Saint Anthony Bourdain inspired our whirlwind of eating and drinking in Granada for several days during our stay. We were determined to walk in his footsteps. The late great chef provocateur filmed an episode of “Parts Unknown” here in 2013 featuring five tapas bars. We planned to check out the same ones. But not all in one night, as Boudain and pals did. And not eating exactly everything he did. We’re no match for his try-anything appetite, stamina, or even his biting prose. Who is?
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We were in Granada on the 6th anniversary of his tragic suicide in a hotel room in France, where he was filming. During his lifetime, this renowned chef changed the way people think about travel and food. Several television series since have tried to emulate his style, but none has even come close. He is still an inspiration to us, and millions of other fellow travelers and food lovers around the world.
Years ago, when he was on the cusp of fame, I interviewed him for my nationally syndicated wine and food column, “Perfect Pairings.” Bourdain, then a rather obscure chef working in the hot kitchens of New York City, gave the world a glimpse of his razor wit and searing honesty in “Kitchen Confidential” (2000). This professional memoir served up an unfiltered look at the sometimes grim reality of working in New York’s high-end, high-pressure kitchens.
As the book climbed the bestseller charts, I was offered a phone interview with Bourdain. “Mr Bourdain is very busy,” the publicist explained. “The interview will be 15 minutes, no longer.” Now by this time, Tony Bourdain already had a reputation for not suffering fools gladly–especially if the fools were journalists with stupid questions.
I had interviewed several superstar chefs by then, but I was intimidated, and more than a bit nervous. In the end, it was a wonderful interview. Bourdain was charming and chatty. Our 15 minutes multiplied into nearly an hour. I hung up with new respect for the man and a good deal of professional self-satisfaction.
Granada is most famous for three things: The Alhambra, the last stronghold and architectural marvel of the Moors who ruled here for nearly 700 years. The resting place of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who funded Columbus’ world-changing voyages. And the tradition of serving free tapas when you order a drink. “This is still one of the few places in Spain where they’re free. All you have to do is keep drinking,” Bourdain explained in his program on Granada.
Bourdain visited Andalucia during the pageantry-filled Semana Santa or Holy Week, the week before Easter. Bourdain’s tour guide was his close friend, cinematographer Zach Zamboni. Zach lives in Granada part-time and had been begging Bourdain to visit for a long time.
Besides dining out, Bourdain wandered the streets of some popular neighborhoods, visited the Alhambra, and took in a Flamenco show in the Moorish Albaicin neighborhood. For him, learning about history and culture is the heart of his travel philosophy. Food and drink, he believed, and so vividly showed, are windows into the soul of a place. It’s a viewpoint we share, one that always colors our travel adventures.
In the Granada show, Bourdain reflected on Spain. “Spain is the sort of place that never really made any sense, anyway. But in the very best possible way. This is the country that gave us the Spanish Inquisition. Also anarchy. This is where devout Catholicism mixes surrealism and modernist cuisine with traditional tapas. Christianity and Islam traded places and shared space. And the effects and influences of all those things are right here to see.”
Bourdain’s trademark was to avoid Michelin-starred restaurants, staged presentations, and tourist destinations. Instead, he sought out the local markets, street vendors, and obscure restaurants to experience the food and culture enjoyed by locals. Ironically, as he probably found out, the once off-the-beaten-path places featured in his programs became tourist destinations because of him. Today, they still draw Bourdain pilgrims tracing his footsteps from around the world – including us.
“Nighttime in Granada. And it’s time to pursue that greatest of Spanish traditions, tapas. You may think you know what a tapa is. Like you did have small bites at some fusion hipster bar where they did a whole lot of little plates. Yes, that ain’t a tapa.” ~ Anthony Bourdain.
WALKING IN ANTHONY BOURDAIN’S FOOTSTEPS
Mary and I visited three of the five eateries featured in the Granada program. One, El Tabernaculo, was out of business, and the other, Los Caracoles, specializes in snails and tripe. Bourdain seemed to enjoy them: “Snails in an almond sauce. About as traditional and as delicious as it gets.” Maybe, but we decided they were just a weird-food experience too far.
The three tapas bars we visited were well worth the effort to find. Each had a distinctive feel and tapas menu. They all were friendly, especially when the subject of Bourdain came up.
“So if I were like a degenerate — wino, I can still eat well? As long as I can afford my wine, I eat.” ~ Anthony Bourdain
Taberna La Tana is currently run by Jesús and Luisa González Martín, carrying on the legacy their mother established over nearly three decades. We had stopped by this quaint tapas and wine bar years ago on our way back from Alhambra. Then, we didn’t know that Bourdain had visited until we chatted with some other amiables there sharing tapas and drinks. This time you didn’t need to be told. An Anthony Bourdain caricature was prominently displayed above the bar.
While the tapas we sampled here were delicious, the bar’s hallmark is its extensive wine selection from a cellar with over 10,000 bottles. If you’re looking for hot tapas, you’re out of luck here. But La Tana does serve a classic selection of cold dishes – some of the best we’ve savored in Spain.
Our free tapas was the same simple one served to Bourdain – a delicious piece of bread topped with lightly salted ripe tomato drizzled with olive oil and a big slice of white sausage. We followed that with an order of sweet pimientos asados–red peppers roasted until tender and slightly charred, then mixed with olive oil and sweet onion. I didn’t think we could put a dent in the large serving, but it was devoured before our next dish appeared.
