World Tour: Tapas Anyone?

In DC, tapas are the food of choice during happy hour. The food is served in smaller portions and the drinks are larger. Many people that frequent spots in the District such as La Tasca of Chinatown or Jaleo do not know the origins of tapas. After traveling to Spain, we discovered tapas are a long standing Spanish tradition that stems from the Spanish dining hours. Spaniards usually eat dinner between 9 pm-11 pm and lunch is generally served between the hours of 1 pm-3 pm, so they tend to bar hop and eat tapas in between those two dining intervals.

Tapas are generally flavored with saffron, chilies, paprika and cumin and served as a compliment to the various Spanish wines served at the bar. Meatballs, olives, chorizo and tomato based dishes are common menu selections for tapas. Our favorites are the Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, Pimientos Rellenos and the various stuffed Empanadas with a voluminous chato (*Translation: glass of wine). Until we can get a cheap flight to Barcelona, we will take advantage of the authentic tapas right here in the DMV. In the District, we recommend Bambule, Oyamel and Sabores which feature creative twist on tapas-style plates.

So in between, the time of lunch and dinner you have the option of having succulent bites to suppress the hunger based on the Spanish way of life. We like this. It reminds us of the whole drinking wine @ noon that the French are accustomed to doing on a daily basis. Unless we are lucky enough to travel to Spain on a cheap ticket for some afternoon bliss, we will have to make do with the American way: tapas served breakfast, lunch and dinner! Not bad at all…

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