Macarena) and they both go out (salir) during the overnight (madrugada) processions between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. For the rest of the year they are on display in their respective home churches. This is why Thursday’s procession to the Cathedral was a Salida Extraordinara (extraordinary outing), which was followed by the return procession on Saturday. ,
The occasion for the Salida Exraordinara was the celebration of the sixth centenary of the founding of the brotherhood, the oldest in Sevilla, culminating with a commemorative eucharist mass on November 3rd at 11 am at the altar of the Jubilee of the Seo Hispalense inside the Cathedral.
I caught the outgoing procession on Thursday, as it happened to be passing near my home, and I happened to be on my way home at the time. It’s been many years since I last saw the Esperanza, as she comes out during the night and returns quite early Friday morning during Easter week (and to be honest, my going out all night – and going out early – days are long over). Even though I’m not religious I quite enjoy the occasional procession, and so it was nice to see one of Sevilla’s most beautiful pasos again.
15 Monday Oct 2018
This was Sherry Túnel 2018. The first one I have been to, and it was great fun. Got to try a few sherries I hadn’t tasted previously, and also meet a few new people, as well as meet up with old friends.
After the event Peter, Tomoko and I went to Bocarambo for lunch, followed by a delightful surprise thanks to Tomoko – a sherry ice cream tasting at La Rosa de Oro. 
Sherry Ice Cream! Mango Urium & Lustau vermouth / PX Sanchez Romate & Canasta cream / Rebujito & Sherry Cobbler
Sherry Friends
13 Saturday Oct 2018
Tags
Today I am heading to Jerez to attend the 3rd Sherry Túnel, organised by sommelier and fellow sherry educator Maria Carmen Martinez (aka Miss Catas). It’s my first time going to this event, and it seemed like a great way to finish off Sherry Week (which ends tomorrow). Will report back later.
How’s your Saturday going?
casa azahar 