Funny story on Spanish restaurants--today's "Onion.com" issue

Hi, folks--
You're sure to get a laugh from this. Enjoy!!
http://www.theonion.com/onion3739/spanish_restaurant.html

Tara

Taravb,
Thank you for sharing I needed a laugh this morning! I get this all the time, I bring Spanish dishes like Caldo Gallego, Fabada and Bacalao a la Viscaina to the faculty luncheons and the first question they ask me is if it has picante sauce or is Hot. You have no idea how many times I've had to explain that Spanish cuisine vaires from region to region, but it is definitely not Mexican cuisine (excellent cuisine that it is on it's own right) nor does it have the caribbean flavor as does Cuban or Puerto Rican cuisine ( Fantastic cuisine on its own right).
The story was cute!
Booklady

HAhahhahahaha!!! That is TOO hilarious!! Thanks for posting the link, taravb! Last time I checked, don Quix/jote was from Spain, not Mexico. And where did Mexican restaurants get their style, afterall?? hehehhehe.. (pssst! answer: mix of indigenous and Spanish art) And on goes the confusion/debate about the term "Spanish" and what it means to us here in the USA.

Great/Funny article! Saludos, MadridMan

Thanks for sharing Taravb - the article is priceless - and I'm sure we all, at some time, have witnessed actions like that. Have printed out the article and plan to share it with friends who own a restaurant (and love Spain) on Martha's Vineyard this weekend!

Thanks for that.

It still amazes me, after many years of travelling to different countries, that the perception is that if you speak the same language (ie Spanish in this case) as another country, then you are the all the same. I'm from Australia, and I speak English, but we are different to the English, to the Americans, to the New Zealanders, to the South Africans, to the Canadians. The only similarities is our basic English language, although each country has its own variants which identify it from others.

What also amazes me, especially in this article, is the lack of knowledge that Don Quixote is of Spanish origin and not Mexican.

There is a big wide world out there and it's all different. Part of living is to experience new things and to evolve your lifestyle. If our ancestors didn't try new things we would still be living in caves and we wouldn't have the Internet in which to keep our sanity in check (especially if you are like me and can't wait to get back to Spain).

Once again thanks for the article.

David

Hi, again--
I just realized that some bulletin board folks may not be familiar with "The Onion"--just so that you don't think that all Pennsylvanians are clueless about Spanish food, you should know that "The Onion" is a parody newspaper that comes out every Wednesday--very irreverent, occasionally tasteless, and deliciously funny. Anyone with a quirky sense of humor (and a thick skin) might like to check out the rest of their work at http://www.onion.com.

Happy Halloween!
Tara

No offence to northeastern Pennsy folks, I loved them dearly...but the story doesn't surprise me. I lived several years in a town 35 miles from Scranton,(actually the county seat of Wayne Co.) after having traveled halfway around the world, and Italian and eventually Chinese were about as international as you could eat.I don't think they even had real bagels til 1980! "Authentic Spanish cuisine" in Scranton, that's amazing! I can't wait to go back to visit! I hope it's still there,

Hi Tara

Thanks for the explanation re "The Onion".

Not knowing what the publication was actually all about, I took the article on face value, and not as a paridy which it was meant to be, which now reminds me of the old saying that "you shouldn't judge a book by its cover". It did however remind me of the many times that I have witnessed just that sort incident of happening throughout the World.

Never mind though, on reflection I am now enjoying it.

Thanks again

David

Yes, but ... I have had some excellent meals in Mexico (mostly seafood) that anyone would have trouble differentiating from Spanish. And the Mexican cuisine has no 'corner' on picante. Your next time in Spain try some gambas (or champiñones) al ajillo. The guindillas (hot cherry peppers) are just as picante as our new world jalapeños. Tripa (menudo, in Mexico) is also served in a very hot sauce.
I am talking about 'sit down' restaurants in Mexico, D.F., not 'fast food' type tortilla or taco vendors.
BTW
Booklady: You make a Favada Asturiana. Did you notice Hanibal Lechter in 'Silence of the Lambs' describing a Cannibalistic Favada?

I'm going to try to make it up to Scranton before Don Quixote goes the way of Joe's Restaurant (in Reading).

Gotta love "The Onion."

Thanks for the laugh. Daveb, it was funny, because it happens all the time here. When I came back to the States and told someone I had been living in Chile the last 2 years, they said "wow, you must have had great Mexican food there."

Funny...I'd seen that article a few days back and even forwarded it for fun to my sister...it didn't even dawn on me that you all would get a laugh too! Thanks for thinking of us taravb...

The write-up they did on the terrorist bombing was hilarious: "Terrorists Surprised to Find Selves in Hell". If you want to continue the laughing started by the Don Quixote Restaurant story, read this one.

The Onion is my only source of news. :p

[ 11-01-2001: Message edited by: CaliBasco ]

Another very interesting area to visit is The Drudge Report. Like The Onion, some of what is written there has to be considered satirical humor, but it also has some ring of truth to it.
http://www.drudgereport.com/

Wolf

CaliBasco, again you and I seem to have lived parallel lives--late '80s Spanish music listeners, avid Onion readers, Minnesotans....

