ILLUSTRATIONSBYSAMUELSOLOMON
14 AMERICANWAY
FEBRUARY 1 2008
H A V E A B I T E
1
Be prepared—Madrileños can eat a lot. Tapasmay be
small, but all those teeny platefuls add up.
2
Madrileños stay out late, sometimes until dawn, graz-
ing all theway. The grandfinale as the sun comes up?
Churros and thick-as-syrup hot chocolate for breakfast.
3
Tapeo outings can occur anytime, from the late after-
noon toa 10or 11p.m. dinner, or startingafter dinner
and lasting all night.
4
Don’t be afraid to join a crowded bar. You’re always
welcome, especially if you’rewilling to try a local spe-
cialty like spicy tripe or lamb’s brains.
5
Don’t sit. Most tapas-goers stand. (It’s cheaper and
more fun to order at the bar.)
6
Order your drink and wait five minutes. Usually, the
barman will bring you something for free, perhaps
some almonds or olives, towhet your appetite.
7
Most bars proudly letter their tapasmenu on the out-
sidewindowaswell asdisplay it at thebar. Don’t hesi-
tate to point if your Spanish fails you.
8
Keepmoving. Nomatter howmuch you love a place,
the goal is to hit as many
tascas
(tapas bars), to try
as many diminutive bites, and to down as manyminidrinks
as possible.
9
In some bars, you can order your food in three por-
tion sizes:
pincho
(amouthful),
tapa
(saucer-size), and
ración
(a small plate).
10
Go ahead, act like a local: Throw your napkin and
olive pit on the floor. If the bar isn’t litteredwith
napkin debris, something iswrong.
11
At each place, you pay at the end of your tapas
snarfing. In most typical taverns, barmen charge
youbyyourpileofplatesor toothpicks, adding themupwith
chalk on the bar.
Tapeo
: The limitless ramble frombar to tavern, duringwhich
onepauses just long enough in each tonibble ameatball or
two,munch a couple of garlicky shrimp, and try a forkful of
octopus beforemovingon to thenext bar (andplates) of choice.
ATourJusT
forYou
InMadrid, there’s no
shortage of tascas for
practicing the art of the
tapeo. Here are six of our
favorites.
1.LaVenencia:
an old-
worldMadridwatering hole.
Calle deEchagaray, 7
2.Mesónde laGuitarra:
a cave beneath thePlaza
Mayor. It often has a
guitarist. Cava deSan
Miguel, 13
3.CerveceríaAlemana:
a popular sight that’s located
inwhat’s arguablyMadrid’s
most famous area (Plaza de
SantaAna). Plaza deSanta
Ana, 6
4.LaTrucha:
just like
an old-timeAndalusian
tavern.Manuel Fernández y
González, 3
5.CasaCarmencita:
established in 1840 and
once the favorite bar of poet
FedericoGarcía Lorca. Calle
Libertad, 16
6.TabernaToscana:
features stools that are
hand-carved and sausages
that hang from the ceiling.
Try themorcilla (blood
sausage). Plaza de las Cortes
&Huertas
10
Dishestotry
1.QuesoCabrales:
a blue cheese fromAsturias
>
2. Jamón Ibérico:
a cured ham
<
3.Boqueronesenvinagre:
fresh anchovies sprinkled
with vinegar, garlic, parsley, and olive oil
4.Gambasalajillo:
peppery, garlic-laden shrimp
5.TortillaEspañola:
aflat potato omelet
>
6.PimientosdePadrón:
grilled small green peppers
(Beware: Some are hot and some are not.)
<
7.Pescaditos:
tiny, friedfish
8.Mojama:
cured tuna
9.Pulpoa lagallega:
octopus, usually served on
potatoes and sprinkledwith paprika
>
10.Setas:
wildmushrooms, usually grilled
Tapas-ing
101
Cheat Sheet:
If you stay at the
IntercontinentalMa-
drid (
nental.com), the hotel can
arrange aguided tapas
tour for you that takes
the guesswork out
of the tapeo.
