Tag Archives: tapas

sevilla tapas in the washington post!

08 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in media, restaurants, sevilla, spain, tapas, tapas bars, tapas tours

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photo by Sylvie Bigar

The last time my friend Sylvie was in town we talked about her coming back to do an article about the evolution of tapas in Sevilla. For awhile it looked like it wasn’t going to happen, then suddenly it was all systems go and before long we were meeting at her hotel for what would become a fun and delicious three-day Tapeo Extremo.

As you can imagine, I was very excited to be a part of this project, but was sworn to secrecy about it until the article was published – which was yesterday! Aside from obviously being pleased at having my tapas tours mentioned in the Washington Post (!!), I was also very excited to see friends and colleagues that I admire getting some well-deserved international attention. You can read the article here…

In Seville, Spain, young chefs are creating the next generation of tapas

 

brand new wlt ott

23 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in sevilla, tapas bars, tapas tours, we love tapas

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One of the great pleasures of running my “little sister” food tour company We Love Tapas is that I can create and develop different tapas tours. One of my favourites is the Oldest Taverns Tour. The first version of this tour included 4 bars that were all over 100 years old, but then sadly one of the bar owners passed away. The next version included 4 bars 75 – 165 years old, but it didn’t feel quite right. So this week I met with Team WLT and introduced a revamped OTT tour, which now includes visiting 5 bars, all of them over 100 years old, all family run, all fabulous. The first one is tomorrow with the amazing Delia and I’m really excited to see how it goes.  🙂

andy & stella

21 Monday May 2018

Posted by in friends, gastronomy, tapas

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A few years ago I briefly met Andy Hayler @wyahaw at a Foodie Hub event in London. I had already been following him on Twitter because he is a very interesting guy, having eaten at EVERY 3 Michelin star restaurant in the world (as of 2016). The next challenge is to complete that same feat this year. Hence his visit to Andalucía to dine at Ángel León’s Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María.

Happily he and his wife Stella decided to also spend a few days in Sevilla and we got to meet up a couple of times. First for a spontaneous “tapas tour” and then for a lovely lunch at Cañabota. Both times we ate and drank very well, and it was just so fun spending time with kindred spirits. Hope to see them again, perhaps in London.

a surprise visit!

19 Saturday May 2018

Posted by in food & drink, friends, sevilla, sherry, tapas, tapas bars

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A delightful surprise visit from my friend José Pizarro @jose_pizarro yesterday. He is on a research trip around Andalucía and had one day (not enough!) in Sevilla. He asked me to take him and his team to a few traditional tapas bars “con solera” and I was more than happy to oblige. It was a fun and slightly crazy afternoon, and sadly I had to opt out of going to the Cathedral with them (after which they were heading to Jerez) because I had a tapas tour in the evening and needed to rest up a bit. Still, it’s always lovely to see my lovely friend.

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…

steve

19 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in food & drink, friends, instagram

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So there I was just minding my own business and wondering what to do after a long day of photo editing and writing (catching up on my websites!) when I got an email from a guy called Steve from Australia, who asked if I was free to do a “last minute” tour that evening. And you know what? I really wasn’t up for it, so I said I wasn’t available for a tour but, because my friend Phoebe put him in touch with me, I suggested meeting up for a late afternoon drink.

Steve had just come from judging wine with Phoebe at the IWC in London, and then took a trip to Jerez to visit a few sherry bodegas. He was on his way home with and this was his last night in Sevilla, so he was in a very sherry mood. We met at Palo Santo for a nice chilled manzanilla and a chat and then – somehow! – one thing led to another and we ended up on a Tapeo Extremo. Well, sort of. We only went to two bars – Eslava and La Azotea – but there was definitely extreme sherry involved. And as always, lots of fun talking with the bar staff at both places. An unexpected treat.

sally & rand

13 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in friends, internet, sevilla

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So remember the person who got in touch by email last week to tell me about the new vermouth bar Yo Soy Tu Padre? Well, we were able to meet up before they headed home. Meet Sally and Rand from Boston, shown here at YSTP (later we went for a penúlitima at La Azotea). I never know who is reading my stuff, so it’s always great when I get to meet someone who has enjoyed my websites. They plan to come back next spring and spend another month in Triana, so we will stay in touch and hopefully see each other again next year.

yo soy tu padre

09 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by in food & drink, sevilla, social media, spain, tapas, tapas bars, wine

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The other day someone got in touch with me by email. I didn’t know this person, but it turns out they come to Sevilla every spring and spend a month in Triana… and they often check my tapas bar info against their perceptions. Fair enough! This time they wanted to tell me about a new discovery of theirs, a new vermutería that just happens to be in my barrio. So of course I had to check it out.

It’s called Yo Soy Tu Padre (I Am Your Father) and the name stems from what Venezuela born owner Esteban’s grandfather always liked to say to his father, and also is in no small part a reflection of Esteban’s obsession with Star Wars. Below you can see a photo of Esteban’s grandfather, who also became the image for his logo. This is the third location and the newest. I am thrilled! Because not only does Esteban create all his vermouths from sherry wines, but they also do breakfast at this bar … with bagels! Did I mention it’s just down the street from my house? Will be breakfasting there soon, I think.

Meanwhile, how cool that someone I have never met went out of their way to put me in touch with this wonderful place. Thanks Sally!