I was very excited to explore the regional food in Spain. One of the most common Spanish customs, was the hanging ham legs in every restaurant and bar. If you ordered some jamón and cheese, the waiter would go back and slice off some pieces from the leg. Another eating custom is tapas, which even has it's own verb, 'Tapear'. Tapas are small plates of food served with vino (wine) or cerveza in bars. Surprising to me, there are so many different regional varieties of tapas. One can also order raciones, which are somewhat larger versions of the tapas and are meant to be shared by a group. Eating in Madrid seemed to be a very social enterprise. Food isn't about individual courses, but about sharing plates. We also found that people tend to eat very late in Madrid. Lunch starts around 2:00pm and dinner around 9:00pm (at least on the weekends). And getting on the Spanish eating schedule is crucial to getting a good meal. We found out the best places to go, were always the ones with the long queues out the door. Our favorite dishes were the croquetes de jamón, (which we ate in nearly every bar). Also tastey were the bocadillos (small sandwiches of cheese & jamón or seafood), and the egg tortillas. We also tried some new dishes like foie gras (goose liver pate), and pulpo (sautéd octopus). We explored the areas around Plaza de Santa Ana, Chueca, and along the calle Cava Baja.
EATING IN MADRID
• Orixe -We loved this place which served traditional tapas of cheese and meats on bread, that was heated up in a toaster oven when you ordered at the bar. C\ Cava Baja 17, 28005 Madrid
• Baco y Beto -Delicious dinner of salad with strawberries & grapes, and a series of tapas and pulpo (octopus). Small hole in the wall, but with really good food. c\ Pelayo, 24 - Chueca -28004 Madrid
EATING IN SEVILLE
• Enrique Becerra (Arenal neighborhood, c/Gamazo, 2). This well known restaurant also serves excellent tapas in its downstairs bar. Amazing tapas! We loved this place and ate there twice.
• Cerveceria Internacional (c/Gamazo, 1) Great place to sample a selection of beers from all over Europe.
• El Rinconcillo (Calle Gerona, 42). This is Seville's oldest bar (founded in 1670). An atmospheric locale offering a limited but good selection of tapas.
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