Tapa Thursdays: Fargo Bio Restaurant

March 26, 2015 by · 2 Comments

My email notification pinged a few seconds after I’d hit the little paper arrow with a food suggestion for a friend.

“Rats, the place we’d like to go for lunch is only open for dinner on the weekends.”

Crestfallen to be missing out once again on the nearly year-old ecological restaurant buried in Soho Bendita, I decided to save sampling Fargo (C/ Perez Galdos, 20 in the Alfalfa) for another night. 

That night was the night before Phyllis and I would be meeting for lunch to celebrate a 30th birthday, and where else would a vegetarian choose to go but a slow food, ecologically-centric eatery that’s de moda?

Vegetarian tapas in Seville City Center

I parked my bike and met Mickey in front of a building painted the color of a spring sky in Seville. Living in the neighborhood, co-owner Yann greeted her immediately and offered up suggestions for a birthday treat. What struck me about the space is that it was stark but felt cozy, from the small bar near the entrance to the corridor-like dining room.

Yann was part of the concept at ConTenedor, a slow food kitchen around the Feria neighborhood, and was looking to branch out into something that valued ecological products. Meats, veggie and fish dishes graced the slate chalkboard menu.

vegetarian tapas in Seville

After an aperitif and thirty minutes of catching up, Yann came to take our order. Because the space has a decidedly eco feel, the menu changes almost daily, according to what’s at the market.

We settled on a plate of pumpkin and raisin croquetas to share and a dish for each of us –  I’d been sick during the week and stuck to a taboulé with mint, granada seeds and pineapple. Mickey chose a chickory soup and Kelly went for the veggie burger, plus water and freshly squeezed juices.

Ecological tapas in Seville

Lentil Burger

Spanish croquettes

The croquetas were definitely the star of the night – creamy and full of flavor, and the veggie burger was filling. My upset tummy left feeling like it was satisfied and that I’d chosen foods that wouldn’t bother me. The service was spot-on between Yann’s friendliness (and dance as he brought out the food) and the presentation of the dishes – appetizing without being pretentious.

When it came time to order dessert, the birthday girl was set on two – you only have a birthday once a year, anyway. 

chocolate mousse cake Fargo

We chose two, but I beelined to the bathroom for the second time in two minutes to tell Yann we were ready for the dense chocolate mousse we’d ordered before.

As the night stretched longer, our voice grew louder, despite the lack of alcohol. We are rarely able to find time to spend together, so we lingered at the table over tea and the last few bites of dessert.

birthday celebration Fargo Seville

If you go: Fargo is located at the heart of the Alfalfa neighborhood and set between boutiques in the trendy Soho Bendita area. The address is Calle Pérez Galdos, 20. Open Monday – Thursday from 8pm until midnight and weekends for lunch and dinner – they’re also rumored to have a staggering wine list, though we didn’t imbibe. Reservations accepted: 955 27 65 52. We paid about 20€ a head.

Have you ever eaten at a bio restaurant?

Filed Under: El Centro, Featured, gastronomy, Restaurant Reviews, Sevilla Center, Tapas Bars, Tapas Thursday, Where to eat in Sevilla · Tagged:

Tapa Thursdays: Mamarracha

January 8, 2015 by · 2 Comments

Places to Eat in Seville Mamarracha

If a mamarracho is a person who deserves no respect, relatively new tapas bars Mamarracha, on Hernando Colón, is not aptly named. I’d heard rumors of a new bar from the Ovejas Negras group, and despite the packed bar on a Saturday afternoon, I’d been assured that the wait was worth it.

What struck me immediately about the bar were two things: how calm the wait staff was with patrons practically hanging off the bar, and how sleek the interior looked. Like Ovejas Negras, the narrow space echoes an old ultramarinos, with slate black mixed with natural wood and a creamy turquoise tile accent. The space was choked, but the inviting back dining room features a garden wall and several tables. Lesson leaned (again) – don’t arrive at 3:30 p.m.

mamarracha tapas bar sevilla

I grabbed a glass of wine and Kelly a tinto, and we went outside to escape the crowds, leaving our names with a hostess who had her hands full, yet chirped out off-menu specials seemingly every two minutes. We were able to snag the corner of a bar area and tucked into a menu featuring smoked meats, several options for vegetarians like K and an extensive wine list.

