Dining in Andalucia- part 1

Eating out in Andalucia is an opportunity to both experience the region's cultural history and diversity through food, and to also partake in what seems to be cherished part of Spanish life- sharing a meal.  At cafés on any given day, you will see large tables of multigenerational families and friends amassed around drinks or meals or chocolate and churros, where they may relax together for hours.  There is no rush to move on, no destination in mind, everyone is simply together-- well, until the children run into the plaza to play a game.  This is a mode of life that is always a little puzzling to Americans, who too often consider food a momentary distraction, but with experience we can truly learn a simple value for living well.

There are many choices for what to eat, when to eat, and where.  I'll divide these topics into several posts, starting with the first decision a visitor has to make when they get hungry, where to go.  A quick piece of advice: if you read that the #1 rated restaurant on Trip Advisor is "not a tourist trap!" remind yourself of two things: you are reading a review on Trip Advisor, in English, which might indicate this restaurant isn't exactly a locals-only hide away.  Also, you are a tourist, and it's not always bad to eat at places that know how to cater to your needs, like a menu in English.

Where to Go
Ah, so many places to choose from! Here are a few of your options:

Cafetería- these aren't the lunch rooms of your school house, but more as the name implies, places to get a cup of coffee and perhaps something to eat.  Nothing fancy, these places mostly offer the Spanish tortilla (not like a Mexican tortilla, this is more like an omlette of potatoes and eggs), sandwiches, pastries, and other simple fare.  Most coffee is actually espresso served con leche (with milk), unless you ask for it solo, which means you want just a shot.

Churrería or Chocolatería- cafés specializing in an amazing invention, the cup of rich dark chocolate and stack of hot golden churros. Ordering is easy, just ask for "un chocolate con churros" and they'll bring it right out.  The chocolate is brought in a mug like you  might expect a cup of coffee to be served in, but this isn't your typical watery hot chocolate.  This is rich and intense chocolate, not very sweet, which you can scoop up with the little spoon or dip your churro into for a beautiful combination of fried dough and melted chocolate.  The Spanish pick their churros up with a napkin wrapped around the end as a handle for dipping.  Usually an evening snack, but also available for breakfast if you need a morning cocoa fix.  There's more on the menu, but I've only seen bewildered tourist order their dinner at a Churrería.

Taberna- now we're moving in the direction of real dining, but it depends on the place.  This is still primarily a bar, that may offer some worthwhile tapas or lunch and dinner menus. 

Bodega- A wine bar that usually serves some more elegant options for eating. Not the same as a bodega in the U.S., which is more commonly the term for a neighborhood store. Remember that most places like this will offer you the same dish as a tapas or ración, the latter being a larger portion for meal or sharing with several people, the tapas being a snack size taste. Wine in Spain is not marked up terribly when drinking by the glass, you can expect to pay just two or three euros for a decent pour.  More on wine options in another posting.

Restaurante- Now we might be in a more formal dining range, where lunch and (especially in tourist areas) dinner will be more elaborate and hopefully tasty.  Of course, keep in mind that McDonalds is a Restaurante, so this is a pretty broad category.  Look for that Menu del Día before you sit to see what your best options are.



It's not fancy, but the fishing boats behind it tell you it's fresh!

  Chiringuito- Finally, your most interesting option in the beach communities, especially Marbella where these more casual restaurants will be cooking up skewers or "spits" as it's usually translated of fire-barbequed fish.  Before nightfall, they load up piles of wood on large  grills raised up on the sand (some inside repurposed fishing boats).  When the wood gets white hot, it's ready for cooking long skewers of anchovies, skate, bream, and other fish, many local. Not only is it delicious, it's perhaps the best atmosphere around, sitting on the sand under the stars with the waves lapping nearby. Our favorite meal in Spain so far was at one of these simple and casual places.

So that's basically what the names mean, but quality and offerings vary greatly depending on the actual place.  What about you, any particular favorites?

Next time, on to the good stuff- what to order!