Come join us at BodegaOle on Thursday, April 8, 2021 6:30pm - 9:30pm, where our Chef, in conjunction with IKON Journeys, will be preparing a selection of Spanish tapas, each served with a wine or other special "bebida," that best compliments the palette.
CONTIGO, Tapas y Vino is a culinary tapas journey and educational experience you will not want to miss. Seating is limited, so reserve your spot now for a virtual journey to Spain, right here in downtown Naples. Please call or text 917-826-4975 for a preview of the evening's tapas menu.
$95 PER PERSON
*does not include tax or gratuity*
You can find out more about Bodega Olé and IKON at:
Bodegaolenaples.com and IKONjourneys.com
BodegaOle 965 4th Ave North, Naples, FL 34102
CONTIGO, Tapas y Vino . . . Sharing food with a glass of wine
In December 2020, Bodega Olé, in collaboration with IKON Journeys, hosted Once Upon a Spain, a 5 course Spanish dining experience with exceptional wine pairings from five distinct Spanish destinations, including explanations of each region's history and local folklore.
To continue our journey through Spain from where we left off, we will explore the world of tapas, its origins, some interesting facts and fables, and tapas as a Spanish lifestyle. Ikon Journeys will be your guide to this fabulous Spanish experience.
So, what exactly are tapas? The word “tapas” comes from the Spanish word “tapar,” meaning “to cover.” Tapa is also the Spanish word for “lid.” There exist many folklores as to how tapas came about:
Pre-1900’s, back when the population was mostly illiterate, innkeepers would give a sampling of dinners offered to travelers by placing a small portion a-top a thin slice of bread on their drink;
In order to prevent fruit flies from hovering over glasses of sweet sherry, Andalusian taverns used to cover glasses with bread or meat between sips. Because the meat was salty, this increased thirst, thus increasing alcohol sales. Restaurant owners and bar keepers became wise and began offering a wide variety of “snacks” that could accompany guests’ beverages, and the snacks soon became as important as the beverages themselves;
Since one normally stands at a Spanish bar to drink, it was necessary to place a plate on top of the drink, making a “tapa.”
But my favorite tale of how tapas was born surrounds the ruler of Castile-Leon in the mid 1200s, King Alfonso “The Wise,” who, during recovery from an illness was prescribed large quantities of wine. The King would eat small portions of food with his drink to diminish the effects of the alcohol. Afterwards, he decreed that all who serve alcohol must accompany drink with food in order to prevent public drunkenness.
Customarily, Spaniards eat dinner very late, between 9p.m. and 11 p.m. Lunch is usually between 1p.m. and 4p.m. This leaves ample time in between to consume a small bite, or to share several small plates, while holding over. It is the Spanish lifestyle to go tapas bar hopping (called an “ir de tapas”) and meet up with friends between the end of work and dinnertime. It has even become popular for the Spanish to consume an entire meal of tapas, referred to as “tapear.”
Various regions in Spain eat and prepare tapas differently, however, the common denominator is the small portion of food that differentiates tapas from a proper dinner. Most famously in Granada, Almería, and Jaén, tiny tapas are served free when a guest orders a drink. In Basque country, tapas are known as “pintxos,” fixings held together by a toothpick on top of a slice of bread. The toothpicks also serve to keep track of the number of pintxos a guest has consumed, with different priced tapas having different toothpick sizes and shapes. Another name for pintxos is “banderillas,” since some resemble the colorful spears used in traditional Spanish bullfighting.
Come join us . . . Contigo, Tapas y Vino, and let us share with you a traditional ir de tapas, each tapa paired with wine and some surprises, but not surprisingly, an experience of Spanish lifestyle without even having to leave Naples. We look forward to seeing you. Olé!