But you knew a couple of places that were pretty casual on their dress code and BYOB policy.
Be sure to wash it down with lots and lots of sangria. Ordering it by the pitcher is standard practice when we go out for tapas.
Hm. I guess around here in Missoula tapas is a bit more high-class than it is in Spain; The Silk Road, our only tapas bar, is more like a restaurant with a bar attached that focuses on wines and local microbrews. The food is pretty damn good, though, and the menu changes seasonally.
Here’s the Wikipedia entry on tapas:
It appears that in Spain, tapas bars are really bars. The tapas are just something to accompany the drinks. Outside of Spain (or at least in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada), tapas bars are restaurants. The tapas are the main item being served. The drinks are just something to accompany the tapas. Also, HeyHomie, just to make things clear, when you sit down at a tapas bar (in the U.S.), your server will give you a menu of tapas (and perhaps of full meals also, if they do them) and a drink list. You order a first round of tapas (or a full meal, if that’s what you want) and drinks. If you’re still hungry when the server comes by again, you order another round. Repeat as necessary.
I was in Spain about 9 years ago, and you paid for each Tapa, but the fee was pretty small, maybe 140 pesetas each tapa with the seafood ones being more expensive. It was bar food. We ate them standing up and were drinking more than we were eating.
I’m a big fan of ordering 1-2 tapas per person and going with a group (maybe 5-6 people, so you can have a good-sized group but still be able to talk to everyone). Wine goes really well with most tapas, too. We usually order a bottle for the table, but if you have lots of people, you might want two or just to order by the glass, depending upon individual tastes.
My experience (about three years ago) was that when sat at the bar with your first beer, you would get something pretty measly to eat - maybe a couple of ‘potato croquettes’ or something. Then if you hang about drinking more, and especially if you are amiable to the bartender, your tapas items increase in quality into delicious snacks including cured meats, little fish and all sorts.
There’s a pintxos place a couple of blocks from here. They don’t open until noon, and I like to be back at my desk by then; so I haven’t tried them. Smelled great the one time I walked by while they were getting ready to open.
Here’s a menu, which will give you an idea of the prices, types of snackage, and presentation.
Definitely my experience. Tapas in Spain are just a part of the culture; in the US, its a Big Fancy Deal. That said, this generally means you’re going to get some good quality ingredients, but I do miss the concept of being able to go into most any bar and…get little plates of food. Hmm…tapas dive bar?
The best place to go for tapas is Granada, Spain, because there the tapas are FREE. Yes, I said FREE. When I lived there back in '01/'02, a drink cost about $1.25 and came with a free tapa. If you knew the right places to go, you could get really good food. One place near my house was in a basement with lots of seating and had a tapas menu with fifty different dishes on it. Another place actually served a whole tomato and jamon sandwich, fries, and alioli with your drink. Yet another place was good for lunch with friends because they served large portions of food, a different dish with each round of drinks. First round calamari and coleslaw, second round hamburgers and fries, etc.
Of course, most other places including the U.S., your tapas are not tied to how many drinks you order. You just order whatever you want and share, kind of like dim sum or a Japanese izakaya.
Apparently several Spanish regions/cities typically give free tapas to drinkers (Madrid supposedly has a lot of bars that fly this way, but I didnt find any of them) while other areas require the patrons to buy them, as is the norm in Barcelona.
I didnt mind paying, as both the tapas and the drinks (at least wine and beer, if not cocktails) were very reasonable and at the end of the night a euro or two as the tip for the evening was more than enough to please the bartenders.
I have gone to a couple of “tapas” places in the USA (once in San Francisco, once in DC) and it was a disappointing experience both times. I dont like spending 8 or 9 bucks for a tiny plate of calamari or a few marinated mushrooms.
Tapas bars are a staple of Spanish culture and (when in Spain) are a great way to socialize and enjoy an evening eating and drinking like a local. In the USA, it just seems like a good way to spend a pile of money on overpriced morsels…
Buy one of everything. Double up on what you liked.
And you people wonder how fat people get that way.
Jaleo is good, but their olives that come as a snack are horrible. They marinate them with onions, completely ruining the olives.