San Sebastian

So I'm here in San Sebastian, Northern Spain and the heart of the Basque country. It has a reputation of being one of the culinary capitals of the world, and having been here a while now, I understand why. Its been 3 weeks so far, and have not had an average meal yet! Food is taken very seriously here. Unfortunately all the centuries-old gastronomic societies that litter the city are only privy to men, and you have to be specially invited to boot. First time I've envious of a man.

In any case, here's my list of must-trys. Problem is, once I've found a place I like, I keep going back! But I persevere..Some definitions to start:

pintxos: The tapas of the North. Actually its more like sushi, but on bread. Every bar in the city has its own speciality. Costs about 1.50 euros for a regular one, but the more special the toppings the higher the cost. Tourists are identified by the piles of pintxos on their plates: locals usually just have one per bar. What an incentive to bar-hop!

bocadillo: This big mama of a sandwich I'm sure was meant to provide rocket fuel for anyone not intending to eat for the week following. But the locals seem to like it. Have had a couple which were sublime, and then rolled home after.

plato combinado: A balanced meal-a meat, two veggies and some carbs most times. Just as the doctor ordered.