Tapas - The Hungry Nomad

Tapas at Casa Labra (Madrid, Spain)

April 1, 2014 No Comments

Our tapas adventures continued on the next evening starting off with the famous fried cod at Casa Labra. I had read about this place in travel guides but came about it quite randomly while taking a wrong turn off of Plaja del Sol. Cod and cod croquettes are the specialty served in a room that has remained almost untouched since the 19^th century. The crowds and the smell of fried cod made it hard to resist. We walked in and ordered from the friendly man at the counter. Beer and delicious hot pieces of fish were served to us at the standing bar.

Casa Labra is located at: Calle Tetuan 12, close to El Corte Ingles Store located in Sol

Madrid, Spain, Tapas, Travel

Tapas at Casa Lucas (Madrid, Spain)

March 30, 2014 No Comments

The hip neighborhood of La Latina is covered with bars, restaurants and tapas bars. One tourist friendly tapas bar that should not be missed is Casa Lucas. A cozy, sleek tavern offering a range of wine and innovative yet traditional tapas. On our quick stop we ordered in broken Spanglish the fried calamaris, served whole and chopped up bar-side and generously covered in black squid ink. Fresh, tasty and delicious.

Casa Lucas is located at: Cava Baja, 30 28005 Madrid, Spain, +34 913 65 08 04

Barcelona, Spain, Spanish, Tapas, Travel

Tapas at Quimet y Quimet in Barcelona (Spain)

November 5, 2013 No Comments

Barcelona is filled with tapas bars, wine bars and restaurants making it extremely hard for those of us incapable of making decisions when provided with too many choices. After a long day of exploring the magnificent works of Gaudi it was quite tempting to stop at one of the many places along our walk. But I needed to check out one of the most famous yet hidden tapas gems in Barcelona, Quimet y Quimet.

And so we walked through many neighborhoods, across the red light district, into the North African district with halal shops and finally made it to Quimet y Quimet in the El Poble Sec only to find that it was closed. Shocked and horrified as only the Hungry Nomad can be when placed in a state of extreme hunger, I was not sure what to do. The restaurant would open in an hour and we had come too far to turn back. And so we waited…waited…and waited until the tiny little bar finally opened its doors.

Once open the place was packed within 10 minutes. Super models, tourists and locals all swarmed the place and yelled orders to the man and wife duo at the bar. We were one of the first ones there so we had bar side spots making it quite easy to point and order in a shop where Catalan language is strictly abided by.

We drank and looked around to get inspiration on what to order. A lot of finger pointing was done but the gentle man at the bar understood each and every order and spewed out open faced tapas that looked too good to eat. A piece of art waiting to be devoured. The smoked salmon with Greek yogurt and truffled honey, which brought together the milky fresh yogurt, the smoky salmon and sweet honey making it a contrast between savory and sweet and the Montado de pate with onion marmalade and balsamic drizzle are only a few of the innovative plates we tried that night. If you happen to make it to this tiny little gem your best bet is to point to the flavors you want and let the owners surprise you. You will not be disappointed.

Quimet y Quimet is locatd at: Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes 25, +34 93 442 3142. Open Mon-Fri noon-4pm, 7pm-10.30pm, Sat noon-4pm, closed August

Food, Madrid, Paellas, Spain, Spanish, Tapas, Travel

A Foodie’s Guide to Tapas in Madrid (Spain)

October 10, 2013 No Comments

Day 1:

Madrid can be summed up in one word: energetic. As soon as we left our luggage at our hotel we were off to discover what was in store. Of course, we were more interested in food than anything else and after inquiring were told to walk to La Latina- a neighborhood in Madrid known for its wine, innovative tapas bars and night life. Also in the same area are many famous restaurants offering traditional Madrid fare. On our way to La Latina we made a few pit stops to fill our empty stomachs and just because we couldnt resist all the seducing window displays of cured legs of ham. It was hard to focus and get to our destination without caving in and walking in to one of the many jamonerias and tapas bars.

We worked backwards. Our first stop was dessert. It looked so good it was hard to resist this pastry shop on an empty stomach. This dessert shop has been around for centuries and is located in the west end of Plaja del Sol. Two orange balls covered in sugar and a Napolitanas de Chocolate were quickly inhaled and we were off to our next destination.

