We found El Candil nestled in a quiet corner of a plaza in Almería. Only a few patrons were sipping their wine and beer when we popped our heads into this little dive. We only became aware of the place because the Ruta de Tapas was taking place in Almería while we were visiting the city. It was stop number two on our list that night and we ended up staying there during the entirety of a football match and then returning the next night. The tapas bar does not offer much on views, but it more than makes up for that in their food.
Sitting at the bar, we immediately were served our first drink and along with that, we ordered our free tapa. With my wine, I ordered Buñuelos de Bacalao. Buñuelos are usually frozen croquettes that are a tasty treat, but more for the "I have been drinking and I need a bite" type of food. My husband reminded me of this when ordering, as in the past, I have not always been pleased with my buñuelos. I was amazingly surprised when this dish was set in front of me. These buñuelos looked like they have never been inside of a freezer, but just made that day and were the best I have had to this day. They were flaky, full of flavor, and did not taste like a fry basket. Another surprise that Almería had to offer was a helping of vegetables on the side. Sure, these were fried, but vegetables! These pieces of zucchini were divine to my taste buds and I ate them happily.
I mentioned before that Almería was having their Ruta de Tapas and because of this, we were able to have the next tapa. The bartender strongly suggested this to my husband while he was having a hard time deciding on which tapa to choose. Bacalao con Chocolate was their special for the Ruta de Tapas and definitely a wonderful change for bacalao. This beautifully presented dish was an instant hit with us. The bacalao, lightly fried, was tender and accompanied by a drizzle of chocolate. The chocolate was a great addition, it added a different flavor, but a richness that cannot be described. It was placed on a bed of fried peppers, zucchini, and onion-again vegetables! A remarkable dish that will not be out of our minds, or stomachs for awhile.
On to round two... Another beer for my husband brought this tasty tapa, also another special that they had there. They had a movie theme (which after glancing at their local newspaper a local cinema was playing some old movies and they must have tied it in with that) for this tapa as it was called the Tapa de Cleopatra. It was a piece of toasted bread with a spread of caramelized onions, then topped with pork meat from around the ribs. It was a great tosta that was rich and hearty, and complemented with fries. I have no idea why this tapa was named after Cleopatra, but it was a winner.
I had been eyeing the Setas on the menu. Most places have some sort of champiñones on their menu and they are normally small button mushrooms, that I might add are normally delicious. I was curious about setas, so I ordered them. This picture does not do them justice, they were outstanding. They have these setas all over the markets here, and I have never known what to do with them. These were lightly oiled, grilled, seasoned and placed in front of me. They were earthy, full of texture, and for any mushroom lover out there, a must try. These setas would be a great substitute for meat in a lot of dishes, just like portabellas, but these are not nearly as full-bodied and might add a lighter aspect to the dishes used. I was in love with this dish and never wanted them to disappear off my plate.
No, we did not order more that night, but had to go back (there was another football match) the next night. We sat down and the bartender reached up and gave us our "usual" drinks from the night before. I ordered the calamares, an item that I had read the Almería was known for (also cuttlefish, but that will be on a later post). I have had calamares in a lot of places, in Europe and in the States, but the calamares here were the most tender that I have ever had. They seemed incredibly fresh, as if it was just caught that day and brought there (I would not doubt it). They were lightly fried, perfectly cooked, and again served with vegetables. This veggie mixture was red and green peppers along with zucchini. A definite good start.
My husband ordered the Bacalao con Ajo Blanco. Here in Spain, they love the "salsa de ajo" or garlic sauce. Mostly seen on patatas bravas, this sauce is usually heavy, thick, and really garlicy. This however, was light, fluffy, and not too potent. The bacalao was lightly fried, along with the veggies, and the sauce was a nice complement with both. But after ordering this, our consensus was that the bacalao was best with the chocolate.
The last picture from Bar Candil was the Tortilla de Patatas con Salmorejo. I had been wanting a tortilla de patatas for awhile, but other items usually tempt me more. Since we had been to this place and had their specialities, I ordered this Spanish traditional tapa. The tortilla was enjoyable and since I have a love for potatoes, I could eat this everyday, if not for the billions of other choices of food around me. The tosta had a layer of salmorejo (the Spanish gazpacho) that added a nice flavor contrast to the tortilla. A scrumptious way to end our time at El Candil.
Looking forward to showing you more tapas next week!
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