As good as the peppers were, the best was yet to come, starting with “Media tenera machada.” This delicious dish, new to us, featured thin slices of slow-cooked pork shoulder served like carpaccio sprinkled with salt, olive oil, and hard-boiled quail egg. Ron’s favorite was last served – an artfully plated silky foie pate. Sliced grapes stacked like a cluster and a strawberry “flower” sat amid swirls of balsamic syrup. Both dishes paired well with the crisp white wines our friendly server suggested.
We had walked by Restaurante Bar Oliver several times without knowing it was one of Bourdain’s tapas destinations. It is one of many restaurants in the historic Cathedral area with a small dining room and bar and a shaded terrace for outdoor seating. Some are tourist traps, but we couldn’t help but notice that Bar Oliver was almost always packed with as many locals as visitors – a sure sign of an authentic dining experience.
The century-old family restaurant is well-known for its authentic tapas and delicious Andalusian cuisine, including rice, seafood, and meat dishes. We ordered a couple of glasses of fruity Verdejo white wine that arrived with a dish of green olives, an always welcome tapas but not comparable to the bowl of steamed clams Bourdain savored with his wine.
Our delightful server, we discovered, was the daughter of the owner, José Enrique Oliver. She runs the restaurant by day and her father takes over at night. When we mentioned Bourdain, she noted they get customers from around the world following in his footsteps. She didn’t meet him but said her father had his picture taken with the great chef during his Granada tapas crawl.
Bourdain’s tapa put us in the mood for clams, so we ordered the artichoke hearts and clams – a satisfying starter that was followed by grilled veal. It was surprisingly large–cooked, with a perfect tender and juicy pink interior. We took half of it home.
You have to work to find Bar Gallardo on Calle Pintor Rodríguez Acosta. Next to the bar, a large glass display case showcases the day’s seafood and meats to customers curious about the daily menu.
The modest but comfortable bar was Bourdain’s final tapas stop in Granada. By this time, he and his pals had consumed many tapas, each with a glass of something. Bourdain was feeling no pain. “As this death march of tapas continues, things start to get a little weird,” Bourdain mumbled to his friend. “This is the story of my life. Finally, Bar Gallardo. Just making it before closing. Now let’s be honest, we’ve had a lot to eat and drink at this point. Some restraint needs to be shown.”
Restraint is not something we associate with Anthony Bourdain. The plan to have one drink and one tapa and call it a night failed. They ended up with three beers and an equal number of tapas – cheese, boquerones (fried anchovies), and chulatitas (little lamb chops). Bourdain judged it perfectly fine. “… seems like exactly what you want at the end of a long night of beer, wine, and many, many rounds of tapas.”
Our friendly bartender poured us two cold beers as we settled on stools at a corner table. About 30 seconds later, he returned with a large plate of carne en salsa. This beef stew-like tapa was meal-sized! And it was hands down my favorite. I could have scarfed down another few servings of the tender chunks of beef and savory sauce. Bourdain didn’t get this tapa, but I think he would have loved it.
After an order of a shrimp-studded Russian salad, we moved on to the same chulatitas or lamb chops that Bourdain and friends had. The tiny lamb lollipops didn’t offer a lot of meat, but they’re irresistibly tasty. As we were feasting on them, a bearded man approached our table from the kitchen. “Anthony Bourdain ordered those lamb chops,” he announced. We found out he was the owner of the bar that had been in his family for three generations. He pulled out his phone and scrolled until he found a video of the Granada episode of “Parts Unknown. “That’s me, behind the bar,” he said with a grin.
It was one of those simple but memorable experiences we encounter regularly in Spain. And it’s a big reason why we’ve grown to love this country. Anthony Bourdain felt it too as he reflected on his time in Granada.
“Nice. Awesome. This is the dream of all the world. The dream is to live in Granada. …work in the morning, have a one-hour (siesta) in the afternoon, at night go out and have that life. … to look out the window and to see Spain.”
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013) – Spain:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3280212/ – The specific episode of “Parts Unknown” featuring Granada.Anthony Bourdain in Granada, Andalusia: 6 Spots Where Tony Ate:https://eatlikebourdain.com/anthony-bourdain-in-granada-andalusia/ – A detailed guide to the places Bourdain visited in Granada, including the tapas bars.Parts Unknown’s guide to a perfect day in Granada:https://explorepartsunknown.com/spain/a-perfect-day-in-granada/ – Recommendations for experiencing Granada in the spirit of Bourdain, beyond just the food.Taberna La Tana:https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187441-d3174950-Reviews-Taberna_La_Tana-Granada_Province_of_Granada_Andalucia.html – Reviews and information about this tapas bar, frequented by locals and Bourdain fans alike.Restaurante Bar Oliver: (Official website may not be readily available, but you can likely find it on Google Maps or review sites like TripAdvisor) – Search for this restaurant to see its current menu, hours, and location.Bar Gallardo: (Similar to Restaurante Bar Oliver, search online for its current information) – Look up this bar to learn more about its history and what it offers today.The Alhambra, Granada:https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/ – The official website for this iconic landmark, which Bourdain also visited during his time in Granada.