Next while criss-crossinng through the streets while attempting to find our way to La Latina we arrived at Plaja del Mayor. A large pedestrian square, lined with restaurants and is surrounded by three-story residential buildings having 237 breathtaking balconies facing the Plaza. Sounds of foreign men selling annoying whistles and flying glows also covered the square (we were soon to realize that at each tourist filled square in each town and city in Europe we would again run into these men).

The square was so beautiful that we had to stop again. “But we haven’t reached La Latina” I complained to the Count. “Have you seen the inside of this place?” he said. The place he was referring to was the Museo de Jamon, translated to the “Ham Museum”. Seriously? A museum dedicated to ham? The place was covered with cured meats on walls and ceilings, slot machines and men carving legs of ham under bright lights. A large crowd of tourists and locals filled the restaurant and filled every empty seat available on the outside facing the Plaza. It was intoxicating. This was our first exposure to the ham obsessed Spaniard culture, one that both of us adapted to with ease and passion. And one that while I write this I wish was a daily part of my life.

We were seated facing the Plaja del Mayor and ordered a plate of jamon and a basket of bread served with two cervesaz. It was the perfect introduction to our Spanish adventure. But I was a woman on a mission: destination La Latina for some world famous tapas!

We passed through one of the many arches of the square and walked a few more minutes down to Cuchilleros, crossed Segovia and continue on to Cava Baja, the main street famous for its tapas. We first walked in to a jamon shop. The Count who at this point was only familiar with the Italian term ‘prosciutto’ was in Jamon-heaven. He even approached a salesman to ask whether he could ship a whole leg to America, sadly he was refused. “Lo Siento” said the Jamon man. That was the first Spanish phrase the Count leaned on our trip.

I was a kid in a candy store. Well, more like a carnivore in a butcher shop. But you get the gist. A foodie’s paradise (and not your vegan or veggie foodie, but your meat-loving one). So many great places to choose from. But that was the thing. We had to choose one. Based on recommendations we walked into Casa Lucas, a cozy, sleek tavern offering a range of wine and innovative yet traditional tapas. Here we got the fried calamaris, brought to us served whole and chopped up bar-side and mixed with the black squid ink. One word: amazing.

Casa Lucas is located at: Cava Baja, 30 28005 Madrid, Spain, +34 913 65 08 04

After our calamari dish and wine we walked down a bit further and had more Spanish wine. I was floating on cloud 9, so happy and so in love with Madrid. We were the only foreigners in a sea of spaniards which made ordering somewhat of a challenge but I’ve found pointing to objects and using hand signals really work in these dire circumstances.

We spent the evening in La Latina, walking back late at night to our hotel located by Plaja del Sol. Except, it didn’t feel so late. Crowds of people roamed the streets and the squares were filled with performers (and those undesirable salesmen mentioned above).

Day 2:

Our tapas adventures continued on the next evening starting off with the famous fried cod at Casa Labra. I had read about this place in travel guides but came about it quite randomly while taking a wrong turn off of Plaja del Sol. Cod an cod croquettes are the specialty served in a room that has remained almost untouched since the 19^th century. The crowds and the smell of fried cod made it hard to resist. We walked in and ordered from the friendly man at the counter. Beer and delicious, hot pieces of fish were served to us at the standing bar.

Casa Labra is located at: Calle Tetuan 12, close to El Corte Ingles Store located in Sol

The night then turned into a sea of tapas when we made our way to Mercado de San Miguel. Crowds of hungry and thirsty people stormed the various tapas bars lining the glass walls of this foodie market. I felt right at home and ordered one dish from each and every merchant, making this foodie experience deserving of a post of its own.

Mercado de San Miguel is located at: Plaza de San Miguel, (+34) 915 42 49 36

Philadelphia, Tapas

Tapas at Iron Chef Jose Garces’ Tinto- Rittenhouse (Philadelphia, USA)

February 7, 2013 3 Comments

Tinto is another one of local Iron Chef Jose Garces restaurants. I was a fan of Amada and am slowly making my way through his other restaurants in Philadelphia (Distrito, Tinto, G Domestic, Garces Trading Group, Village Whiskey and Chifa). Tinto is located in the Rittenhouse neighborhood and seems to be quite the trendy spot. It was packed with stylish young clads on Saturday night. Now I know where they have all been hiding. It was nice to finally see some life in the city which we have failed to find in these cold winter months. We were a group of 5 and the wait was 2.5 hours however, we were quickly accommodated by the matire’d who within minutes had us seated. Now that’s what I call service.

