TAPAS

All day long and well into the night, we wander the streets in a form of barhopping that takes that art to an entirely new level. Tapas have become a revolution in our experience of dining, one that we have embraced wholeheartedly.

Our favorite so far has got to be the grilled cod we had at Bar Europa, a thick chunk about 2 inches high and 2 inches around, sat next to a mound of some paste-like, sugar-egg sauce and sprinkled with green olives, capers, and tiny marinated onions. We got this one our first afternoon here, enjoyed with a beer and a glass of sangria, and followed by a lovely lamb kebob served over cous cous flavored with parsley and cinnamon. We knew immediately that we would be into this tapas thing.

Tapas common to most menus include the solomillos or lomos, different cuts of loin pounded flat and flash-cooked on a flat grill, served with a choice of sauces made from black pepper or whiskey or roquefort or some manner of very mild chile puree. These are presented either alone or on cous cous or next to potatoes or, sometimes, on tiny soft little buns or rounds of baguette. Seafood makes appearances on every menu as well, little prawns and calamari the most prevalent, with all manner of fried and grilled fish as well. The more generous joints also offer thin steaks of tuna or salmon, often done with a creamy cheese topping or something similar to a pepper sauce.

Croquetas are everywhere as well, little breaded and fried tubes filled with fish or cheese or pork or prawns or just about anything else you can think of. Usually they come with some raw shredded veggies like lettuce or cabbage or carrot, and often a mayonaissey sauce on the side.

Cathy is fond of the chiles rellenos, small mild versions of our Mexican favorites, stuffed with ham and cheese or prosciutto or fish or vegetables, cooked on a flat grill in the best of instances, breaded and deep-fried in the less-desireable ones.

Potatoes also take centerplate here, prepared boiled or grilled or fried, marinated in peppers and wine or topped with bitey cheese or, a very common twist, served cold, having been stored in a really nice vinegar, topped with fresh chives or olives or capers or strips of grilled pepper.

This concept of spending an hour or so three or four times a day sitting down to eat a plate or two or three of these food items, always with a small beer, is one of the best ways to mark time that I can think of, a time to catch up or say hi or just pause and enjoy yourself for a bit. They are pretty much all between 1 and 2 euros each, the more fancy ones approaching 3 euros, but we always walk away for between 5 and 6 bucks, warm and happy inside, looking for the next best place to stop.