In Logrono, I commented that tapas were a little rougher and more
fried than I had expected and my stomach was done with them by the time we left. Now we've arrived in San Sebastian,
home of the pinxto, or Basque tapa.

Pintxos are essentially the same thing as tapas, except for about a
thousand times more gourmet - which is fine by me.

Pintxos are sort of what I expected tapas to be originally - mini
gourmet creations ranging in price from $2.50- $5.00 served in fancy
or trendy bars with a huge wine list. Real nice change.

The focus here seems to be more on the food quality and creativity,
and less on the hopping from place to place drinking all night, so I
am more full, but less hungover. We've had everything from kangaroo,
to shark, to sea urchin, to several types of foie gras, to fruit foams
and risottos. Apparently the Basque take food very seriously, and
there are over 1000 gourmet societies in the area where chefs get
together and experiment with friends and collegues. This is definitely
a place I would want to return in my attempts to become a better chef
- with the combination of French and Spanish influence, the food is
just out of this world.

The one really funny contrast to all of this is that Basque pizza is
terrible. Never would have guessed.