Monday, October 27, 2014

eat like the locals





"you have to taste a culture to understand it" -- Deborah Cater


Wine & olives

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Los Angeles for a week of training meetings at CRM's main offices. It was a great time - I loved connecting with other people in this organization, hearing their stories, and learning about all that God is doing in the U.S. and across the world! So, while I was in the area, I had a few free evenings and seized the opportunity to get together with a couple of friends I'd met in Spain earlier this year.


We ended up going to a Spanish tapas restaurant (called Phlight in Whittier, CA) and

OH...
MY...
GOODNESS...

I instantly missed Spain.

No offense to Spanish food, but moving to Spain from San Diego can be a little rough on the taste buds. Going from spicy, flavor-filled foods to... well... a lack of spice... made it a little difficult for me to really love the food in Spain. But I grew to like a variety of foods while I was there. And visiting Phlight made me realize that I had actually come to LOVE - and truly miss - Spanish food.

As soon as my friends and I sat down, the servers gave us a small bowl of olives - quite possibly my favorite thing about getting wine & tapas in Spain is all the fresh (and free!) olives you get.
So delicious.

My eyes poured over the menu, unable to pick just one item - or even just a few. Thankfully I was there with friends and tapas are small enough that we could order a bunch and share. :) 

Patatas Bravas w/ Aioli sauce

I ordered patatas bravas - roasted potatoes accompanied by a spicy sauce (at Phlight it was served with a spicy aioli sauce) - which is one of the spiciest dishes in Spain. I was not disappointed - they were just as flavorful and delicious as I'd remembered!
Bacon-wrapped dates
stuffed w/ Manchego cheese









But it wasn't until I tried Phlight's Manchego cheese-stuffed bacon-wrapped dates that I realized just how much I missed Spanish food.

Oh.
So.
Good. 









Ground beef & pickle tacos

Finally, a surprising(ly delicious) item on the menu: ground beef and pickle tacos with spicy sauce. I was a little skeptical of the combination, but those chefs know what they're doing. 

Seriously.

You should try it. 






So, if you live near - or are visiting - Whittier, I would highly recommend trying this restaurant. Until then, go see what tapas restaurants are in/near your neighborhood and let me know what you find. If you have any recommendations, please leave a comment - I'd love to check them out if my travels take me that way!

mk

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