Spain III (The End)

We left San Sebastián heading west with our sights set on a little medieval village called Santillana del Mar. 

As Rick Steve’s mentions in his book, there is an old saying that this is the town of three lies, since it is neither a Saint (Santo), nor flat (llana) and has no sea (Mar) as implied by the town's name. However, the name actually derives from Santa Juliana (or Santa Illana) whose remains are in the kept in the Colegiata, a Romanesque church and former Benedictine monastery.

Our time here was limited and after only one night we pushed on to Segovia, which would be our last stop before returning to Madrid. 

Segovia is so charming! You’ll find twisting alleyways, the highest concentration of Romanesque churches in all of Europe, pedestrian streets where no cars are allowed, the aroma of roast suckling pig around every corner - all surrounded by the city's medieval wall which itself is bordered by two rivers and an extensive green-belt park. On the north-west extreme of the wall is the famous Alcázar castle, source of inspiration to Walt Disney, and where Queen Isabel promised Columbus the financial backing he needed to discover America. On the south-east extreme is the world renowned Roman Aqueduct, the largest and best preserved of its kind anywhere. 

Side note: Gin is in!  I don’t know why this caught me off guard.  A hearty supply and variety is available in each region, and especially in Segovia.  Some establishments will even do an elaborate table-side service for a gin and tonic that rivals bananas foster.  

Upon returning to Madrid for our last day of frolic, Elizabeth and I had discovered an underground Arabic Bath house that was the most perfect way to cap off our whirlwind trip.  Three pools for soaking, a steam room, waterfalls, flickering candles, and massages from hot Spaniard men.  We both left wondering why we hadn’t started our travels with the same tlc.  Ahem.

Now that I am back on the other side of the pond, I am left with innumerable memories that will serve me both personally and professionally.  Until the next adventure…

“Voyage, travel, and change of place impart vigor.” - Seneca, 1st Century philosopher

Spain Part II

We are now about half way through our adventures as we make our way north to the majestic city of San Sebastián that sits in Basque Country along the coast of the Bay of Biscay and only 20 km from the French border.

Despite the city’s relatively small size (less than 200,000 inhabitants), it is home to a burgeoning annual film festival; an impressive annual jazz festival (Jazzaldia- the longest, continuously running Jazz Festival in Europe); an international fireworks competition; and a high concentration of restaurants boasting Michelin stars.  While we did not partake in any Michelin starred restaurants, we certainly did not feel compromised culinarily.  Talk about tasty morsels, this was my favorite food town!

Tapas or pintxos (Basque version) are served warm, room temperature, or cold.  They are always small in size and ingredients run the gamut to include some variation of seasonal vegetables, fish, meat, and/or dairy.  It was explained to us that serving portion stimulates conversation because people are not so focused on eating an entire meal.  In many instances seating is limited and it is customary for diners to stand and move about while eating. 

We did not suffer for beverage options along our journey and San Sebastián was no exception.  I am pretty sure that by the time we left, Txakoli was running through my veins. 

For those of you who enjoy wine and have never tried it, I urge you to run, not walk to your local wine merchant and request a bottle.  Txakoli is a slightly spritzy, very dry white wine with lovely acidity and low alcohol content. 

In all of my travels I have had favorites but not like this.  When we pushed off I sincerely hoped that I would return in the not so distant future. 

Elizabeth and I got into a good routine commuting from one town to the next.  It started out as necessity and worked into a mutually beneficial relationship. You see, I do not possess the ability to read and ride in a car simultaneously.  Thankfully my travel buddy can read a book, look up at the sites, back down at the book, glance at her phone and look up to give me adequate directions.  If I were forced to do the same, we’d spend our fair share on the side of the road. 

So our next task at hand was “where next?”  Some people plan ahead, we elected to shoot from the hip.  Elizabeth scoured the books and read up several towns all sounding worthy of our attention as I pointed the car west. In the end we both liked the lure of a little town outside the city of Santander called Santillana del Mar.

To be continued…

Spain Part I

Spain is a lovely, tasty, affordable and easy country to spend time in.  My expectations heading there were filled with romantic visions of beautiful people, memorable vistas and epicurean adventures.  Now home and reflecting on the nine days spent abroad, I am filled with gratitude for the invitation to join my dear friend Elizabeth and for the amazing experiences we shared, and perhaps a touch melancholy that it ended so soon. After all, I am pretty sure that I ate ham daily and by daily that means with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Collectively I found the people of Spain to be friendly and inherently social.  From church outings to excursions in the tapas bars.  From a cigarette in the plaza or standing in line at the bakery, socializing with others is commonplace and second nature.  It is very easy to be a stranger among such convivial locals.

