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Tag Archives: tapas

175 years

30 Thursday Jan 2025

Posted by azahar in anniversary, friends, sevilla, spain, substack, tapas, tapas bars

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casa morales, sevilla, spain, substack, tapas, tapas bars

chef Óscar with Reyes

Today I spent the afternoon with my friend Reyes Morales. Nothing unusual there as some of my most pleasant afternoons are spent with Reyes. But this time was different in that I was there to interview her (!) for an upcoming Substack post on the 175th anniversary of Casa Morales. I mean, I already knew a lot about the bar and its history, and also a fair bit about Reyes, but I discovered there was so much more that I didn’t know. It was fascinating listening to her story as we sat at the bar with me scribbling notes while we enjoyed tapas and wine together. Hoping to get it published over the weekend. Stay tuned…

christmas 2024

25 Wednesday Dec 2024

Posted by azahar in christmas, sevilla, spain, tapas

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christmas, lunch, sevilla, tapas

christmas day 24

After a cosy evening in yesterday, today it was time for a long standing Christmas Day tradition of stopping in at a couple of my favourite old tapas bars for jamón and cava. Am still sniffling a little with my Christmas Cold (first one since 2019, after 4 negative covid tests I am assuming this is actually “just a cold”) but I really wanted to get out and move a bit. Got off to a late-ish start because I wanted to fit in a chair workout first, so by the time we got to Las Teresas it was jam packed. All tourists. So we popped around the corner to Casa Román and totally lucked out! There were a few large tables filled with Spanish families but “my” little table for two in front of the windows was free, so down we sat. And – bonus! – we had the option of having the window open.

It was lovely. I was so happy to be there after so long and everyone was so happy to see me again. Used to be I’d go there with my tapas tours a few times a week, and also stop in on “days off”. But since I had to stop working last summer I think I’ve only been once. Anyhow, realising it was going to be a “one stop” tapeo today, we settled in for a nice lunch. Afterwards it was a long slow hobble home, but worth it.

fish plates!

25 Wednesday Sep 2024

Posted by azahar in restaurants, sevilla, tapas bars

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bars, restaurants, sevilla, tapas

fish plates

After Monday’s GP visit we decided to stop for a quick Beer O’clock at Los Claveles, a very popular traditional bar that just happened to be half-way between the health centre and the bus stop home. After scoring a table in front of the large open windows we decided to stay for lunch, since it was actually lunchtime by then and I hadn’t updated their review on Sevilla Tapas since 2015 (!).

Anyhow, the tables were all set up with these pretty fish plates and when I asked our waiter where they came from he said he had bought them at a little shop in Marbella. Dang. But later on, after paying I went up to the bar and cheekily asked if I could buy a couple of the plates… then was totally surprised when the owner told his son “just give them to her!”. Score! I mean I was happy to pay for them, but it was a lovely gesture on their part.

This reminded me of many bar owners I know who “lose” their glasses, plates, cutlery on a daily basis because of assholes who want a “souvenir”. One bar I know lost two dozen monogrammed sherry glasses on one night when a bunch of drunken tourists decided to take them home and got away before the staff noticed. I also know a michelin starred place that had to change their fabulous cutlery because clients were making off with sets of them. Wtf guys… JUST ASK. Often the bar is happy to let you have the item(s) at cost price, and sometimes, yes, as a free souvenir. But just taking them… well, that’s stealing isn’t it. Show a bit of respect.

filming session

13 Thursday Jun 2024

Posted by azahar in food & drink, friends, gastronomy, sevilla, tapas, tapas bars, television

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sevilla, tapas, tapas bars, television, travel

filming

I was asked a while ago to help a television production company with an upcoming travel and gastronomy feature in Sevilla and I was happy to do so even though they later mentioned that they also wanted me to be in the programme too (!!!). And well… eep. I had set them up with the perfect bar and chefs for filming the cooking sessions, but later they also wanted to film a “tapeo”. Again, I organised this with two of my favourite bars and got their permission and when Jaime, one of the chefs, said he’d also be going along on the tapeo I thought “great! I’m off the hook!”. Except no. They still wanted me to come along and join the small group going out.

And well, it was fun and I was happy to help my friends get some nice exposure but I seriously hope any shots with me in it end up on the cutting room floor. Also, I didn’t make it to our final bar because everything was running late, my knee was killing me, and I had a lunchtime tapas tour in Triana the next day. So I bailed and hoped they would get some good stuff at the last place. Will let you know when it comes out, sometime early 2025 is the plan. Until then I can’t say much more about it.

friday night fun

17 Friday May 2024

Posted by azahar in sevilla, tapas, tapas bars

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sevilla, tapas, tapas bars

friday fun

I was just mentioning how I am almost never go out at night anymore and, when I do, it’s usually for a tapas tour. But today ran away with me and by the evening I was feeling restless and suddenly HAD to go out. But where? Then I remembered I’d had an instagram message from a local craft beer company who asked if I would please try their azahar-infused pale ale and, as I knew they had it at Casa Moreno, I thought why the heck not. Also I LOVE this bar so much. You may remember Emilio who is locally famous for his charming hand-written bills (he also made a special one for my 30th Sevilla anniversary). So we tried the beer (actually quite nice) had a couple of tapitas and, when we were back in the street Peter suggested stopping in at Bodeguita Romero around the corner.

My first response was that we’d never get in but when we arrived two people sitting at the bar in my favourite spot (in front of the open doors) suddenly paid up and left. Done! Then this happened. I was on my way to the loo and passed three ladies (all about my age I think) at the far end of the bar who I realised had also just been at Casa Moreno. And they recognised me too! So we got to chatting and they were a bit surprised at my local knowledge of tapas bars so I had to fess up about being Queen of Tapas and even gave them my card so they could have a look at my website. It was fun. Then of course they made mention of my ACCENT (what? after 30 years you sound like this? etc etc) but lately I’ve decided to stop feeling embarrassed when people make fun of my accent and so I informed them that it is actually quite cute, in fact it’s ADORABLE (which made them laugh). Honestly from now on I am OWNING my fucking accent. So there.

Anyhow… on their way out they passed by and said “guess where we’re going now!”. I said Casa Morales because these are the three best trad bars in the ‘hood, but no. So they said “ok, here’s a hint, we’re going for tortillitas de camarones” and I said BARBIANA! Well. They almost fell over. So not only do I have an adorable accent but I also KNOW ALL THE BARS. Anyhow, it was so fun, going to both bars, having a snack and a drink at each, just getting out. Honestly I need to do this more often.

 

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