A Tapas Dinner

Roast chicken

If you are a foodie like me, like many other places, Spain has a lot to offer too. Moreover, you will find food buffs like myself, leisurely enjoying their food and drinks on a week day evening on the streets of Seville or Madrid.

I mostly stuck to the items on the tapas menu during my stay in Spain. Tapas are small-sized portions (what some people would call snacks or appetizers), but can make a filling meal if you combine a few of them. Several restaurants that I went to specialized in tapas. One of my favorites was an old market called Mercado de San Miguel, located near Plaza Mayor, that had a variety of tapas joints serving an eclectic mix of hot and cold tapas to patrons who stood and ate, while reading a book or hanging out with friends.

Unlike my experience of the Spanish tapas bars in D.C. that are generally over-priced and serve really tiny portions, Spain had much more to offer – in terms of taste as well as worth for your money. 

Not being a big fan of cold food, I mostly had hot tapas on the menu – fried calamari, roasted chicken, paella, garlic shrimp, and a Spanish omelette.  Every thing I tried was delicious.

Seafood Paella

On Day 1, I had roasted chicken - mildly flavored with salt, pepper, garlic and other herbs for lunch. It was cooked just enough to make it moist, and served with potato wedges on the side. If you are a beer person, you could enjoy a glass a beer with your meal on a warm summery afternoon.  



On several occasions, I tried the seafood paella that I will fondly remember– rice cooked with calamari, mussels and shrimp. I had this with sangria (a Spanish fruit cocktail) – that was not overly sweet and went perfectly well with the mild spices.

On Day 3, while watching a flamenco performance, I tried the Spanish omelette – served as a tapas but could easily substitute for a meal that was perfect with  a glass of sangria.  This omelette is prepared from pretty basic ingredients you would generally find in any kitchen - eggs, cheese, potatoes, salt, pepper and other herbs if you would like.



Garlic Shrimp

On the last day of the trip, I had mildly flavored garlic shrimp cooked in olive oil, served in a pan along with some bread and crackers on the side. 

I combined this with a sweet crepe. Filled with Nutella, the crepe was served with whip cream on the side. Not being a big fan of whip cream, I preferred having the crepe by itself. 

All in all, this was a perfect trip when it came to food! I would go here again, just to eat!!