People-watching was rife with opportunity!  We certainly enjoyed our fair share of playing witness to elders strolling the plaza, or lovers cozying up at a table, and sports enthusiasts celebrating a victory, or travelers getting their bearings.  Most often we’d have a spritzer in-hand, sunglasses on when weather permitted, legs crossed facing the sun (or drama) and thankfully they didn’t seem to notice or acknowledge our extended glances. 

Our tour looked like a big teardrop starting and ending in Madrid.  As we began in the capital and most densely populated city of Spain, I was surprised by how much we enjoyed our wanders.   (Insert side note: it didn’t hurt that every other block we noticed a tapas bar to justify a little research).  Much of the modern infrastructure is met with a balance of preservation of the old neighborhoods chalked full of sculptures, parks, historic landmarks, museums, churches, and of no surprise… tapas bars.   A little known fact: Madrid is the European city with the highest number of trees and green surface per inhabitant and it has the second highest number of aligned trees in the world, with 248,000 units, only exceeded by Tokyo. (Thank you Wikipedia)

After 48 hours in the big city we rented a car and headed northeast without a solid plan and only a few guidebooks to lean on. 

The thought was to drive towards San Sebastian (roughly 350 miles northeast) but after a few hours in the car it was evident a detour to experience wine country (during harvest) was in order and part of our civic duty.  Our guide books touted Haro and as we pulled into this charming wine town, we knew we’d found a little gem.  The only problem, and it was a big one, was that we forgot it was a national holiday weekend and not a single hotel room was available. 

As Elizabeth waited for parking instructions outside, I was inside butchering the language and negotiating our next move.  The hotel clerk invited me to wait as he called a friend in a nearby town to check availability.  We were in luck if we would drive another few kilometers heading out of town.

Labastida was home to our third night of exploration.  For a township of roughly 1,000 people we were impressed to find more than two dozen wineries, at least a dozen restaurants/bars, a solid farmers market, a delightful wine/cured meat shop, and two butchers.  Their priorities are definitely in alignment with our taste buds.  In our final moments before departing this rural community we elected to take a peek inside one of their churches that was just letting out of Sunday service.  Given the town’s small size, the scope and detail in this church had me holding my breath and honestly a little weak in the knees.  While I jokingly admire the volume of drinking establishments, this work of art takes the crown.

Stay tuned for the second half of our journey as it unfolds in the Basque Country.  

Happy New Year!

It has been too long since I have sat down to put all my thoughts to paper.  I wish that the lag in time was due to extended travels abroad but rather, the excuses of work, holidays, a new job, and gearing up for work on Brimmer leads the charge.

The end of the year was filled with bank meetings and reality checks.  Overall, most of the banks I met with were impressed with what we had to offer.  That being said we had a few deficiencies in calculations, missing data, and a little gap in our funding.  As of today, we have rectified their requests and are getting ready to re-submit. 

In addition, I left my post as bartender with my dear friends at Marination ma kai to assist with the new restaurant opening of Agrodolce in Fremont for James Beard Award-winning chef Maria Hines.  You’ll find me there as a dinner server four nights a week pimping beautifully crafted southern Italian cuisine. 

Stay tuned for posts regarding my travels to Spain and what is happening in the world of opening a restaurant & bar.

It feels great to be back on the world wide web.  Here’s to a healthy, enlightening and prosperous new year for everyone!

Adios Amigos!

It’s time for me to embark on a little adventure.  I am certainly open to a big adventure, just packed into nine days.  Travel is something that moves my soul.  It feeds an inner curiosity and recharges my batteries in a way I have been hard pressed to find by any other means.  I have been to only eight countries outside of the United States and some part of me yearns to see them all. 

Mid October my curiosities will take me to Spain joining one of my bestest friends on a romp through the northern country.  I have never been and have only the tales of others to tease and feed my wanderlust. 

My intentions are simple: keep my ears, eyes, and heart open to the authentic pulse of Spain.  I envision drinking a lot, laughing a lot, listening a lot, and talking a lot.  I want to come home with new bar ideas, friends and experiences I can relish for a lifetime.

Blog posts to resume upon my return…

Penny Profiler #50

Joanie Parsons. A dozen (maybe more) years ago our paths crossed via an ex-boyfriend of hers that I met on Match.  Needless to say a few chuckles have been shared over the irony.  This PR entrepreneur has taught me the finer points of elevator pitches, sustainability, turtles, and medicine cards.  She is a spirited lover of nature, animals, world travels, and eating your veggies. 

