Ben L.
Yelp
There is truly something very special about ham in Spain. It really does seem like it's the food of Spain since ham in Spain is everywhere. New York, on the other hand, really doesn't have a defined culinary identity. New York doesn't have a singular food it's known for, NY is known for it's great pizza, bagels, steakhouses, cheesecake, hot dogs, etc. The idea of going to Spain and not gorging yourself on ham is insane. lol
So when I landed in Spain, the first thing I checked was if Yelp worked in Spain and lucky for me it did. So I searched up a bunch of places that were popular with out of towners and I bookmarked everything, considering I didn't know where anything was. So, I decided to venture out to one of the attractions which was Plaza Mayor. Plaza Major is a big, kinda like a outdoor mall if you will, with restaurants and shops along the street. While walking around, I happen to come across Museo del Jamon, which I had bookmarked, and it translates to museum of ham. Yes, Please! So going in, I already knew from watching various food shows that Jamon Iberico was the way to go, Jamon Serrano is the every day but Iberico was the reason I went. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=TlKoohP_Au0uOPnNHiwokg&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA
Also, you have the option to stand at the bar and eat which is cheaper or opt for the "salon" which is table service but a little more expensive. I opted for the bar since it was PACKED! I guess when in Spain, do as the locals.
The food:
Jamon Iberico- it's f'in awesome!!!! It was easily the best ham I ever had, and I am not even the biggest ham fan. It was so silky, velvety and unctous. The taste of the pork was extremely different from ham in the US. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=kN4uR9uzHJ7Df3uERYK0hA&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA
Racion de Paella- I only really got this dish because I didn't want to just stuff my face with ham. lol This dish was OK, the seafood was nice but the rice was slightly soupy, which was odd for me. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=xBNdt_iqvZWJXLRmWfMtwA&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA
Jamon Iberico Bellota- so I ended up going back again for dinner and decided to upgrade with the more expensive ham. The bellota or pata negra is slightly pricer but not by much. In my opinion, I am no expert, but it seemed more red as in less fat. I wasn't so overjoyed like I was at lunch, maybe I was ham-ed out, or maybe I didn't like the bellota as much or maybe it wasn't even bellota and it was something else. I dunno. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=7P4Nf1pwaFb_uM6Hl7J-8w&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA
Gambas al Ajillo- so it's shrimp cooked with garlic. It seems like such a simple and plain dish but it was so good. It was very nicely cooked shrimp in a oil that had roast pieces garlic. This with a piece of bread was excellent. I first thought it was going to be a boring dish until I realized i couldn't stop eating. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=gP5NV8gSaw-hL3PdjQ8oSQ&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA