Spanish

Mango-licious

by Stephanie on November 11, 2011

in Dinner, Spanish, Tapas

Hola! Como estas? Who else took Spanish in high school? I took Spanish classes from 8th grade all the way through my senior year of college, and I’m still pretty terrible when it comes to the language. I’m pretty good at reading, but ask me to say something in Español, and I flounder. One day I’ll buckle down and really learn the language.

Until then, I’ll settle with noshing on South American cuisine!

I recently visited Mango in downtown St. Louis. This hotspot is known for its Peruvian cuisine.

And one of my friends is a huge fan.

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Hi Allison! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Smile

We hit up Mango on a quiet Monday night for some delicious eats. The place itself is huge and beautiful!

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Allison recommended the Platanito Frito – sliced, fried sweet plantain – as a starter. I love plantains! She didn’t need to twist my arm!

 

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These babies were piping hot and delicioso! They were fork tender and super sweet. I fell in love.

For my entrée, I went with the Lomo Saltado.

 

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This dish consisted of sirloin steak strips stir-fried with sweet onions, tomatoes, garlic, and peruvian peppers. It was served with white rice and garnished with steak fries.

I loved this dish. I was a bit wary about the fries as a garnish, but after soaking them in the delicious juices, they were amazing!

Allison ordered the Saltado de Champignones:

 

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Button, shitake, and portabella mushrooms, sweet onions and tomatoes all sauteed in olive oil, white wine, peruvian spices, and garlic. I tried a bite, and it was so flavorful and tasty!

Service at Mango was great. I can’t wait to come back and try more things on the menu; it was so hard to choose, because everything sounded so great!

See you next week!

P.S. Today is 11-11-2011 – make a super duper wish! Smile

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BARcelona!

by Stephanie on July 8, 2011

in Spanish, Tapas

Sometimes I have creative titles for my blog posts, and sometimes I don’t. Today’s definitely one of those days, eh? Smile

It’s a good thing the food at Barcelona is more interesting than my blog titles! Winking smile

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One of these days, I’ll remember to take photos of the restaurant building itself. Until then, you’ll have to settle for pictures of the menu. Better than nothing, right? Right!?!?

Anyway, I went to Barcelona with a few friends from college. I’ve gone to dinner with them a bunch of times (and many of these visits have been documented on this blog!) but I’ve never posted their pictures. Until now.

Meet Refka, Dae, and Chung!

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I love these girls.

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We headed to Barcelona on a Saturday night for some yummy treats.

But first, we drink!

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Well…I did, anyway. A deliciously refreshing Caipirinha was just what this girl needed! It’s a Brazilian drink made with cachaca (sugar cane rum), sugar, and lime. Simple, sweet, and tasty. All you need is one – trust me on this one Winking smile

Time for food! We ordered a bunch of small plates to nibble on.

First up? Bacalao:

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It’s a Brazilian dish (I’m starting to sense a theme here!), consisting of crispy codfish and potato cakes with lemon garlic aioli. It was pretty tasty, but it didn’t really blow me away, to be honest. I did gobble down every last morsel, however; take that for what it’s worth Smile

Next up? Queso de cabra al horno:

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Baked goat cheese in tomato sauce with garlic bread.

Oh my gosh, this was tasty! The goat cheese was creamy and rich and paired with the tangy tomato sauce perfectly. Paired with the warm, soft garlic bread? I thought I had died and gone to heaven. SO good.

A few other dishes were ordered:

Empanadas de espinaca y champinon – spinach and mushroom pastries with cumin garlic aioli,

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Tortilla espanola – Potato and onion omelette cake with spinach,

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Pincho de maruno – pork tenderloin with curry mayonnaise,

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and Patatas Bravas – roasted potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce.

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Everyone loved everything. And doesn’t it all look so pretty?

Can you believe that after all of that food, we still had room for dessert? You bet we did.

I knew I had to order dessert when I saw this:

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Is that bread pudding I see? Done.

However, I was also informed that BARcelona had amazing churros. If bread pudding is my all-time favorite dessert, I’d have to say churros are my second favorite.

What’s a girl to do when presented with such a conundrum?

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Order both, of course. Smile

My friends also ordered some desserts of their own:

Chocolate Lava Cake:

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Vanilla Crème Brulee:

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We know how to pack food away!

I had a few bites of my churros and a nibble of my bread pudding (okay, a few huge bites!) and both were everything I could hope for. Let’s just say that bread pudding makes for amazing leftovers the next morning Smile

It’s safe to say that I’m in love with BARcelona. I will most definitely be back, and I recommend that you stop by as well!

See you next week!

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