Tag Archives: spain

pro “clients”

19 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by in friends, sevilla, sherry, spain, tapas, tapas bars, tapas tours, teaching, we love tapas

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professional-clientsRyan, plotting world domination…

Comes a time during every new We Love Tapas guide’s training period when they do a practice tour with a couple of specially chosen victims “clients”, and me tagging along to “observe and intimidate”.   😉

This time up I called once again upon dynamic duo Ang & Ryan (aka @JetsLikeTaxis) for their services. It was their third time and I have to say they are really getting the hang of it. So much so that next time I might just be able to stay home and wait for their report.

pro-clientsMost uncharacteristically *ahem* the tour ended with a penúltima (or three) at The Office (aka La Azotea Santa Cruz). As you can see, nobody was the slightest bit inebriated. Thanks again, guys!

galicia getaway – a coruña

24 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by in food & drink, gastronomy, markets, spain, travel, trips

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coruna (1)My first day trip with Anna and Jorge The KilomEATers was to A Coruña, a lovely coastal town about 45 minutes (by car) north of Santiago de Compostela. We started off by visiting the central market, which is renowned for its fish and seafood. After that we drove over to the second “old centre” by the port, and thus began an amazing culinary adventure.coruna (2)

Our first stop was Taberna Arallo, very recently opened in the Plaza Mayor, and run by the same group in charge of Michelin starred Alborada. To me the décor and general ambiance felt a bit “prefab cool”, complete with the now de rigueur long communal table and open kitchen, and smooth jazz Spotify on the sound system. Luckily we were there at opening time (no reservations taken) and got a spot at the end of the table that felt a bit more “private”.

Here we sampled just three dishes (we were saving ourselves as we knew we had at least two other places to go). The volandeiras in hot & sour sauce were spectacular, and the “nigiri” croquetas topped with salted hake were also very good. But the “flamenking” filled with zorza and potato, while tasty, came with a rather pointless sweet chilli sauce. In general it was a pleasant, if pricey, experience.

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Next up was Pulpeira de Melide for their renowned pulpo a feira with potatoes boiled in the same water as the octopus. I thought it was delicious, though Anna and Jorge both insisted they’d had better pulpo there on previous occasions.

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Last but not least was a visit to Boca Negra. I’d heard good things about this place and, upon arrival, we were greeted by chef and owner Pablo Pizarro who arranged a special tasting menu for us. The food and service here were excellent – definitely a “must” when you are in Coruña.

  • Saam: pancetta with mussel, sriracha, shiitake, tartare sauce
  • Cauliflower foam with green curry and mussels
  • Dumpling of zambariñas a la Gallega
  • Jurel (horse mackerel) in palo cortado
  • Bonito tartare with spicy ají sauce
  • Secreto Ibérico empanada with curry, spicy housemade ketchup on the side
  • Marinated and grilled chicken thighs with peanuts, cilantro, chilli, pineapple
  • Dessert: Gin & tonic strawberry ice cream with pink peppercorn

coruna (4)A Coruña struck me as a city of contrasts. Great natural beauty and wonderful turn of the (20th) century architecture at times clashing with patches of modernist wasteland. Though overall it’s an attractive place and well worth visiting. I was grateful to have my two very knowledgeable friends as guides, which definitely helped me get the most of my few hours in town.

galicia getaway – complimentary tapas

23 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by in food & drink, friends, gastronomy, getaways, spain, travel, trips

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complimentary tapasNotice that I don’t call these “free tapas” (as they are so fond of calling them in Granada). But they are complimentary, included in the price of your drink, which like in Granada, are usually more expensive than in Sevilla. I paid up to 2.80€ for a caña in Santiago, which of course is outrageous. A typical caña in Sevilla is 1.20€, though you don’t get a “free” tapa with it. To be honest, I prefer to just pay for what I want to eat without elevated drink prices.

That’s not to say the complimentary tapas in Santiago de Compostela (also in A Coruña and Lugo) aren’t delicious. Many of them are. And, as I discovered on the “Ruta of Complimentary Tapas” one evening in Santiago with Anna and Jorge @thekilomeaters, you do actually end up quite satisfied and, also, quite stuffed. As I say, I usually prefer ordering what I actually feel like eating, which may coincide with whatever bar you happen to stop into, but it also may not. But I have to say I was never disappointed with the range of complimentary tapas offered at most of the bars, and part of the experience was not knowing what I would end up eating. Definitely something fun to try now and then.

galicia getaway – friends & food

22 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by in friends, gastronomy, getaways, holidays, spain, travel, trips

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friends and food (2)It seemed I’d been planning this trip for years, or at least ever since my friend Anna @annalibera moved from Sevilla to Galicia with her Gallego partner Jorge @jorgeguitian. Since then they have been working together as food and travel consultants on various gastronomy-related projects, including The KilomEATers @thekilometers. But finally a date was set last June when I impulsively booked a plane ticket and an AirBnB apartment – it was now or never – and my Galicia Getaway was set for August 21-28.

A lot happened between then and August 21st, including an impromptu 10-day trip to London and a shorter unplanned visit to Madrid, so by the time August 21 came along I was actually feeling a bit travelled out. But Galicia was unknown territory for me, and I had never been with Anna and Jorge on their “home turf” in Santiago de Compostela, so when my bags were finally packed I was also full of enthusiasm again.

After picking me up at the airport, Anna and Jorge made a quick stop at my AirBnB place to drop my bags, then – of course – it was off for some lunch. The place they chose for me, Deulpo, couldn’t have been a better introduction to traditional Galician food.

friends and food (1)We had pulpo a feira (natch) and pimientos de padrón (ALL of them fiery hot), both of which I’d tried before, many times. But then we moved on to a couple of new dishes for me: zorza (think “prueba de chorizo” – pork mixed with garlic, smoked pimentón, oregano) and raxo (marinated pork sautéed with garlic). Both were super rich and super delicious. Anna ordered some local wine served in bowls, Galician style, which later fusioned into an Italian custom of dipping bread into the red wine. I loved this spot and went back to it later on my own.

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That evening I was in for another gastronomical treat – and a homemade one too – when I was invited to Anna & Jorge’s for a traditional dish of Lacón (pork again!), all boiled up together and served with garbanzo beans, grelos, chorizo and potatoes. This was untraditionally washed down with two types of sherry: first a fabulous fino in rama and then a lovely palo cortado. And well, since sherry is so versatile, they were excellent pairings.

friends and foodThat evening Anna also helped with organising my week (we both LOVE lists) and we came up with a good variety of things for me to do, both on my own and with them as my trusty guides (including two day trips) which really made things easier for me. In fact, I would have been lost without them. Can’t stress enough how insider knowledge like this enhances a visit, so do get in touch with the KilomEATers if you are planning a trip to Santiago or pretty much anywhere in Galicia.