As a native central Californian (San Joaquin Valley) I have grown to love Basque food (there are quite a few large communities of Basque shepherds in cities like Bakersfield and Fresno). I'm going to Spain shortly and want to know the situation of Basque food there, especially in Madrid. I understand the political situation between the Basque and the Spanish, and certainly don't want to do anything un-PC or that will put me in any danger. (Am I completely overreacting?!) I haven't seen anything about eating Basque food in Spain, its availability, etc so could someone shed some light on this for me? Un abrazo fuerte, y muchas gracias Carolina

I think basque food is excellent but too expensive. You will find many basque restaurant in Madrid and most of them are very good but expensive. I don't think you are overreacting but I think you don't have the right information, we LOVE basques and their food, what we HATE is ETA. We are aginst ETA but no against Pais Vasco so you will be very safe in their restaurants.

its considered to be very haute cuisine. ther are many basque restaurants in madrid. i never visited them as they were quite expensive. and as mentioned, there isn't a problem with the basque and spanish people. the fringe terrorist group ETA that exists are very simply killers and nothing more. they don't hold the same feelings that the basque and spanish feel for eachother

If you really want to enjoy some Basque cuisine without going broke, go to Bilbao. It's less than an hour flying time from Madrid and Spanair or Iberia usually have 'ofertas' (cheap fares) available. If you are into Modern Art, you can stop at the Guggenheim - if not, you can just enjoy what the architect calls 'the wrapper.'

You don't have to go to a Basque restaurant to enjoy some Basque specialties (i.e., seafood a la Guipozcoana or a la Vizcaina). The 'de caza' recepies might be harder to find. In Bilbao, I had Bacalao en dos salsas that was really outstanding. I like the Basque seafood - I don't like 'gamey' tasting meat so I avoided 'de caza' things.

I would try: Taberna Bilbao
Costanilla de San Andres, 8
Elegant, north of Spain cuisine, I recommend "ensalada de tomate, queso y mermelada de cebolla" (salad made of tomato, cheese and onion marmalade (around 900 pts) and "revuelto de setas"(mushrooms omelet) (1.500
pts) but remember that this is a tavern and not a restaurant so you can eat on your
feet or sit down, as you wish.
The tavern is a stone´s throw from "Plaza de la Paja". This was the most important public square in the middle ages, where the aristocracy lived. All this area is the oldest part of Madrid, highly recommended.

------------------
Enjoy Madrid´s night life with:
http://www.walksofspain.com

[This message has been edited by JARABOAN (edited 09-03-2000).]

[This message has been edited by JARABOAN (edited 09-03-2000).]

So true! I'm a big fan of Basque food, and I'd have to second this post's advice. Instead of spending a fortune in Madrid, simply head up to the Basque region.

The food (I should really call it cuisine) is incredible. In downtown Bilbao you can find numerous cafes that serve up delicious pinchos, all made to order, and of course they all go well with any good Spanish wine.

I remember vividly a wonderful day spent with a Basque couple (long-time friends of my partner's). After a quick ride on the city's new Metro system (from their home in the outskirts) we disembarked in downtown Bilbao, strolled around, ate a little at each cafe, and then ended up at the Guggenheim.

But back to the food...incredible. Like any good food around the world, its draw is its simplicity and use of fresh ingredients.

For those in the US, Basque food is not hard to find. To my surprise, Reno, Nevada has a large Basque-immigrant population, and there are a few notable restaurants (sorry, I've forgotten their names) in the area. In San Francisco, there are at least two, high profile, flashy eateries specializing in Basque cooking.

Unfortunately, since I've been to the Basque Country, nothing can compete with my dear friend's mother's cooking. Wow, I'm salivating as I write this. Lots of fresh fish, only fresh ingredients, and of course a lot of pride in the preparation.

Yum, Basque food in Spain!

Reno has one of the largest Basque communities in the US. The University of Nevada-Reno also has a fantastic Basque Studies program, with many courses available online, just in case you're not interested in living in Reno.

There is a book on Basque Culture in America, called A Travel Guide to Basque America . We have a copy and have found that it's a good guide to restaurants as well, especially to the ones that may be close to your home.

If you haven't tasted Basque cooking, not only are you depriving yourself, but you're in for a real treat! ¡Ñam ñam! :p

Hey, Cali...
I went to the univ nev at Reno's website and found an interesting link a PhD student has made. It's about basque dance and has some nice information for the traveler, student, etc.
here's the link

http://basque.unr.edu/dance/default.htm

I was checking out their classes, sounds interesting. I wonder if they just would let you take a graduate course without pursuing a PhD? Perhaps I'll write them and ask. Since I'm on the subject, does anyone know of any online graduate courses in Spanish or on Spain-related topics? I need 6 more units and I don't have any local resources.

Nevado: They should let you take courses without pursuit of an advanced degree. My wife has taken at least one from UNR online without declaring any sort of MA or PhD desire.

Stoner911, I´m from the Central Valley too (Modesto). It´s really easy to find good food here and at a good price for what you get. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

About Reno, I think that they still have a Basque parade every year.