We started with a strawberry and beet salad with feta, along with a foccacia topped with cheese and veggies that we’d seen march by. I wasn’t a fan of the acidic Ribera wine I’d sampled and switched to beer.

strawberry and beet salad Mamarracha

Foccaccia with Provolone at Mamarracha Tapas Seville

Wine list at Mamarracha Seville Tapas

What differentiates Mamarracha from ON down the street is that they have word-burning stoves and indoors grills, so I wanted to try some meat. Kelly ordered veggies in tempura, and I asked the waitress for a recommendation. She offered up the corral chicken, which came with a chimichurri sauce, and a baked sweet potato, plus a tapa of morcilla.

Veggies in tempura at Mamarracha Seville

carne a la brasa Mamarracha

All of the food was tasty and fresh, though I had to send the chicken back for being undercooked. By the time it came back, I was nearly stuffed but couldn’t pass up a dessert. We chose a sevillano favorite – homemade torrijas with vanilla bean ice cream.

Dessert at Mamarracha Seville

The bill was adequate for all we’d consumed – five plates, a dessert, a glass of wine, two beers and three tintos – 54€. We left satisfied and practically rolled over to Ines Rosales next door, where we bought Christmas goodies for our families.

If you go: Mamarracha is located right down the street from the Ayuntamiento and the main exit of the Cathedral, on Hernando Colón 1 y 3. Opening hours are daily 1:30pm to 4pm and 8:30pm to 11:30pm. Arrive early if you’d like to sit or eat promptly!

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I ate at Mamarracha as part of the Typical NonSpanish Project with Caser Expat. But don’t worry – all opinions and calories are my own!

Filed Under: El Centro, Featured, food, Restaurant Reviews, Sevilla Center, Tapas Bars, Tapas Thursday, Typical NonSpanish, Where to eat in Sevilla · Tagged: ,

Tapa Thursdays: Seville’s Newest Gastrocultural Offering, the Mercado Lonja del Barranco

December 18, 2014 by · 5 Comments

Gourmet Markets in Seville

In a city renowned for tapas culture, more and more foodie-friendly offerings are popping up. From wine tasting packages and jamón cutting courses to ethnic bars and even a midday flamenco show, I’d thought I’d seen it all in Seville when it came to merging food and culture (hello, my favorite parts of blogging).

Then ex-bullfighter Fran Rivera (also the ex-son-in-law of the Patrona of Seville, Cayetana de Alba) pumped money into a gourmet food market in a century-old building. While mercados and plazas de abastos are nothing new to la vida cotidiana in Spain, places like La Boquería and Mercado San Miguel are becoming tourist destinations in other cities, and Rivera and business partner Carlos Herrera are jumping on Spain being a foodie haven (and anyway, people have to eat).

Mercado Lonja del Barranco Sevilla

Mercado Lonja del Barranco opened in late November to crowds, to rain, to runaway success. Housed in a glass and wrought iron building that served as a fish market until 40 years ago, the space has 20 different puestos featuring regional goodies, as well as half a dozen free-standing food carts and a Cruzcampo beer station that allows you to sample recently-brewed beer.

Each puesto has a specialty item, like acorn-fed ham, salmorejo or the mythical Spanish omelette, and there are a few cocktail or wine bars. And much like the Corte Inglés Gourmet Experience, several local restaurants have set up shop.

