Category Archives: europe

El Patio Bodega, Malaga, Spain

We had the best paella at El Patio Bodega in Malaga, and just by pure luck. We came from the nearby Bodega Bar El Pimpi (post coming soon), the first place we tried upon arrival in Malaga. But their hot food wasn’t going to be served until later that evening, and we were told that there would be no paella. We had some anchovies and sangria and looked for a place for dinner. We had to have paella. That’s the reason we were in Spain!

Oh my. Seafood paella.

Oh my. Seafood paella.

I’ve got some nerve declaring their paella the best, when we had many others we were very happy about. I especially enjoyed El Patio’s paella because it was the only one that was served to us in a perfect al dente, a point that from experience is not only hard to achieve but also disappears within a few more minutes exposure to heat. Other than its consistency, the rice was still very moist with broth that settled in the bottom of the pan, and one whose flavor was infused with saffron and flavors of the ocean. Flavors of shellfish and mollusk dominated the dish, leaving no doubt as to the base of the sauce. Our server told us that their paella recently won 2nd prize in a contest, beaten only by a chef from Malaga who worked in Las Vegas(?) Continue reading

Bodega Santa Cruz, Sevilla, Spain

The crowd at the bar, and the ladies who tipped us to get the alcachofa.

The crowd at the bar, and the ladies who tipped us to get the alcachofa.

A crowd formed outside the restaurant called Bodega Santa Cruz in Seville at noon. We just arrived after a two-hour drive from Malaga and decided that the best thing to do before visiting the sights would be to have lunch. I did not take the buzzing, aggressive crowd placing orders at the bar as inviting, nor did the rest of the group (namely, my sister and her husband). Except that to my wife, a Myers-Briggs ESTP personality (impulsive, charming, live-for-the-moment) who is also a Chinese calendar goat (always in groups), the chaos at Bodega Santa Cruz was the ultimate attraction.

All you need is love.

All you need is love.


Continue reading

Alternative Views: Barcelona

 Gaudi tilework at Parc Guell. 
Geometric structures of the ceiling of the Sagrada Familia. 

Impressive detail of the Sagrada Familia facade. 
A man inside a model of the Sagrada Familia.
 Casa Batllo.
Downtown building facade.
Ceiling stonework at Parc Guell. 
Parc Guell structures.
The colors of La Boqueria Mercat.

Food Shots at Vaci Utca, Budapest

Treats at an outdoor candy store.

Pretzels and a keg of hot mulled wine.
Tocsni makers.
Waiting for tocsni.
Cured meats.
Tocsni – a marvelous potato pancake with sour cream, cheese, onions and bacon.
Kurtoscalacs – a sugary cylinder of love.
Vats of food.
Pork knuckles
Sausages in a vat of oil.
Kurtoscalacs makers.

Gerloczy Cafe & Restaurant, Budapest

Gerloczy is a neighborhood restaurant on Gerloczy street. Prices are unbelievably cheap, it’s hard to imagine how they can afford it. We found Gerloczy in Time Out Budapest Magazine’s list of best Hungarian food. Here are some things we sampled.

Lentil soup with sour cream and fried prosciutto.

Homemade pate.

Fried duck breast over greens.

Whole grilled mackerel for 2,300 Hungarian Forints? That’s about 10 bucks!

Hot mulled wine and double hot chocolate.

Pistachio macaron.

Gerlóczy Kávéház

1052 Budapest, V. Gerlóczy u. 1.
T: (36) (1) 501-4000

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