Tinto offers tapas style food which the Count and I love. Given that there were five of us we ordered a wide variety of dishes to share (see menu). Within minutes we were served with a complimentary crispy cheese bread plate and aioli sauce. It was devoured within seconds.

The night then started off with a single serving of the Short Rib Sandwich ($10). It was served with bacon, asparagus and celery root aioli. Since only one was ordered it was a hard plat to share. Although, as the food blogger in the group I did have a bite and found it to be a delicious and hearty short rib sandwich. I guess we should have ordered more.

It started off with the Sopa de Castano ($12). A truffled chestnut soup served with a duck and mushroom hash, fried quail egg yolk and pistachio.

The deconstructed soup was presented in a large bowl with the hash and egg yolk in the center. The broth was poured table side. The complexity of flavors in the soup was great and was a perfect balance.

Next came the Arugula salad served with Serrano ham, mission fig, fried goat cheese balls, spiced almonds and orange vinaigrette.

Next came the Pulpo ($12). An octopus salad served in a spicy tomato sauce with smoked green olive oil aioli and baked chips. The octopus was really tender and delicious when mixed with the tomato base. The chips added that crunchy texture that made the plate perfect.

The Tuna Tartare ($10) was served on a mini croissant with pickled guindilla and chorizo aioli. I loved it as I love anything tuna based. However, some in our party found the croissant to be drowned in mayonnaise sauce.

Next was a serving of jumbo lump crab, served on toast with fresh avocado and espelette chile ($9). I loved the generous amounts of crab meat mixed with the avocado. Served on toast it was the perfect combination.

The Moules Basquaise was my favorite of the night. A serving of mussels in a tomato and chorizo broth served with a side of delicious fries dipped in lemon aioli ($13). What a creative dish. I loved that the fries were pre-dipped in mayonnaise. The Count hates fries which left me with more fries. The mussels were tasty and the broth was savory and delicious.

The Kobe Beef was served like the crab- on pieces of toast with avocado, pisto bilbaina and romesco. The beef was very tender and went perfectly with the avocado.

Next came the dish I was most looking forward to but liked the least upon taste. Others at our table loved it. So it goes to show that its all about your personal palette. It was a brochette of lamb and chunks of eggplant wrapped in bacon served in a sherry jus shot glass ($14). I found it to be overly salty and the eggplants undercooked. There is nothing less appealing than undercooked eggplants. The bacon really added too much salt to the dish so I unwrapped it and tried it without the bacon. It still did not do it for me.

We also ordered the Bomba Rice in order to add some starchy carbs to our meal. It was a rice dish consisting of white asparagus, maitake mushroom and manchego cheese ($12). Although different in name it tasted very much like an italian mushroom risotto. And lets face it who isn’t a fan of risotto? Creamy rice and mushrooms always do the trick in my books.

A few at the table were still not full from the shared plates above and decide to order more. We decided on the meatballs and paella. The Albondigas (or spiced meatballs) was so beautifully presented. Each meatball was served with a toothpick in a spicy tomato sauce and a poached egg in the middle.

Besides the spicy and tasty flavors of the meatball the tomato sauce and egg could have been served as a separate dish on its own. It was that good! The Gutxuxa paella came out last. For $18 I expected a entree size dish and was surprised at the small portion of the dish. However, in a setting where everyone is sharing I guess it makes sense to serve in a mini paella dish (which was adorable).

The basque style paella was served with shredded rabbit meat, shrimp and chorizo. So far in life, I have refused to eat rabbit after having a terrifying experience in France (don’t worry I won’t share the agony). However, on this night being accompanied by a Belgian whose parents farmed rabbits I was convinced that it was no less humane to eat rabbits than any other meat (given their reproductive rate). So I dug in to eat a bite of our little soft and furry friends. And guess what? It tasted like chicken. Except it had less flavor. Was I a fan? Not really. Will I go out of my way to eat rabbit? Probably not.

Rabbit aside- the paella was just okay. I prefered many of the other dishes we had over the paella and for the price I would have rather gotten two more tapas. Note to self for next time. For dessert we shared a Chestnut Cream and Chocolate cake served with a scoop of coffee flavored ice cream. Who knew chestnut would make such a great dessert ingredient? The cake was delicious.