Glad to have passed on a laugh to you folks--we all need more of those in our lives nowadays.

Saludos,
Tara

That was just too good! I am so happy we get the Onion in Milwaukee.

Taravb and CaliBasco,
Many thanks to you both for introducing me to this wonderful newspaper...the writing reminds me of C.S. Lewis' "Screwtape Letters" But the truly best part of this paper is the religion section, wow what grace! The Onion has now become a "must read" for me for news and religious instruction.

Eddie, did you have to remind me about the Faba Beans? HMMMMM! I didn't eat Fabada for a year after I heard Hannibal's recipe!

Booklady

[ 11-01-2001: Message edited by: Booklady ]

I just read the article and I am in tears!!!
Even in San Diego, CA this happens.
I see it more than ever now that I moonlight at my friend's Spanish restaurant (and to make the article even more poignant is the fact that our restaurant used to be a Mexican place) People still come in asking for mole and tacos.
...And I can't tell you how many times I have to describe what a Spanish tortilla is! The look of horror, and confusion, is classic!, but if I have to hear one more person say "it's like a frittata" I will scream!!! It's a Spanish tortilla,punto!

I do have to say though, that most people that come in, leave with a positive, tasty experience and the teacher in me feels like I am teaching people a little something about my favorite subjects: Spain and food!

Of course, it works both ways...back in 1990, I had to explain to my Salamanca pal "Nacho" that his name (short for "Ignacio," I assume) also stands for a corn chip for us norteamericanos! He got a huge kick out of that. Of course, with how Salamanca has grown in these past 11 years, he probably eats in Mexican restaurants all the time now!

Not being a Mexican food fan, I would love to see more "Don Quixote"-type places all over! The pickings in Minneapolis for decent Spanish food are pretty slim. You can eat enchiladas 'till the cows come home, though.

Tara

That article was great! Having lived in Scranton for 4 years while going to college, I can see where the humor comes from. This might be a stupid question, but is this a real restaurant there now? If so, it definitely came a few months too late for me (I just graduated), and I may have to journey back to my alma mater!

Good question...hopefully if we keep chatting about this someone will let us know.If so, do we have a "Scranton Dinner Group" in the making?!?!Don Quixote won't know what hit him!

Why are you all assuming that there really is a Spanish restaurant in Scranton, Pennsylvania? Small details in The Onion are usually fictional. If someone goes to Scranton, please let me know.

Just a few weeks ago, they started dropping off tons of copies of The Onion in my neighborhood (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) complete with local ads. Same content as the website though.

Conversation in new york last week.

Me: my husband is Spanish

She: what country is he from?

Me: Um, Spain.


In THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET, Sandra Cisneros's character Esperanza (Mexican-American) gets called "Spanish girl".... so the ONION is on to an interesting cultural problem

Hehehe....

I don't know how many times I have got remarks about Army-knives, Hiking & yodeling, watches and cheese, upon telling Americans about my Swedish origin.

About Mexican cooking : I can recommend you a good book if you're into reading at all. A book by Laura Esquivel with the Spanish title "Como aqua para chocolate".

A wonderful blend of Love, Mexican family life and food. I would not know the title in English.

Enjoy

Hello all,

The english title for Como Agua Para Chocolate is Like Water for Chocolate. Also made into a movie.

Yes the onion is satirical, but alas ... not far from the truth. How many times have I heard someone ask "isn't it all the same?" when I try to explain my hispanic lineage?

And while in Spain after 9/11, how many times did I hear people say how uncultured Americans are? "Is it true you all sit around eating hamburgers and junk food?"

Yet a few months ago I had dinner with some Spanish friends in Miami who had never seen/heard of/tried sushi ... now thatwas interesting.

Just goes to show ... we are what we thinkthink we eat ... an open tummy reflects an open mind.

saludos a todos madri-fanaticos y a madridman!

Maria

Along some of the same lines, one of my girlfriends in law school was of (very proud) Albanian descent. Several times, our (not so) clever colleagues said things along the lines of, "Albania...I didn't know you were from upstate New York!"

So I guess it isn't limited to (real or fictional) people thinking "Spanish" means "Latin American" or "Cuban" or "Mexican" or anything else!

Tara

rgf: that conversation about your husband reminded me of my trip to the doctor to get a check up before leaving for spain:

Doctor: Ah, so you're going to Spain.
Me: Yes!
Doctor: So, what language do they speak there?
Me: Uh, Spanish...
Doctor: Oh! Is that like Mexican?

Ok so I know that many languages are spoken in Spain, but to not know that Spanish is one of them?...

Arg!!1 I was trying to email this "article" to my parents, but the link doesn't work anymore and they don't appear to have archived it in their own system. Did anyone happen to copy it?

The Onion's done it again--this article isn't about Spain...but anyone who has been or has hosted an exchange student will understand it!!

http://www.theonion.com/onion3813/japanese_student.html

It reminded me of how, on my first night in Spain EVER, our former Spanish exchange student and her family kindly took me out to dinner...at VIPS!!!! The only worse thing would have been for them to take us to McDonald's!!!

And the french fries were horrible.