granada tapas

Isnt it funny how sometimes when you are talking or thinking about one thing how it suddenly pops up right before your eyes. While posting the last post about my teapot and glasses I was instant messaged by a friend that I shared a flat with while living in Granada in the early 90's. My friend no longer lives there but now lives in Barcelona. (more on that later!) Anyhoo, she was telling me that she recently visited Granada and went to a tapa bar that we used to go to all the time. It is, in fact, quite well known with locals and tourists alike. The bar is la bodega castaneda, (i need to figure out how to do the tilde above the n) and there are actually two in the city. Bear in mind one gives free tapas, the other doesnt. Its quite easy to figure out which one doesn't. Buy a drink and see what happens. Now if you only had a couple of hours to spare in the city of Granada and you wanted to eat and drink I would say go to this place. This place is oozing with character; wooden panelling and barrels and hams hanging from the ceiling. I guess some would say you get a sense of the real, old spain. Whatever that may be. The free tapas are outstanding. You never really know what you are gonna get. It could be as simple as a small plate of bread, cheese and chorizo and if it is you can bet it will be an outstanding plate of cheese, bread and chorizo. Often you get tortilla which, quite frankly blows all other tortilla I have tasted out the water. One time I remember we got a plate of calamares. Wow its good. Generally you can buy bigger versions of the tapas which are called raciones. But if you go I would recommend getting one of their tablas. esp the smoked fish one. If you want to sit catch the waiters eye soon because this place is busy all the time. Thanks to my friend Asela for the photo she sent me of the bar. We might be visiting her soon in Barcelona. Another food heaven.