Above: Always crowded at pintxo-time in the iconic Cafe Iruna
Starting our ABC-listing of food experiences in Bilbao with Al Margen. Yes, a photograph should be worth well more than 1,000 words, but don’t let these photos mislead you. The kitchen at Al Margen turns out amazing dishes from amuse-bouche through dessert.
Even George H.W. Bush could not help but love the broccoli. Singed on the outside with spring onions and a sauce brightened with lime zest, this broccoli could star as a main course. Heirloom tomatoes were flamed before taking a cool bath in a pickled peach and tangerine sauce.
Pomegranate seeds added a colorful touch to eggplant, while leeks and crisped pork belly flavored pan-seared gnocchi. For dessert, Malta cake was topped with marscapone and pistachios, and Al Margen’s unexpected take on tres leches cake was crowned with grated Parmesan. Not inexpensive, yet all delicious. Although the menu changes seasonally, regulars insist the broccoli be ever-present.
Above: Al Margen
Ambigu has attitude, a quirky artsy one. A reasonable fixed-price lunch menu changes daily, with some dishes more successful than others. Tender, crispy fried baby squid and chile oil were creative toppings for parsnip puree, but the puree itself lacked flavor.
Pasta Arrabiata was not very spicy, but we rarely find Arrabiata with much kick anywhere (Texas tastebuds). Peruvian chicken with egg was simplistic in its flavor, but simplicity proved a perfect preparation for fresh, moist and flaky dorado with a side of tabbouleh. All sounds faint praise, but Ambigu is a fun place with the kitchen always experimenting.
Above: Ambigu
I volunteered to elbow my way to find a stand-up table at Cafe Iruna for tapas, pintxos in Basque Country, because I was more interested in the interior of the cafe itself than its offerings. Cafe Iruna opened in 1903 with Mudejar detailing and great advertising tiles.
That left the Mister – brave soul that he is – with the tough assignment of maneuvering to the counter and, even more difficult, placing an order for drinks and pintxos. Pintxo-fetching is a sport in Bilbao, requiring the skills and daring required of a bullfighter – appropriate as this form of tapas are served with a pick for stabbing. The endeavor can be underhanded and rough. Subtle and not-so-subtle elbowing appears not against the rules. Hey, what rules?
As I observed here and in other venues, a lot of men send wily wives out into the fray. Men tend to yield their spots to beautiful women, and short wives slip under people’s elbows to shove their way to the counter. Women make themselves heard by the barkeeps with voices trained from rooting for the home team at football matches.
Scoring pintxos always is a fun dive into the regional culture but rarely represents a relaxing way to eat. The ratio of tourist to locals makes most neighborhood bars feel more authentic, yet Cafe Iruna remains a stop not to miss. With good pintxos as a bonus.
Above: Cafe Iruna
We’d been on the road for a while, and finding a good pizza was top on our list by the time we reached Bilbao. Coppola delivered more than once with bountiful salads, great pizza and colorful atmosphere packed into a tiny space. As the sign above the bar reads: “Only good shit.”
Above: Coppola
I want everyone to be able to afford to eat oysters.”
Inaz Fernandez of El Puertito Oyster Bar
Oysters. If oysters are the only food item on your menu, you better make sure they are fresh. El Puertito has been doing that since 2013. Oysters are brought in fresh, not only from Spanish waters but from prime oyster beds of France, Holland, Ireland and Portugal. Then shucked to order. The surroundings are not luxurious, but the beverages are.
Above: El Puertito Oyster Bar
Lunch with three courses with water and wine for $15? Of course, Kantine Bilbao is always packed with locals. Plus, the fixed-price menu is packed with items for vegetarians. The female chefs here create dishes flavored with spices from afar.
Humble beans are revitalized in soups, such as garbanzo and turmeric or a zesty lentil one. Spinach gnocchi would please the pickiest Italian. Meat-lovers can relax, there’s always something included in the list, with a rich Bolognese spooned over spaghetti as an example. The kitchen’s fresh cookies and cakes – galletas and pasteles – such as the pastel Vasco or a moist pineapple and coconut cake are as good as any pasteleria produces.
Above: Kantine Bilbao
Will take you for a peek into a few more restaurants soon.
Postcards from Barton Springs 