Category Archives: tapas bars

rosario

08 Tuesday May 2018

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When I first met Rosario last week I thought it would be nice to bring her the photos I took, because the bar doesn’t have a website or use social media, and when I tried showing them to her on my phone she the images were too small for her to see. Anyhow I did this today, and she loved them! And there’s that beautiful smile again. Then we got to talking about her late husband, how they met in their home village near Santander, and she also spoke about her mother (Rosario is one of 12 children), and coming to live in Sevilla over 60 years ago. Turns out Rosario is 88 and still works in Bodega San José with her children every day. An amazing woman. I’m so happy to have met her.

girl crush

30 Monday Apr 2018

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Lately I’ve been going to some very old-school tapas bars (some for the first time!). The other day I went to Bodega San José, a place I hadn’t been to for at least 15 years (!!!). As usual I got to talking with the barman and found out that the bar is 135 years and still in the same family. This is a photo of the present owners, Nicolás and his mother Rosario. It was Rosario’s father’s cousins, Rodrigo and Pablo, who founded the bar.

By the time we left I was completely in love with Rosario. Not only was she up for some photos (her son less so, but he went along), she told me about her upcoming cataract operation, saying how much she was looking forward to seeing clearly out of her left eye again, though by the way she filleted those anchovies I reckoned she could do it blindfolded. While she chatted with me she held my hands in hers and smiled that beautiful smile. Swoon…

Not surprisingly they are not on any social media, so I am going to put their Sevilla Tapas review on a PDF, print it out, and bring it to them at the bar. I think Rosario would like that.

palo cortao

27 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in sevilla, sherry, tapas, tapas bars

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Palo Cortao opened two years ago in a teeny-tiny spot in El Arenal, and it was an instant success. Run by husband & wife team Ana and Ángel, it specialized in charcuterie and luxe tinned fish, along with a handful of exquisite tapas prepared by Ángel in a “kitchen” that was the size of a small closet. It also had an amazing wine list, including some wonderful sherries.

Yesterday I received a message from A & A saying that Friday was going to be their last day (!!) so I hurried over to say goodbye. Turns out it wasn’t the sad affair I thought it might be. It’s actually good news as Ana and Ángel have been planning to move to bigger and better premises but just haven’t had time to look while still working. So they are going to take a couple months off to find a perfect spot and then reopen as soon as possible. Looking forward to seeing Palo Cortao chapter two.

chance encounters

24 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by in friends, sevilla, tapas, tapas bars, tapas tours, twitter, wine

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Pepe, Cinta & José María

Love when stuff like this happens. After a lovely “tapas research” lunch with my friend and We Love Tapas colleague Cinta @LaCocheraAbuelo (in this case the company was much better than the food) we stopped by Bodeguita Romero because I wanted to talk to Alejandro about a couple of special bookings coming up. And we walked straight into a group of guys from Montilla-Moriles (fortified wine region in Córdoba), as well as my pal Pepe, owner of La Fresquita.

I was introduced to José María from Bodegas Toro Albalá @toroalbala and told him that I was supposed to go to the big Montilla-Moriles tasting event in Córdoba last week, and meet up with my friends Erik & Laura @MMWinesUK but the only day I could go was the same day they were going to visit Toro Albalá! So in the end I didn’t go, and as soon as I mentioned knowing Erik & Laura he insisted that Cinta and I try their lovely Dos Claveles (Two Carnations).

Meanwhile, Pepe and I were “talking shop” a bit about food tour guides, and also about his brother Manolo who owns the most fabulous Taberna Manolo Cateca – a fact that Cinta hadn’t known before, although she knows both bars well.

So it was like a coming together of various parts of my life here, all in one chance encounter at one of my favourite bars (the Romeros are my family). And I ended up with an invitation to visit Bodegas Toro Albalá anytime. When I explained to José María that I don’t have a car so would have to go to Córdoba by train (the bodega is about 50 kms away, in Agullar de la Frontera) he said just let him know when and he’d come and pick me up. Bonus!  🙂

snail season 2018

23 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by in sevilla, spain, tapas, tapas bars

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For those of you who think it’s all fun-fun-fun around here, with endless glasses of sherry and an infinite array of tapas… well, actually it is kind of like that. 😉 Though not every day of course, and not as “constant” as it may appear to be on my social media accounts. Heck, I can make one tapas bar visit last several days on SM via my various accounts. Also, I kind of publish things at random, so if you ever think I am drinking wine at 10 am… chances are I’m not (though on rare occasions it has been known to happen). Which brings me to SNAILS.

It’s now snail season in Sevilla. These are not the more well-known big fat French escargot that come drenched in butter and garlic… in fact, we have two types of snails here. The Caracoles are the smaller version, usually cooked in a spicy broth, and although you can use a toothpick to pry the little devils out of the shell, most people just put the shell to their lips and suck that baby out, sauce and all.

Cabrillas are bigger, and are usually cooked in a thick tomato-based sauce. With these guys you do need the toothpick, and you also have to take care with the sauce, which can splatter all over. I speak from experience.

But whether you love them or hate them (me? I like them!) it’s fun to try the different styles and sauces at different bars. Snails do seem like the most popular insect that have been introduced into Western diets. Thank you France! I mean, dousing anything in butter and garlic…