We were lucky enough to share a fence for several years and while I’m excited for the direction our lives took, I do miss the good old days.  Her fridge was known to have every known condiment on the planet. 

Our penny exchange came recently when I went to visit her downtown dwelling.  She’s officially given up the backyard and landscape for a cityscape complete with a knowledgeable doorman.  I’m officially envious.  

Penny Profiler #49

Sarah Reker.  Have you ever heard of the artist Pimp Rekker?  There is no known relation but there is a correlation.  Sarah is a master mixer of media and marketing in such a rhythmic and funky fashion that could challenge the stylistic beats of the aforementioned Pimp.  Check it out for yourself at www.designwineandfood.com 

I have had the great pleasure of getting to know this amazing woman as her passions in food and wine undoubtedly collided with mine in Post Alley.  And hers, leading to a wonderful career assisting industry members with their digital sea legs. 

We break bread and drink wine when busy schedules permit and often fantasize about getting friend together for travels far away to sip the indigenous beverages, sample the nosh and meet the locals.  I’ll have to start saving more than just pennies.  Thanks to her penny saving efforts though, I’ll have her sweet mojo within the walls of Brimmer someday.  

Local Inspirations (Part VI)

Local Inspirations (Part VI)

I do like to cook but I LOVE to go out.  Often my to-do list is filled with places that I haven’t been to but my inspirations are mostly drawn from are those who have been at it for a little or a long while, as below. 

Maneki: Is my favorite traditional Japanese restaurant located in the heart of the International District that has been in Seattle for more than 100 years.  As quoted by Nancy Leson from the Seattle Times reflecting on their extensive customer base: ” That's what happens when a restaurant withstands two World Wars, Japanese internment, a move, the distinction of having a former dishwasher go on to become the 66th prime minister of Japan and — amazingly enough — only a handful of ownership changes in a century.”  Impressive hardly describes it.

Beloved dish: anything from their daily specials and Ankimo (Monkfish liver) if I’m lucky

Special detail: Private Tatami rooms for 4-10 people

Favorite server:  I’m not sure if she is still bartending part time but it is the best treat if Fusae Yokoyama, aka "Okasan" or "Mom" is behind the bar

Delicious drink: sake!

Go: www.manekirestaurant.com

……………….

Spinasse: Since opening in 2008, this little Italian joint has caught the attention of those seeking salvation in Piedmontese cuisine.  Chef Jason Stratton and his team create daily fresh staples that are beautiful simple yet refined and word has it from those in the know… authentic.

Beloved dish: I would eat every single one of his pasta dishes every single day of my life for the rest of my life if my heart and hips could take it.

Special detail: sit at the counter, the pasta equivalent of the sushi counter

Delicious drink: I’m a sucker for their Dolcetto collection

Go: www.spinasse.com

Penny Profiler #48

Ashlyn Forshner.  House sitting for a stranger is an unusual way to get acquainted with someone but it worked.  Our homes tell a lot about us and hers screamed a love of animals, food, gardens and music.  Thank goodness I have been able to dig deeper as her travels returned her to Seattle.  Southern roots give her a sweet side like “bless your heart”, while her life path lends a sort of Bette Davis attitude. 

If you’re lucky enough to rent a room from her VRBO property (http://www.vrbo.com/428475) you’ll be treated to a dreamy piece of land complete with her Southern hospitality, homemade tea foraged from her property, fresh flowers, and the most delicious home cooked breakfast a girl could ever ask for.

In true Ashlyn fashion, her pennies don’t fit in with the rest.  She brought hers back from a month long excursion to France.  Dis-moi à quoi tu penses, et je te donnerai 20 sous.

Strategies Seminar

I recently attended a complementary seminar on Strategies for Increasing Restaurant Sales in the South Lake Union neighborhood.  In partnership with the Office of Economic Development and the Community Capital Development a panel of industry experts gathered to discuss analyzing operations, opportunities to improve sales, customer loyalty, promotions and branding.  Collectively the speakers had decades of experience and shared their perspective on how to gain an edge in this competitive market.   

Overall I thought it was a quite an informative session with a variety of attendees ranging from small coffee shop owners, a baker wanting to expand her wholesale kitchen, an international hotel chain looking for ideas in their restaurant operations as it pertained to the Seattle market, and so on.  One thing is clear; there is no cookie cutter solution to any problem.  If we are open to looking at things from a different perspective, there are plenty of tools at our fingertips.