Category: food & drink

Come y Comparte – Panrallao

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panrallao
This week I was invited to Panrallao for the third Come y Comparte (Eat & Share) blogger’s lunch, a new initiative organised by journalist Ángel Fernández (@angelfdezmillan) and Cristóbal Bermúdez (@tapeoporsevilla), which brings together not only food bloggers but foodies from other walks of life, such as journalists, architects, artists and photographers. My lunch companioins on Wednesday were foodblogger María (@losblogsdemaria), private chef Lochy (@cocinoparati), and eco-journo José María Montero (@monteromonti).

I’d been to Panrallao before and they are listed on Sevilla Tapas, so I had an idea of what to expect and was looking forward to it. This is a small neighbourhood bar in Nervión run by two friends, which opened in March 2011. Miguel Bauzano runs the bar and dining area and chef Luis Bonet takes care of the kitchen. The decor is fresh and light, tall tables with stools in pale blue, white and natural wood. Handy antique hooks run along walls hung with tiny pictures in rustic frames, and the large windows and glass doors let in a lot of natural light. There’s also a good – and free – wifi connection.

For our “tasting menu” lunch we were served five tapas and a dessert to share between two. First up was one of the house specialities that I’d missed on my first visit –  breaded and fried aubergines served with cheese sauce, which were crispy-fried to perfection. Then it was on to the steak tartare – a generous portion that came with little homemade toasts. I’m not able to give a reliable opinion on this one since I can’t stand raw meat, but my “sharing companion” José María assured me it was very good.  Next up was the braised octopus in oyster sauce with “rin-ran”, which I’d quite enjoyed on my first visit. This time round the sauce was overpowering (perhaps because there was so little octopus in the dish?). What was there was very tasty, but there needed to be either more pulpo or less sauce to balance it out. Moving on to the bulltail lasagna, which came piping hot in cute mini casseroles. This had to be the biggest disappointment of all the dishes served. My companion and I struggled to find any hint of bulltail, cheese or bechamel sauce, but it was simply and utterly flavourless. Happily this was followed by what for me was the star dish of our tasting menu. A lovely sous vide bacalao served with migas and morcilla. On its own the bacalao was pleasant enough but teaming it with the other two ingredients was inspired. Our meal was accompanied by Cerro Encinas, a light red wine from Córdoba. Dessert was a pair of hot freshly baked chocolate cookies served with a cup of hot white chocolate.

Overall it was a pleasant experience and I look forward to taking part in future Come y Comparte events (the “sharing” bit means I write a blog post about it and also do some tweeting during our lunch). The plan is to mix it up so that every four weeks or so I’ll get to join up with a different group of local foodies. I think it’s a great way of meeting like-minded people over a shared passion. Thanks again for the invite Ángel and Cristóbal.

Abacerías in Sevilla

azahar4 Comments

Updated March 2013

If you look in a Spanish-English dictionary for a translation of abacería you will probably be told that it is either abaceria (not helpful) or grocer’s, which is kind of true, but misses the difference between these little specialist “purveyors of fine foods” and a small general grocery store (usually called a tienda de ultramarinos), the main difference being that an abacería also has a tapas bar on the premises, where you can sample what’s on the shelves.

The word abacería is of Arabic origin (meaning something like “the place of supplies”), which is why this name is more common in Andalusia than in other parts of Spain, and they originally specialised in the basic ingredients for the local cuisine, especially oil, wine and vinegar, beans and other staples, and herbs and spices. Although these are still sold, delicatessen items like ham, chorizo and cheeses, and quality canned fish and vegetables, now seem to make up the largest part of their stock.

I love browsing around in these little culinary Aladdin’s caves, simply because I’m never quite sure what I’m going to find, or what unusual delicacy I might come away with. Many of them also have that feel of a bygone age, like shops you may remember from your childhood, although a new breed of modern, upmarket abacerías have appeared in a recent years. Here are six of my favourites, ranging from old-style neighbourhood establishments to upscale gourmet ones.

Tiny little “village store” at the front, with a small tapas bar at the back, mostly serving a variety of delectable meaty montaditos. If you didn’t know it was there, well, you wouldn’t know it was there. It’s old-fashioned in the best sense of the word, and may it long remain so.
Casa Moreno
Gamazo 7
(Arenal)


Looking a bit like a traditional English village pub, this is a very pleasant watering hole if you’re exploring the Triana side of the river.
La Antigua Abacería
Pureza 12
(Triana)


Tucked away in a residential neighbourhood, this is definitely a locals bar, with cosy little rooms and everybody on first name terms. Nice atmosphere and some very good food too.
La Antigua Abacería San de Lorenzo
Teodosio 53
(San Lorenzo)

abaceria jo
Looking older than its seven years, this abacería has a real neighbourhood feel to it with a nice selection of of traditional cheeses and cured meats, as well as some gourmet food items.
Abacería José Ortega
San Luís 89
(Macarena)


Recently renovated and re-opened by chef Ernesto Malasaña, this little “shop with a bar” remains faithful to the style of the 1931 original. Excellent selection of wines by the glass, charcuterie, and other cold tapas.
La Niña Bonita
Calatrava 5
(Alameda)


Buy your ham, wine and other gourmet foods from a great range of top quality brands, either to take away or eat on the spot. For the latter there’s a spacious terrace outside or tables inside. Wonderful wine selection at very reasonable prices.
Flores Jamones & Vinos
San Pablo 24
(Centro/Arenal)

Yunquera’s Gold

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As part of my weekend break in Ronda, I had the opportunity to visit a small olive farm in Yunquera, a village in the mountains between Ronda and Málaga, run by Kenton Smith and Ann Larson. The 35km ride from Ronda to Yunquera turned out to be on some narrow winding mountain roads that were a bit hard on the nerves, but we made it in one piece and were met near Yunquera’s Napoleonic “watchtower” by Kenton and his land rover – a vehicle that proved essential on the last leg of the journey up to the farm.