Mercado Lonja del Barrando creative space

Mercado Lonja del Barranco

The result is a chaotic but bright and lofty space with impeccable decoration, though seating is limited indoors and there is not rhyme or reason to the set up – it feels like a maze, even when empty. It’s less market and more fancy schmancy food hall, but the Mercado de Triana is right across the Puente Isabel II should you need fresh vegetables or a craft beer.

seafood markets in Seville

People at a Spanish market

food offerings at mercado lonja del barranco sevilla

The Novio and I met some friends on a Friday night shortly after the market opened. Even with rain clouds threatening, the place was packed to the (iron) gills. We found a table outside and just ordered a few beers, unwilling to sidle up to anywhere but a beer tap. While the food offerings looked incredible, there were far too many people to really enjoy the experience. As I’ve passed by in subsequent days, the market remains busy but the novelty has worn off a bit – perfect for sampling tapas or ordering sushi to go.

If you go: Mercado Lonja del Barranco is open daily from 10am until midnight; open until 2am on Friday and Saturday. Prices are variable, but expect a minimum of 10€ a head. The market plans to open cultural offerings, such as workshops and theatre, in the future. Check their webpage for more.

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I visited the Mercado Lonja del Barranco as part of the Typical Non Spanish project with Caser Expat. The power the experience, I enjoy and write about it in my own words. All opinions are my own.

What’s your favorite gourmet market in Spain?

Filed Under: A Few of My Favorite Things, Andalusia Tourism, Caser Expat Insurance, El Centro, Featured, Food Tourism, gastronomy, Habla de Tu Ciudad y Vive de Ella, Markets, Places with Encanto, Restaurant Reviews, Sevilla Center, Tapas Bars, Tapas Thursday, Things to do in Sevilla, Where to eat in Sevilla · Tagged: , ,

Tapa Thursdays: Taberna Panduro

November 13, 2014 by · 2 Comments

Wee, another posts about a gastrobar! I mean, I love a mushroom risotto and fig croquetas like the next guiri, but even with new restaurants opening all the time offering the same sorts of dishes, I was hoping for a little more.

After spending the morning and better part of the afternoon at the Feria de Jamón de Aracena, we were looking for lighter fare for dinner. Faced with only a Spanish decision – either deep-fried at Dos de Mayo or too expensive for end-of-the-month dining at Nazca – I was surprised to find a newer, second branch of the popular Taberna Panduro halfway between the two on Calle Baños.

We arrived early for a Saturday dinner – around 8:30 p.m. – and a few drinks inevitably turned into nibbles. I opted for a wine after a beer drinking marathon at the ham fair, choosing a hearty Jumilla simply because it’s a DO that’s hard to come by out west. Glasses of wine are not only affordable (3.50€ tops), but a number of DOs are represented.

Panduro is just shy of its third birthday, and noted for the quality of its dishes and reasonable prices. We did things the old-fashioned way: everyone chose what they wanted to eat, and we sampled. Jose María had a tatami de atún, I got grilled squid served with risotto and ñora peppers, Hayley opted for the grilled vegetables and Maru had lagrimitas de pollo with guacamole, though I may be wrong about who got what. We ordered cod to round off the last bit go hunger pangs.

The cod was slightly undercooked, and the guacamole didn’t seem too fresh, but the rest of the dishes were spectacular and beautifully presented. This Panduro’s decor was less harsh than the sleek reds and blacks of the sister tavern at Doña María Coronel, near Calle Feria.

The waiter brought us out more bread and olives as the restaurant began to fill up. Even though it’s de rigeur for places to charge for munchies, Panduro left them off the bill.

Had to put myself to bed after this long day, but five oversized tapas and several drinks each had us hovering at 10€ a head. A job well done, I’d say.

If you like Panduro’s offerings, you’ll also like: La Brundilda | The Room Art Cuisines | La Bulla

Panduro is at Calle Baños, 3, open daily but Monday for lunch and dinner.

Have you been to Taberna Panduro? Which of these tapas would you like to try?

Filed Under: fashion, food, Restaurant Reviews, Sevilla Center, Tapas Bars, Tapas Thursday, Where to eat in Sevilla · Tagged: ,

Tapa Thursdays: La Dalia

June 4, 2014 by · 9 Comments

I have the secret to getting a table at some of Seville’s hottest dining spots.

