El Tintero

I hope you had a fine weekend. We certainly did. Flamenco show, coffees with Spanish friends, late-night Dominoes pizza. 

*cough*

Yeah sorry, one thing doesn't belong, right? But they just opened up a Dominoes in town, and there are LIMITED TIME OFFERS, well, we folded like lawn chairs. What else can I say?

So, Sunday we set out to atone for our sins.  We kept hearing about this great restaurant in the next little town, El Palo.  This restaurant, El Tintero, is famous for some of the best seafood on the coast. 

It was a bright, sunshiny Sunday, and so we set out on foot.  Google Maps estimated one hour walking time, which is a fairly standard walk for us here now, and didn't bother us in the least.  Right on the boardwalk the whole way.

One hour and forty five minutes later, we were there. Thanks, Google.

This restaurant is super cool because you don't order from a menu - instead, waiters wander around with plates of food, calling out items like at an auction - "arroz! arroz! pulpo a la gallega!", and you flag down the dishes you want.  When you've had your fill, they count how many plates you've had and you pay up.  Rather charming, and oozing with character.

As for the food - well I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

Salt-encrusted shrimp - heads still attached, as is standard Euro-style

Paella, apple of my eye

My favorite one of the day: pulpo frito - fried octopus

Lobster so fresh I swear there was a little seawater on the plate

The pitchers of beer made the two-hour walk home feel a little shorter