Supper, Villa de Ábalos, Spain

While staying overnight at the Hotel Villa de Ábalos, I highly recommend eating supper there. When you make your reservation, be sure to let them know you would like to dine as well. It is a truly home-cooked, Spanish meal. The menu changes with the seasons and the availability of fresh ingredients. Here is the carta as provided during my visit:

Menu for supper at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

Menu for supper at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

These little gems were presented to start the meal:

A little something to start the meal at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

A little something to start the meal at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

The two appetizers were creative and delicious. The first was a leeks and spinach terrine that you see in the next photo:

Leek and spinach terrine appetizer at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

Leek and spinach terrine appetizer at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

The other appetizer was a sautéed vegetable medley that I was so anxious to eat, I forgot to snap a photo. But, next came the entrée, and what a fantastic one it was. Slowly cooked oxtail then removed from the bone and placed inside a sort of dumpling with a very nice sauce, as you see in the next photo:

Oxtail presented inside a dumpling for supper at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

Oxtail presented inside a dumpling for supper at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

This incredible meal was finished with a warm almond cake and vanilla ice-cream that truly hit the spot:

Warm almond cake with vanilla ice-cream at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

Warm almond cake with vanilla ice-cream at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

All this was served in a pleasant dining room you see here:

Dining room at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

Dining room at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, Spain.

I would also like to mention the owner of this fine hotel makes his own wine, which is very good, especially the white. A bottle with dinner or afterwards is a great addition to the meal. Here’s a photo of the bottle:

Preferred wine at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

Preferred wine at Hotel Villa de Ábalos.

When traveling, be sure to enjoy the local cuisine as much as possible.

Lunch in Haro, Spain

After checking into my hotel in the village of Ábalos, we drove a short distance west to the town of Haro, Spain. Here the various wineries operate tasting rooms and gift shops. The town itself is worth a stroll, which we did, ending at a little bar for lunch.

Bar/restaurant Madrid in the town of Haro, Spain.

Bar/restaurant Madrid in the town of Haro, Spain.

Inside, we found the usual bar with various tapas under the glass.

Interior of bar/restaurant Madrid in the town of Haro, Spain.

Interior of bar/restaurant Madrid in the town of Haro, Spain.

We sat at one of those round tables you see on the left of the photo above. And here’s a look at just a few of the tapas we enjoyed:

Various tapas at bar/restaurant Madrid in Haro, Spain.

Various tapas at bar/restaurant Madrid in Haro, Spain.

There were several more rounds of tapas, including this batch:

More tapas at bar/restaurant Madrid, in Haro, Spain.

More tapas at bar/restaurant Madrid, in Haro, Spain.

This was another great local meal, the kind that I prefer. I only had a few minutes to chat with the lady operating the place. Next time, I plan on lingering longer to learn some Spanish and experience the local scene a little more.

 

Lunch in Belchite, Spain

While roaming about Spain, of course one of my favorite things to do is enjoy a “local” meal. There’s hardly a bar-restaurante, truck stop, roadside stand, or snack shack that doesn’t catch my attention. That being the case, I have to make a selection and take my chances. Well, while in the tiny town of Belchite, Spain, I found the perfect spot. A corner place, with an awning and a few tables outside where the local older gents were having a chat. To this day, I’m not sure of the name of this place, but here’s a photo of the outside:

Exterior of a great little corner bar/restaurant in Belchite, Spain.

Exterior of a great little corner bar/restaurant in Belchite, Spain.

Going inside, I found several more guys at the bar, enjoying a tapas-style snack.

The tapas bar at a local joint in Belchite, Spain.

The tapas bar at a local joint in Belchite, Spain.

This place had a fine variety of tasty tapas, and I ordered several to make a meal.

Tortilla española and more at a local joint in Belchite, Spain.

Tortilla española and more at a local joint in Belchite, Spain.

Note the ice-cold Coca-Cola backing up the tapas. And there were plenty more, including these:

More tapas at a local joint in Belchite, Spain.

More tapas at a local joint in Belchite, Spain.

This was a great meal, served by a friendly lady who ran the place with a smile. I asked a few questions about the town, the bar, and such, which she was happy to answer, thereby giving me some local insight. Amazingly, the whole adventure cost me less than 15 euros. That’s an incredible value and a fun way to spend a few hours. Enjoy every meal!

Café Emma, Barcelona, Spain

Café Emma is one of those places I like to find while traveling, a pleasant stop for a meal or a snack, and some local gossip. Since it was located near my hotel, I popped in here for breakfast on my way walking about Barcelona.

Café Emma on Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Café Emma on Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

They serve typical Spanish style dishes, and over the course of several days, I tried various ones.

Window at Café Emma, Barcelona, Spain.

Window at Café Emma, Barcelona, Spain.

Of course, an omelette is among my favorite breakfast foods, and this one contained onions, mushrooms, and potatoes:

Onion, mushroom, and potato omelette at Café Emma, Barcelona.

Onion, mushroom, and potato omelette at Café Emma, Barcelona.

Notice the “pan con tomate,” there, which means bread with tomato that you see at the top of the plate. It is a nice accompaniment. I also sampled the small bocadillo con salchichón that you see in the next photo:

Bocadillo con salchichón at Café Emma, Barcelona, Spain.

Bocadillo con salchichón at Café Emma, Barcelona, Spain.

The atmosphere at Café Emma is decidedly relaxed, the service friendly, and the menu what you would expect. Linger and enjoy.