Philadelphia, USA

Jamonera- Washington Square West (Philadelphia, USA)

July 30, 2012 No Comments

We ended up at Jamonera quite randomly one evening while walking the streets of Philadelphia trying to get ourselves acquainted with the city. We stumbled upon 13th street which seemed like the place to be on a Monday night since all the restaurants were packed. Since then I have learned more about chef Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran and their 13th street empire. They practically own the entire block with Jamonera being one of several of their restaurants (which I have yet to try).

Jamonera is a wine bar specializing in Spanish tapas. We walked in to a very dimly lit restaurant with red reflector lights displaying the wine bar and art work on the walls. We were immediately seated and served a small plate of gourmet olives. We started our dinner with the Crispy Cana de Cabra: fried goat cheese served with salad, picked cherries in a sherry vinaigrette.The goat cheese was creamy and crispy on the outside and combined well with the cherries and tangy flavors of the salad.

The Papa Frita was next: a plate of crispy skin potatoes, wood smoked garlic aioli, brava salt and house made sherry vinegar-hot sauce. I found that the potato skins were not crispy but chewy. I don’t like eating potato skins if its not completely crispy. Besides that, the pieces that didn’t have the skin were good: crispy on the outside and well cooked on the inside. It was not an extraordinary dish and like many I’ve had at other tapas restaurants around the world. Perhaps, a bit too oily.

Next was the Berenjenas: crispy eggplant served on top of a smoked tomato salmorejo and truffle honey layered with Parmesan. This was my favorite dish. I have never had eggplant served this way and thought it was a wonderful creation. I will definitely attempt to make this at home. The eggplant was crispy with the creaminess on the inside. The sauce went perfectly with the eggplant.

By this point we were both full. The portions were much larger than we expected. Given the price I assumed the dishes would be a lot smaller so we had ordered more dishes than our stomachs could take in. Next was the Calamarest en su tinta: crispy calamari which was fried in its own black ink, served with lemon aioli and garlic chips. The Count is not a big fan of tentacles but I can’t get enough. I think I finished this plate on my own. The Calamari was fresh and melted in my mouth, not at all chewy like I’ve had at other spots. I didn’t really taste the ink and think it is added more for it’s visual effect. It could have used more flavor as the calamari was a bit on the flavorless side and there was not enough lemon or dipping sauce to add the proper flavours.

The next dish was a definite first: roasted Spanish peppers. It seemed to be quite a simple dish: peppers sauteed in olive oil sprinkled with salt and viola: a new favorite. I did find that it was a bit too oily but it was too good to care.

We were so full but still had more food coming! Our last plate was the wild mushroom tosta: seared mushrooms, dry oloroso, cadi urgelia cheese, grilled ramps drizzled with truffle oil served on toast. The mushrooms were very strong and drowned out the other flavors. But overall it was a bit too oily for my taste buds.

Stuffed at this point, the waiter came over with the dessert menu. The Count and I looked at each other and knew there was physically no more room for dessert. Maybe next time we will know better than to order half the menu! I enjoyed our meal at Jamonera. Overall, the dishes were delicious but a bit on the greasy side. Don’t expect to have anything healthy if you are going here as many of the items have some fried element. It’s a great place to dine for a small group as the restaurant is quite small and the tables are literally one right next to the other. If you don’t like intimate settings where you can feel your neighbour breathing then ask for outdoor seating.

New Orleans, USA, Wine Bar

Delachaise (New Orleans, USA)

April 30, 2012 No Comments

Delachaise is a lovely little wine bar tucked away on Saint Charles street close to Touro hospital and my favorite sandwich shop, Milk Bar. We usually go here for drinks and appetizers (more specifically, the Lambic framboise beer and goose fat fries for me). On this particular day I was craving steak (poor attempt at vegetarianism preceded my cravings). It was a bit early- many restaurants were still not open for dinner and as we drove by Delachaise I checked the menu online to see if they offered your typical french Steak/Frites dish. Once we discovered that they did we quickly made our way over.

Delachaise is a really lovely place and many of their dishes are delicious. The place is usually packed in the evenings- offering a cozy patio overlooking Saint Charles Avenue and the passing streetcars.