Go during a big football match. Really.

I have to admit that I was a bit disheartened when I wound up at La Dalia at 10pm midweek. There was no buzzing chatter or the cacophony of cutlery banging against plates. In fact, the only other people in the restaurant were the two members of the wait staff.

But at least I got a table right away.

La Dalia has received pretty good reviews of late, as the small bar is close to the Alameda and is yet another gastro pub offering spins on Spanish favorites. What I liked about the menu is that it (mostly) strayed from typical offerings in fusion and gastro places – no risotto here, but wild boar, an offering of cheeses and baked fish fashioned with chutneys and beans.

By the time H showed up, I was pretty decided on the few dishes I’d like to try, though many didn’t come in tapas form. We settled on duck and apple croquetas, morcilla de arroz with pisto and a fried quail egg, and a mini ox hamburger with foie gras for each of us, plus our requisite beers.

The croquetas and morcilla came first, and I was already making a mental note to come back and try more. But the hamburgers – eso, sí, a gastrobar staple, was topped with cheddar cheese, which effectively killed the flavor of a well-cooked meat.

In lieu of one last tapa, we decided on dessert. In hindsight, we should have chosen another dish. The apple pie was doused in strawberry sauce, which cut the entire flavor of the apple and cake, and the brownie was dry. 

La Dalia wasn’t a total washout, but I won’t be running back there any time soon. I didn’t think the staff was especially friendly, either, but they could have just been bummed that they were missing the big game.

Los detalles: Calle Trajano, 44, right off the Alameda. Tuesday to Saturday 1:30 to 4:00 and 9:00 to 11:30. Closed Sunday and Monday dinner.

Filed Under: El Centro, Featured, food, Tapas Bars, Tapas Thursday, Where to eat in Sevilla · Tagged:

Tapa Thursdays: Nazca

May 22, 2014 by · 6 Comments

We stumbled on Nazca one afternoon when our friend Scott was visiting from Madrid. I’d heard talk of the place – a Japanese and Peruvian fusion restaurant – for ages, and we quite literally stumbled there after spending a sweltering afternoon at the river catching up. Named after the Peruvian Nazca lines, the restaurant is just one of Seville’s gastro pub hotspots these days.

We arrived early enough (around 9pm) to snag a high table with bar stools in a bar that mixes industrial with international with a dash of Spanish (in the tiled floor of course). They were a bit unsteady, which made it difficult to share food once we’d ordered, but the food made up for it.  The menu is a mix of the nigiri and maki you’d expect to find at a Japanese restaurant, along with South American inspired meat dishes.

We settled on niguri topped with presa ibérica, a fresh chopped salad with chicken fingers (my life in Spain is complete!) and potato towers topped with a cherry tomato and some sort of cream sauce. Along with olives and picos, Nazca sets the table with chopsticks and Kikoman’s soy sauce.

Still hungry, we saw a waiter rush by with a hunk of meet. Hayley simply pointed and we soon had the dish at our table, which came with a deep-fried sort of croqueta, a slew of grilled and seasoned vegetables and a creamy, peppery sauce with rock salt.

Hayley says she went back the following week with her visiting parents and literally ordered everything on the menu. Don’t blame her – the food was really good and the presentation was incredible. I probably wouldn’t order the presa nigiri again, but stick to a ceviche or maki. From all accounts, the fish dishes stand out at Nazca.

Los detalles: Nazca is located on Calle Baños at number 32, just west of Plaza de la Gavidia. Open about 1:40 to 5 and 8:30 to midnight or so. They’re closed all day Tuesday and for lunch on Wednesdays. Expect to pay 12€ or more a head, particularly if you order wine.

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Filed Under: El Centro, Featured, gastronomy, Sevilla Center, Tapas Bars, Tapas Thursday, Where to eat in Sevilla · Tagged: ,
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