new week - new guests

 So the weather has turned magnificent and we havbe been outside for drinks for merienda (late afternoon-early evening snack and social time.)  On Wewdnesday after Katia finished we went to Catalina for cocktails - tinto de verano for me and Aperiol Spritz for Phil. Then later we went to Manolo Mayo for dinner outside.

The following night we went back to Red Steak. Although the address has changed the same good basic steak place we have been going to for three years is still hitting on all cylinders. Salad and drinks to start and two large pieces of meat. A sizeable (bigger half) chunk came home with us for sandwiches tomorrow. Service very friendly and good.

So on my way to the bank that morning I heard lovely Spanish music and discovered this street puppeteer with his marionette band. Then I checked in with the bank and the man at the reception desk told me my banker was on a coffee break and would be back in a few minutes. I could be aggravated but it's a beautiful morning, a light breeze and sunshine heading into the high 80s today. And, I live in Spain ❣️

Banking business in process at this point. So on with daily life. The weather has been glorious so we wanted to eat outside and ended up at d'Italy.  Well, we dug into the salad immediately so the photo is about 85% of what arrived. The pizza was Phil's choice and the sandwich on focaccia was mine. Drinks were great for a day in the very high 80s and an evening that cooled off to mid to high 70s until much later. A huge amount of foot traffic in town this weekend, as it is the Copa de Rey in futbol here in Sevilla's 72,000 fan stadium! And next week Feria de Abril begins!

Friends arrived from Chicago around 2 pm Saturday afternoon after an overnight flight via Madrid. So we grabbed a quick lunch and we have an early dinner planned so they can acclimate to the time change. We went around the corner to the place we went nearly every day while in school in 2023. Señora Pan. We had a light lunch as dinner is very early for us but very late for our friends. Phil had the ribs, Ron and Mary had the tuna tataki and ceviche and I had the most mini arepitas. I was the only drinker, ordering Tinto de verano as Feria is about to begin!

Then that evening it was off to Islamorada. Our regular place for first nighters from the States. Open early for Sevilla, and good food and even better service from the team! Thanks, Javier! We had the usual. The outstanding tortilla tartufo, the Jamon iberico, and Anchovies to start. Then we had the white shrimp from Huelva and pork cheeks and tuna al ajillo. Finally, three carmelo de sal gelatos and one tocino de Cielo! By 10:30 Ron was asleep on the couch but it was the middle of their second night without sleep (Chicago time) so completely understandable. Tomorrow they will be up at dawn (routine for US visitors on morning one in the EU) and out exploring the remains of the city after the Copa de Rey finals tonight in the stadium on Cartuja between teams from Madrid and San Sebastian. The city is buzzing (per AI) to me it's just overrun. But things will quiet down in our neighborhood as the Feria will draw people south to the fairgrounds.  The weather is dry and warm all week. 

Ron & Mary will be with us through Tuesday and then we have a week to regroup before John & Stephanie arrive. so more to follow. 

April guests start arriving

 So it turns out, April is  going to be our biggerst month for visitors. This weekend, Megan and Christian and Frank will all be here. Frank at a nearby hotel and our cosuins with us! we will meet up for lunch on Friday outside at Tradevo. Christian is coming for a Sunady gig in the afternoon. but we have two lunches and three dinners with them while they are here and one extra dinner with Frank. Then we have time to wash and change the sheets and towels in the guest room before the following weekend and Ron & Mary arrive. Followd by John & Stephanie at the end of the month! 

So before the door opens for our guests we have had a few local meal. We started with Sushi Kansawa to celebrate Helena's birthday! She was wiped out by trying to keep her head above the flood of Semana Santa crowds. Several of her employees couldn't get to the store due ot the blocked by crowds streets. Two days they sold more than 3000 Euros each day in gelato! 

Also she and Lope are moving this weekend  to a new apartment. they won't be our neighbors any longer but we will obviously still see her. Their new apartment looks wonderful - it has a huge patio that is roughly the same size as the indoors of the apartment - it is complerely rehabbed and the landlord is buying new furniture for them, 

Anyway we had a lovely dinner and a drizzly walk home. 

Then Wednesday we went to Aurgurio for dinner- still a favorite and still good. 

then on Thursday we had a meal at La Brunilda before the guests arrive....

Lunch outside Friday in the Plaza Pescaderos. Frank Patterson Megan Cytron and Christian Pérez Yates joined us for the opening meal of the weekend. We were in luck because we got there as the restaurant opened and they still had the cabracho (scorpion fish) - ugly fish beautiful taste! We had two cones of boquerón fritos and split three brioches with calamarcitos. Finished off with the tacos gambón. Perfect meal outside!  Two bottles of white made the afternoon while away. Celebrating primavera in Sevilla.

I would call Friday dinner at Chicarreros a hit or miss meal. Some interesting options which didn't quite hit the mark and some excellent dishes that helped  balance the overall experience. Oddly I somehow didn't manage to take photos of either of my choices for starter and main. I was not crazy about my tuna starter but loved my skate main which was a large portion I couldn't finish.  Overall, having been here three times with one winner and two less than stellar meals I think it's going off the rotation at least for a while. Its aspirations overreach the executions IMO. The white wine Frank chose (an albariño) was excellent I only tasted the red so can't really fairly assess that one.

Another outside lunch Saturday, under the ubiquitous orange trees that line our Sevilla streets. At Augurio, we had three orders of tuna triptico, three orders of steak tartare bombitas, two pan Cristal with solomillo in whiskey sauce, two tacos de pez mantequila, and one ravioli of beef cheeks in foie gras sauce. An excellent bottle of white wine chosen by Frank from a grape unfamiliar to us. The grape was Giró Ros, and the wine was from the D.O. Binissalem-Mallorca.

Then, Surprise! Fish that night for dinner. No really, we had anchovies and tuna and a whole fresh fish! Oh and a vegetable! Leeks with burrata and pistachios. Everything was excellent. We had an excellent wine which paired really well with the food. All marked on the menus. 

Then Sunday, our last group dinner for this visit with our cousins. Our favorite Desacato. A terrific meal with excellent wines and pre dinner cocktails at a bar near our place before dinner. All items are marked on the menu except the desserts of tarta de queso and panchineta.

One last meal with Frank after los primoshave departed- We met up at a bar with good service and food in the  restaurant upstairs. Menus are marked and wines shown.

So we go on- by next weekend- we will have Ron & Mary visiting. More to follow- stay tuned!