Tapas For Chanukah

Bar Manolo was the place we happened upon our first full day in Sevilla, and the site of our first tapas. Having had a few more tapas elsewhere, and after doing a little reading, we realized that it was actually a kick-butt place for an afternoon tapeo, and returned yesterday for another helping. Seeing as how it was Chanukah, we ordered mostly fried things.

(another satisfied customer)

As you can see in the picture, Manolo serves La Gitana Manzanilla. This has become an important point in our tapeo excursions. We quickly found out that most places only have one manzanilla in their cooler, and usually it's the only sherry they have (okay, it's not technically sherry, but close counts for this line of reasoning). For our first week here, I saw so many bars with La Gitana-sponsored signs that I assumed it was the manzanilla de rigeur in these parts, only to have been disappointed on more than one occasion. We even went to a nearby bar recently that was decked out in sherry paraphernalia, only to discover that what they served was very under par.

Needless to say, the glass you see in the background here is La Gitana.

I only thought to take this picture after we'd dug into the food. You can see olives (come with your first drink), spinach with chickpeas (so creamy and delicious), and what's left of our first round of fried Chanukah treats: Croquetas and an empty plate of Pavía de Merluza (a deboned hake tail, breaded and deep-fried to deliciousness).

When in Seville, don't be guided simply by the names of the bars. Each corner of the city has it's own Rinconcillo, for example, and there are multiple Bars Manolo. This one in particular is located on the Plaza Alfalfa, and is always hopping, though we've managed to get outdoor seating both times we've been there.

We weren't quite filled up on fried fish, so we ordered a tapa of Cazón al Adobo, which is to say baby shark (empanada fillings of which I have fond childhood memories), marinaded in seasoned vinegar and deep fried.

More later!