Category: gastronomy

Blogosur Award

azahar

1-TDS award
Best individual Twitter account about Gastronomy in Sevilla

So this is it… my first ever award! I tell you, nobody was more surprised than me when I found out I had been nominated for this (by whom??). And then I won! Well, that really blew me away. This is so meaningful to me for many reasons, not least of which is that I was the only non-Spanish person to win (and possibly to be nominated). As most of you know, my Sevilla Tapas blog (which is now more of a listing or guide than a blog) began by accident about six years ago. Then I started with the @SevillaTapas Twitter account in 2009 and since then what began as a hobby eventually evolved into me doing the Sevilla Tapas Tours, and of course, becoming the Queen of Tapas. 😉 But seriously, being recognised like this by my adopted city and True Home in this world really means a lot to me. I am thrilled to pieces.

This year the 3rd @Blogosur Gala (#3GalaBlogosur) took place at the splendiferously elegant Lope de Vega Theatre. Journalists, designers, entrepreneurs, politicians, and of course bloggers and social network enthusiasts, gathered there on Monday for the event. I wasn’t able to attend because – natch! – I had a tapas tour booked that evening. And so my friend @SarayPineda who works for the Sevilla Tourism Board @CiudadSevilla and specialises in promoting gastronomy as a tourist attraction, very kindly agreed to go to the gala in my place. Which really was a blessing because although I was so happy to be nominated and would have loved to be at the Gala, I probably would have had a nervous breakdown having to go up on stage and look out over a full theatre of people looking back at me. Eep! Much better to have a poised and articulate person up there representing me! And one who shares the same goals.

The categories for best Blogs and Twitter accounts were: News, Fiestas, Culture, Technology, Personal, Fashion, Sport and Gastronomy (that last one was just added this year!). For a list of all the winners have a look at the Blogosur Blog.

Many thanks to everyone at the Blogosur Group and Twitteros de Sevilla – and Saray! – and also to D.O. Estepa for the lovely prize. And of course my heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful tapas bars and restaurants that have made me feel so welcome over the years and have allowed me to become a part of their world. Together we are showing the rest of the world that the gastronomy of Sevilla is not only diverse and delicious but is even a reason in itself for visiting this beautiful city.

Below is the prize that came with my award. I’m not sure whether to sprinkle it over my salad or dab it behind my ears. Isn’t it fab?  🙂

olive oil perfume

Extra Virgin Olive Oil from D.O. Estepa @doestepa

Tío Pepe en Rama 2013

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tio pepe en rama[click on image to enlarge]

I had a great time my friend and fellow blogger Fiona (Scribbler in Sevilla) attending this year’s presentation by Gonzalez Byass of Tío Pepe en Rama at swish Abades Restaurant in Triana. It was a gorgeous spring day and a perfect location looking across the Guadalquivir River towards the Torre del Oro.

Tio Pepe En Rama is a limited production of a special fino at its most delicate, before the usual processes of stabalization, clarification and filtration. For the 2013 edition, winemaker and master blender – and Twitter pal! – Antonio Flores (@Hacedordevinos) made a selection of the best casks from two ancient soleras: Tío Pepe Constancia y Tío Pepe Rebollo. Flores described this wine as “wild” with aromas of bread and almonds, salt and minerals and with a citrus finish, highlighting its special light colour, taste and smell, which he equated to the city of Sevilla. I found it much lighter and fresher than regular Tío Pepe and it was very easy to drink while we snacked on aperitifs on the sunny terrace.

Given its unique characteristics it is recommended that Tío Pepe en Rama be drunk within three months of bottling. This year’s fabulous label comes from one of the orginal designs of the Gonzalez Byass Foundation, taken from its historical files.  If you want to try a bottle you can order it from the online store, but hurry because stocks won’t last long.

Bodegas Tio Pepe Online Store

Sevilla Orange Days

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naranja de sevillaThe second Jornada de Naranja de Sevilla (Sevilla Orange Days) is on now until March 10th. This year 31 bars and restaurants are creating special tapas at 2.75€ made from Sevilla’s emblematic bitter oranges with a contest for best tapa, which will also be open to the public.

For those who participate in the voting there will be a draw for 10 fabulous food hampers containing artesanal products from these local suppliers:

  • Inés Rosales: orange flavoured cakes
  • Basilippo: orange olive oil
  • Mermelada la Vieja Fábrica: orange marmalade
  • Bodegas Góngora: orange wine
  • Burnaj: orange sparkling wine
  • Obrador Valle de la Osa: orange chocolate

I’ll be trying as many as I can, as well as heading out with Fiona Watson (aka Seville Writer) on Tuesday for a lunchtime orange tapa tapeo, and will be back to give you a report of my findings.

Meanwhile, you can have a look at the list of participants below to see what tapas they are offering and decide which ones you’d like to try…
Continue reading “Sevilla Orange Days” →

Methinks They Doth Protest Too Much

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censorshipIt’s been just over a year since I wrote here about the Sevilla Tapas Policy Change and yesterday I had my first experience of someone trying to gag me. I received a Threatening Email from the lawyers of a tapas bar I reviewed last December on Sevilla Tapas. They cited various laws and articles before coming out with their DEMAND that I remove all photographs and text, saying that some of the photos included images of their customers and also “marketed products” (the tapas?) that were taken without permission. They then went on to say that some other law protected their client from any “value judgement” that may adversely affect their reputation and professional image and insisted that I remove any references to this bar from all my blogs, websites and social media accounts.

I mean, WTF??

It wasn’t even a scathing review. I basically just said that I’d gone there twice and was disappointed both times. And well, they can’t really blame me if their tapas look like crap.

Anyhow, I’ve been threatened with legal action if I don’t comply. But while I can see their flimsy excuse for wanting photos of customers removed to be somehow “justifiable”, it seems way over the top to insist that I remove any mention of this place from everywhere on the Internet. Protesting far too much, don’t you think?

Oh, and for the record, I did ask permission to take photos and, after the first disastrous visit, spoke to the manager who apologised for the bad service and food and said she hoped we would come back again. She also knew about my Sevilla Tapas blog and that we had a friend in common who had recommended the bar (which is why I went there twice – I thought my friend couldn’t be that wrong!). Well, they won’t be able to remove the Trip Advisor review that’ll be going up shortly…

 

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.