Spanish favorites take center stage 

Tapas are on the appetizer line for the annual El Festival Español de Nueva Iberia Gala Friday night. And without knowing the menu, you can be sure at least one area restaurant will be trying to live up to their name. Included on the service lane will be Pamplona’s Tapas Bar and Restaurant, Landry’s Seafood Restaurant, Clementine’s on Main, Bon Creole Café, St. John’s Restaurant, Iberia Medical Center, Little River Inn, Bojangle’s and Pelicans On the Bayou.

Tapas are a small Spanish savory dishes typically served with drinks at a bar. Gladys Chapman, the community go-to-gal for anything Spanish, said the name literally means top, cover or lid. The tradition of featuring tapas usually given free with the drinks, started as a piece of bread placed over the glass to keep the flies out. They has evolved.

“In most restaurants if you order something to drink, you’ll get some kind of free hors d’oeuvre,” Chapman said. “A lot of people just keep ordering drinks to get another appetizer and they fill up on it. Sometimes people go from bar to bar and that’s what you call tapas.”

Today tapas may be cold or hot and in some restaurants, tapas have become a more sophisticated cuisine to the point of being a full meal.

Food Adventures

All of the students traveling to Spain from Iberia Parish for the twin city exchange during Easter break were willing to try different foods — probably easier for a person raised in the Cajun culture. There experiences are shared.

“Her mom made us torrijas. I compare it to like French Toast, like little squares with cinnamon on them but they are served cold, not hot,” said Caroline Romero, a senior at Highland Baptist Christian School. “They were really good and we ate them often.”

Her host family spoke English so they communicated well. In fact, the daughter was about the same age and they did the same things teenagers do here — shop and eat out — except instead of driving to the malls in cars, they take the bus. She also was one of the teens that tried octopus.

“The paella had octopus in it. I wasn’t expecting it. It’s probably not something I’d eat again,” Romero said.

Dré Mendoza, a senior at HBCS, said they had McDonald’s and Burger King in Spain, a good thing as burgers and fries are her favorite thing to eat. One restaurant had some type of fish — not sure how prepared — eaten by dipping it into marinara sauce. She didn’t like it. There was something else that caught her fancy.

“I really don’t know the name of the dish, (Spanish Tortilla) eggs with potatoes. It was good,” Mendoza said, though probably not something she’ll learn to cook.

Landon Jordan, a junior at HBCS also liked the egg and potato tortillas eaten at the ball parks or other places. Then again, he seemed to like everything he tried.

“I had some pretty interesting things. One was paella, Spanish rice basically, but it had leaves in it (probably Bay leaves). It tasted really good,” Jordan said. “I loved all the food. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like. Another good thing, the grandmother of the family I was staying with took a fish, chopped the head off, took the spine off and you take it by the tail and put it in your mouth. It was like cold and had vinegar on it. I don’t know, it was really good.”

The hosts would tell him if there was anything he didn’t like, he didn’t have to eat it, but Jordan said he liked everything.

“There was this thick sauce with meatballs, a bright orange sauce. You’d eat the meatballs, I really like meat, then take bread and dip up the sauce,” Jordan said.

He also had torrijas dipped in chocolate sauce for breakfast. Asked if he felt the host family was trying to serve Spanish dishes to introduce him to the culture, or if they were trying to find dishes he’d like with an American taste, he said probably both.

“One morning we had orange juice and Oreos. Some mornings Chips Ahoy cookies,” he said. “In the restaurants you had to pay for everything you drank. If you ordered water, you had to pay. Water wasn’t free. Same thing with all the drinks.”

There were some other mixed comments from the students but not everyone enjoyed the food.

“It tasted like what they serve us at school,” said Joey Yelverton, a senior at HBCS. “Churros is just a fritter dipped in chocolate sauce, slightly like Nutella.”

More Food Sampling

Whether or not you try your own hand at preparing the recipes provided today, you’ll surely enjoy the tapas prepared for Friday night. As with all other festivals, the funding comes from the generous support of patrons who embrace the festival’s theme. As one of the founding groups of New Iberia, attending the annual Gala, from 7 to 9 p.m., is a great way to support the community’s heritage. Tickets are $75 per person or $800 tables.

Then on Saturday, after the Running of the Bulls 5K and the parade down Main Street, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. will be the Paella, Tapas and Jambalaya Cook-off. Merchants will be selling wine, beer, margaritas and sangria while other activities are going on.

Sample the dishes to be judged by paying a fee depending on your preference. Judges, including some professionals chefs who know quality and taste, will announce the winners at 3 p.m. at Bouligny Plaza — the place where everything Spanish happens this weekend.