Ann and Kenton left their London IT jobs nine years ago to come and live the “slow life” in southern Spain (though I think they work harder than most city-dwellers I know), tending their steeply-sloping olive orchards and working on various other projects – they really have achieved an impressive amount. The house, almost a ruin when they bought it, now has a terrace over a pleasant patio, a modern kitchen, workshops, a small swimming pool and even a custom-made totem pole which looks down over the village. As it’s “off the grid” they have to generate their own electricity (wind and solar power, though they have a generator for emergencies) and their water comes from a private well. You can read more about their life and adventures on their blog.

After taking a short walk into the grove to see the olive trees, accompanied by two large, boisterous and very friendly boxer dogs, we sat out on the patio and were treated to a sampling of Ann and Kenton’s own olive oil – Yunquera Gold – along with freshly baked foccacia for dipping and locally produced jamón, washed down with some excellent home brewed beer. We were also given some olive oil to take home. But there were still more treats in store!

While the others were discussing battery packs and the possibility of engineering students installing a hydraulic ram pump, Ann took me upstair so show me her Lujos range of olive oil based skincare products, which she developed herself and makes to order. They all looked – and smelled – wonderful, and so I was delighted when she gave me a gift package including Lovely Hands (luxury hand cream), Absolutely Fab (intensive face cream) and Orange & Black (body cream). Now that I’ve had a chance to try them out I can say that they are all terrific but the body cream is particularly fine and smells delicious, like a sweet soothing custard.

All too soon it was time to leave, but I’m looking forward to seeing Ann and Kenton in Sevilla before too long. In the meantime it’s fun staying in touch on twitter and by email – sometimes a short visit is enough to know when you’ve met kindred spirits.


Lujos skincare products

Sevilla’s Gastrobar Glut

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About eight years ago when Sevilla tapas bars like Vineria San Telmo and Eslava started giving us their innovative takes on traditional tapas it was a refreshing change being able to find something a bit different and, in the case of the Vineria, a decent selection of wines by the glass at reasonable prices. At the time paying slightly more for a special dish felt well worth it and it was always a treat going back to see what else new they’d come up with.

Fast forward to 2012 and everywhere you look these days in Sevilla there are hip new “gastrobars”, trendy mini-burger joints and gourmet food & wine shops opening up almost weekly, all trying to out-coolio each other in an attempt to be noticed. Unfortunately the majority of these new places are not only more style than substance, but they are often either just copycat versions of each other, or pale imitations of better, more established gourmet-style tapas bars. Yet they act (and charge!) as if they are the next Ferran Adrià, just for whipping up a bit of foamed something-or-other. Snore.

Which brings me to my next question. How and when did the 5€ tapa become acceptable and, dare I say, almost the norm? It’s not that I’m against change – quite the contrary – but this hopping on the gourmet tapas bandwagon to make a quick buck is eroding the whole concept of tapas and how they came to be in the first place. If things keep going this way I’m afraid we’ll end up with a false new version of tapas that both locals and visitors will tire of very quickly. It will especially disillusion visitors who have so far not had any experience of Spain and Spanish food. Of course even the most expensive gastrobar here will still be cheaper than almost anywhere in London, but that’s not really saying much. And anyhow, who wants to come to Sevilla and eat tapas that have been created to taste like, well, a poor relation of international haute cuisine, in bars with lamps made out of coathangers and where your cutlery is brought to you in Hello Kitty pencil cases? And worse yet, with staff who often don’t know a damn thing about the food or wine and have presumably been hired for their cool or cute factor.

Happily there are still plenty of fabulous “de siempre” places that continue to do very well by doing what they do best, which is serving up top notch traditional tapas in charming surroundings with staff who know absolutely everything about the food and wine – and who also know how to smile! And I especially appreciate newly-opened places that offer new and delicious takes on Spanish cuisine without adding Gastrobar Prices, do not charge for bread (wtf? factor it in guys) and don’t have the heinous 1-2€ per person “cover charge” (for what??).

If you want to sample the best of gourmet tapas and don’t mind paying gourmet prices then try La Azotea or Albarama. I especially love the personal attention you get at La Azotea and the price/value ratio is right on par. In both of these places every penny spent is well worth it.

If you want to try a new up-and-comer then you will love La Brunilda. Amazing value for excellent tapas. Lovely twists on the traditional in a gorgeous setting and with very personal and friendly service.

Or you can re-visit those “granddaddies” of the whole new tapas scene here in Sevilla – Vineria San Telmo and Eslava. Both have quite different styles, and both work so well. You will eat and drink to your heart’s content without breaking the budget and will taste some very unexpected delights.

For me personally the most important thing about a great tapas experience is that I feel welcome, that the staff are well-informed and pleasant, and that the food is fabulous. But the most important thing of all is that the place has a heart. I return again and again to the places that I know are well-loved by their owners, where you can feel their personality and their affection, where you know that they honestly care about what they do and about their customers. That’s not something you can fake.