Tapas Crawl

SU Madrid organized a tapas crawl on tonight, and out of a program of 107 students, only 8 decided to go!

Tapas is the name of a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid). In select bars in Spain, tapas has evolved into an entire, and sometimes sophisticated, cuisine. In Spain, patrons of tapas can order many different tapas and combine them to make a full meal. The serving of tapas is designed to encourage conversation because people are not so focused upon eating an entire meal that is set before them. In Spain, dinner is usually served between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. (sometimes as late as 12 midnight), leaving significant time between work and dinner. Therefore, Spaniards often go "bar hopping" and eat tapas in the time between finishing work and having dinner. In Madrid, when you go to a bar and order a drink, you will often get a tapa for free.

We traversed around Sol and Plaza de Santa Ana, a 3 to 4 block area. From 8pm to 12:15am we were eating, drinking, talking en español, bar-hopping, and getting to know the 4 Spanish students who were taking us around. Let’s just say, speaking in Spanish is a lot easier in a “relaxed” environment. The Spanish sure know how to have a good time on any night of the week.

1st Stop: La Venecia for cecina, queso curado, and vino de jerez (the driest sherry in Spain, which also means, muy muy fuerte (STRONG!)—and also paid for by the director of the program who came with us to the first 2 places. Gracias!

2nd Stop: Museo del Jamón for jamón (ham) .. (what a surprise!), bread, lomo, and cañas. Cured ham, or jamón Serrano has definitely grown on me. It doesn’t look appetizing in the slightest when it’s hanging from the ceiling, but when in Madrid, you have to try it!

3rd Stop: La Casa del Abuelo for gambas al ajillo (shrimp in olive oil and garlic) and un chato de vino. The favorite of the night! The shrimp comes out sizzling hot in these clay dishes, and we dug in right away.

4th Stop: Casa Farracas for sangria and paella (but they wouldn’t include the tapa with the drink, so the Spanish students said they’re taking this place off the route for next time.)

5th Stop: Las Bravas for patatas bravas, tortilla brava, and sangria. The potatos were delicious! Brava refers to this orange spicy creamy sauce, which is divine with the crisp potatos. I must find this in America.

6th Stop: El Tronco for oreja a la plancha (fried pig’s ear, which tastes and looks just like bacon and so good), patatas ali-oli (their take on potato salad—potatoes with mayo and garlic), bread, and this fabulous drink of beer and lemon juice (tastes like lemonade, but with a kick!)

We were supposed to go to one more place called Cervecería Alemana for croquetas and calamares (fried calamari, and another favorite of mine), but we ran out of time and our stomachs ran out of room. I’d definitely do this again, and looking at this list, I’ll be sure to come extra hungry.