I have never had a bad experience at Delachaise; however, I’ve never had a meal and stuck to the fries and other small appetizers. Craving steak I predictably ordered the Steak/Frites while the Count ordered the special for the day- a Peruvian stir fry served on basmati rice.Once the food arrived I was delighted to see the beautiful presentation and the resemblance of a typical steak/frites dish I frequently had in France. However, as soon as I dug my knife in the meat I was quickly disappointed. The meat consisted of 80% fat. I left the entire thing untouched..and the count had to dissect it to find some small pieces of meat. The worst part…it was not cheap. I was expecting a good quality meat given what they were charging which added to my disappointment. On the bright side, the fries were delicious- as they always are.

On the other hand, the Peruvian steak stir fry was an amazing blend of flavors and sauces.

I don’t usually post these sort of photos as shown below but I wanted to show what remained at the end of our meal: Below: steak dissection…

…and to be fair, our Peruvian stir fry was polished clean.

Since I love this place, my bad steak experience will not stop me from going since everything else is amazing, I guess all I can recommend is: stick to the what they know best: appetizers and amazing wine.

Gourmand, New Orleans, Tapas, USA

Salú (New Orleans, USA)

April 12, 2012 No Comments

Salu is located on Magazine street and offers hot and cold Spanish and Mediterranean tapas (although they also had some Indian dishes). It is a pretty large restaurant offering both indoor and outdoor seating. The interior dining area is decorated with eclectic art pieces and a hand-painted circular skylight designed by local artist E. Lee Jahncke. There is also a large colorful bar offering a wide range of wines.

This place has been around for over a year now; however, I’ve always passed it by without considering it. What a mistake! Everything from the decor, ambiance, service and food was great. The food….

…ahhh the food was delicious. Although I wouldn’t exactly describe all the dishes as tapas since some came in large portions. We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, Patatas Bravas, Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Empanadas and Grilled Lamb Lollipops.

As soon as we finished ordering we were served with warm white bread and a plate of olive oil and herbs. Each plate came out as prepared. We went on a Thursday which also happened to be Paella night. The Grilled lamp lollipops was served on top of roasted red pepper fava bean hummus and crumbled goat cheese with two pieces of flat bread.

The wild mushroom and goat cheese empanadas was amazing. I could go back just for those. It was served in a delicious sauce with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

The patatas bravas (roasted potatoes served in tomato sauce) was perfect. Usually the skin is not crispy however this one was crispy yet absorbed in delicious sauce. And on to my favorite dish of the night, the Chicken tikka masala. The masala was a perfect blend of spices and flavors, served over top saffron rice and flat bread. It was delicious and the portion was huge considering it was meant to be a tapas…but I’m not one to complain about larger portions.

Gourmand, New Orleans, Spanish

Spanish food at Cafe Granada (New Orleans, USA)

February 15, 2012 No Comments

Cafe Grenada serves authentic Spanish tapas in the heart of New Orleans. You all know by now that I love tapas style cuisine since it allows me to taste as many possible flavors in one go. This restaurant is located on South Carrollton in one of my favorite neighbourhoods. Besides the amazing food, sangria, service and ambiance you also get to sit outside under the oak trees and watch the street cars go by and absorb some of that New Orleans charm. This restaurant is in my top 3 choices of places to dine in New Orleans. The food is always fresh and delicious and I just love the atmosphere. Once a month they also have flamenco nights where you can watch Spanish flamenco dancing while you dine. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Gourmand, New Orleans, Spanish

Authentic Spanish Food at Lola’s (New Orleans, USA)

January 19, 2012 1 Comment

If you ever crave Paella and other authentic Spanish delicacies, then I highly suggest you check out this small and quaint restaurant in Bayou St. John. Living by City Park made Lola’s one of our favorite spots to visit for a nice meal.

On our last visit we started off with the usual: a bottle of their red wine sangria with mixed fresh fruits and a loaf of their freshly baked warm bread served with the most amazing garlic butter on earth.

Next, an assortment of their tapas: calamari salad, oysters, garlic mushrooms and crab meat salad. The Crab meat is tossed with their homemade alioli sauce served over avocado on a bed of lettuce. Yum! And for the main dish the obvious choice is always the seafood paella which is really delicious and tastes just as good if not better than some paella dishes I tasted while travelling in Barcelona a few years back (of course the setting and views are not comparable). To finish off, we never leave without sharing a piece of their flour less dark chocolate cake which is to die for and leaves us usually fighting for the last piece. (see menu)