Tonight was hysterical.
Upon arriving in Basque country I have been hearing about these "cideria dinners" and not one to miss out on anything interesting I began inquiring ASAP.
Basically the menu is very 'typico' of the Basque region, relying mainly on fish, except for the main course, and lots of cider that must be caught from the barrel. These happen only January - April of each year, and how fortunate am I that I am visiting in March!
Upon arrival to the restaurant (I took a taxi as it was a ways out of San Sebastian) I am told to go to the building to the right. I do, and upon entering feel as if I have entered a Wednesday night church supper that I went to as a child. There were moms feeding babies, kids running around...nothing 'exciting' happening, and definitely nothing worth mentioning in a guide book.
When I inquired about the 'traditional' or 'typico' menu my inquiry is met with strange looks and inquiring eyebrows until someone got the bright idea to go and ask the English speaking chef to come out and speak to the English speaking girl. (I realize I should be able to carry a basic conversation in any region I go, but the language here is unlike anything -- not French, not Spanish, not Catalan, and God knows, not English!)
The chef quickly figured out I wanted to be in a different building and bustles me across the way to another cavernous hall, this time filled with beer/cider vatts and lots of Spanish men. When I was presented to the hall ny the hostess, I swear you could hear a pin drop. (Think moment of silence at a church event.)
Obviously I was a tourist. Obviously I didn't belong there.
90% of the place was men, age 45 and up. The other population consisted of 5% Spanish women with VERY short haircuts, and 5% men under the age of 45. I was an anomoly. Clearly off the wrong boat... or maybe the right boat, just wrong port.
The host/owner seated me at the first table, right in the middle, with the ONLY guy who kind of spoke English, who quickly became my best friend. The rest of the men gathered around the table seemed very interested in speaking English or at least to the English speaking guest, as I was not part of their regular Monday night cigar club.
A minute into sitting, there was a call from the barman ( i guess that's his name) and everyone in the place stands up (quite abruptly), takes their glass and walks into the "cideria" where they tap a cask, and the first person catches what springs out and then a line forms, each catching from the vatt without letting a drop hit the ground. If UGA fraternity boys could play this game!
Omigod. Such a science, and yet such an art. And the thing is, you cannot fill your glass. You only take as much as you plan to drink in that instant, as the people of the Basque region think that the first taste is the best, and anything else is spoiled.
Over the course of the meal, which started with French baguette, entered into cod omelette (much better than it sounds), grilled cod with stir fried peppers (think fish fajitas), and then a big steak, followed by cheese, walnut and quince jam, an average guest would get up and visit 'la cideria' about 8-12 times. Keep in mind, you are not bringing anything back to the table, all is drunk in the winery. Its very bad form to bring it back to the table. Each time you venture in, you taste from a different cask...and obviously some you like better than others so you can go for another taste.
My table mates were quite friendly, and invited me for a coffee after at the room across the way I had started this adventure in. By the time we entered it was a smoky joint, filled with lots of men -- all mamas and bambinos had headed in for the night. I think I was the only woman, and BY FAR the youngest. But I enjoyed myself, and loved exchanging my 100 words of Spanish for their 100 words of English.
As a result of tonight I have been invited to lunch tomorrow in a small 'photoesque' spot in Don Juan before my bus to Bilbao. Apparently the views are even better there than they are here... I really don't believe it, but to enjoy a lunch prepared by a Spanish chef that specializes in seafood, well, I am sure the delay to Bilbao will be worth it.
Hey Paige!
ReplyDeleteI have just now read all of your posts. I never have the time at home to get on the computer so I thought I would try at work. I never imagined that I would actually be able to access it from here!
I've enjoyed what I have read thus far and look forward to more.
Be safe, and continue having fun.
Love ya, Naomi