aam
 'learned).
Hero of Southern Africa's Liberation.
Author:
DO
Edit
-
Html Script Box - Google Ads Bottom
Edit
-
Html Script Box - Google Ads
Edit
-
Media Actions - Media Actions
Media Actions
Edit
-
See Also - See Also
See Also
US envoy meets President Jammeh
Professor Gomez Challenges Gambians
25 More Students to Benefit from Taiwan Scholarship
80 graduate at International Business College
A worthy cause deserves supportingSalad, Pintxos style.
There’s no better way to explore a city, particularly a gastronomic mecca like San Sebastián, than to eat your way through it. In this case, one Pintxo (tapas) at a time. Despite the plethora of Michelin-rated restaurants, our most rewarding glimpse of the city and its energetic vibe, was a night spent wandering around the Old Town sampling the local food and wine.
Of course, deciding amongst the multitude of bars and knowing what to order meant finding an experienced local. Enter Eli Susperregi, Culinary Guide Manager with Mimo, a critically acclaimed cooking school that specializes in cultural immersion through food. We knew as soon as we met her that we were in excellent hands and happily let her lead the way.
The Old Town of San Sebastián is the heart of the city with respect to both its history and the place where locals and tourists alike converge when it’s time for a beverage and a bite. Its cobblestone streets are peppered with doorways and typically a staircase leading down to a basement bar that is standing room only. Remnants of the city’s military past are present through cannons and pieces of the wall that used to surround it. It is also home to two of the oldest churches in the city: San Vincente and St. Mary’s Basilica which date back to the 16th and 18th century respectively.
The former City Hall in Constitution Plaza.
As we wandered around the maze of pedestrian-only lanes, we ended up in Constitution Plaza, which until 1940 was home to the City Hall. Eli drew our attention upwards and asked us to tell her if we noticed anything unusual. All of the balconies surrounding the square had numbers. Those numbers have been kept over time as an homage to when the square used to be the town’s Bullring. Today it is the main gathering place for locals to celebrate all of their major holidays, the most famous being San Sebastián Day. On January 19th at the stroke of midnight, the city flag is raised and the Tamborrado (drumming festival) begins. It lasts a full 24 hours and the excitement with which Eli explains the event, tells us it would be worth returning to witness in person.
Eli demonstrating how to pour Txakoli.
We kicked off our Pintxos tour at Goiz Argi to taste the local wine known as Txakoli. Slightly fizzy, it’s a dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol content that is the perfect pairing to the area’s local fare. They are extremely proud of this wine that is produced in nearby Getaria but it’s the showmanship of the pour that will turn anyone into a fan. The bartender lined up a row of cider glasses on the bar and poured from a seemingly implausible height. According to Eli this is done to keep the bubbles intact. Our Txakoli was paired perfectly with Prawn Skewers and Mari Juli, a dish of smoked salmon, roasted green peppers and anchioves.
The bartender at Ganbara pouring the Chivite Rosé.
The next stop was Ganbara which featured an order of the first Pintxo ever created in San Sebastián, known as Gilda. It is made up of anchovies, guindilla and olives. We also tried the fried anchovies with garlic, and finished with an order of Txangurro, the local crab. All three of these pintxos were paired with the Chivite Las Fincas, a Rosé of Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes which was not only delicious but is widely available in Canada.
Spain’s famous Iberico Ham.
As we hit the midway point of our tour, the evening got busier, and we noticed paper napkins littering the floors of the most popular bars. We learned quickly that it’s not a sign of poor manners or inattentive wait staff, but rather it’s considered great compliment (and a way to spot the most frequented spots). You’re encouraged to throw your napkin on the floor upon finishing if you enjoyed what you ate. Admittedly, it took a while to shake our Canadian upbringing to proactively litter, but when in San Sebastián…! Of course, as good Canadians, we followed the local custom with a sincere apology.
We ventured into Sirimiri situated by St. Mary’s Basilica and quickly noticed its floor covered in napkins. We were now moving from seafood to meat which also meant delving into Spain’s red wines. When it comes to perfect pairings, a glass of Rioja (the 2015 Vinestral from Bodegas Marques de Reinosa) alongside Lamb and Wild Mushroom Risotto would certainly be in the running.
T-bone croquetas at Txuleta.
At Txuleta, our next taste of Spanish red was the 2015 12 Tablas from the Ribera del Duero region. Of course, no pintxos tour anywhere in Spain would be complete without some Ibérico ham! That was followed by T-Bone croquetas and piquillo peppers.
The best cheesecake in the world.
Despite feeling like we couldn’t possibly eat any more, Eli made a bold promise that the last stop would mean sampling the best cheesecake in the city, which she also claimed was likely the best in the world. We simply couldn’t turn that down and ended up at La Viña to taste it for ourselves. With a glass of Pedro Ximénez Nectar sherry, the dessert combination was simply spectacular and easily met our very high expectations.
At the end of our tour we found ourselves sitting under the steps of Santa Maria Church watching the nightlife at the height of the evening. The energy was electric and even our group of 8 partaking in long, loud toasts didn’t seem to raise an eyebrow. Spain is a country where the pleasures of the table are celebrated, and joy and fun is encouraged.
San Sebastián’s Old Town stole our hearts…and our stomachs. 5 bars, 5 wines, 13 Pintxos, and countless laughs later, it proved to be one priceless AdVINEture.
I’m inspired to visit. This evening sounds amazing. I think I would be intimidated on my own, so the idea of a guide is perfect. (a good friend has a sister who does gastronomical tours around Spain). I just started to research Basque Country on the other side…French Basque for a piece. This entire region seems magical.
There are so many spots and while we suspect the majority would be excellent, having the local expertise meant not having to think and her knowing exactly what to order. She also had a terrific blend of traditional vs modern so we got a wonderfully varied experience. We would definitely use them again!
We would love that on both counts!
I heard you had a Masters in Sorry!
Sorry, you’re mistaken, it’s actually a PhD.
What wonderful memories of our time in San Sebastian. We would love to go back to visit – maybe stay a while! Thanks for your description of a magical night!
It was a definite highlight for us and we can’t wait to get back. Maybe a reunion of our group is in order?!
wow. It is amazing too see so many people in the square all singing together!
The passion and fun of the people is infectious, a truly special place!
What an amazing night. Beautifully described!
You would have absolutely loved it Kathy — so many “damn” cafes!!We've scoured the catwalks to find the most wearable jewellery trends for this season, and while some trends, such as chunky, punkie chains and bold colours are definitely reserved for the haute couture look and not every day wear, there are some trends which translate well into wearable pieces for the modern woman. We don't design to follow these trends, but we do have pieces which tap into the fashion zeitgeist, but which are still wearable at any time of the year and which don't date like very trendy jewellery can. We've identified two main trends which our collection covers, the first of which is Parisian chic.
Parisian chic involves understated yet elegant pearl pieces with both Dior and Givenchy featuring the look on their runways. These Full Moon stud earrings feature a large freshwater pearl adorned with a single cubic zirconia as an accent (which also taps into our second trend, rhinestones) and this style perfectly encapsulates the Parisian look. The Fantasy earrings are also ideal for this trend, as they are elegant and simple with a little movement which will help the pearls shine as you move your head, accentuated by the micro-set cubic zirconia on the hanging loop. Our Harmony earrings are similar, but with a teardrop shaped mount rather than a round one, so pick the style that suits your face shape and hairstyle. The Fantasy and Full Moon ear