A top 5:
1. The Bocadillo-The second day of my trip, during a pretty exhilarating stroll through the Alhambra, I stopped at a little sandwich kiosk that sits by a wall overlooking both the Sacromonte and the Darro river and ordered what I assumed would be a pretty basic sandwich, a bocadillo. What arrived, along with a glass of beer, was a triumph of Protestant simplicity in a country as Catholic as they come: good baguette coated with just the right amount of olive oil and an appropriate serving of jamon serrano in the middle. That may have been the best sandwich I've ever had, next to the Muffaletta at Central Grocery in New Orleans. Or maybe the best was the equally enchanting ode to simplicity I had at the Madrid airport. Yeah, that's right, the airport. I also had a decent pork loin bocadillo at an outdoor cafe atop the Albaizin where I sat in the middle of a town square and watched gypsies pluck their strings.
2. Bodega Castaneda
A block or two off the main intersection in central Granada, down a little alley full of kindred spots, sits Bodega Castaneda, one of the larger tapas bars in the area, a popular terminal that, in my experience, starts to fill up around 6 or so, just as those heavy lunches are starting to wear off. Spacious compared to the Tokyo-sized bars that line some of the other streets, the bar features a long bar that customers park their bellies against and wait anxiously alongside for the host of deceptively basic dishes that the restaurant offers. Good bread, endless taps of crisp beer in those little glasses I really love, Manchego cheese, jamon serrano, and smoked salmon with avocado, caviar and cheese. There are few things I've found since that I liked more than this meal...really.
3. Oxtail Stew at Kiki San Nicolas-Actually the Oxtail Stew was just ok. A little thick, and gravy-ridden for my taste, though I'm sure a farmer with a sore back after a day in the fields of Andalucia might disagree. The main attraction here is not so much the food but the fact that Kiki San Nicolas is right next to the Mirador San Nicolas, which holds what is undoubtedly the best view of Granada, and the Alhambra directly across, in the city. People just sit in the square for hours and watch the sun slowly move until it sets, trying to ignore some of the more annoying of the hippies that sit around and play like they're actual gypsies. I was one of those people that sat there for hours.
4. Cafe Au Lait-Again, the food at this place is kind of whatever...But the view is ridiculous, sitting aside the Darro river in a spot, with the Albaizin on one side, the Sacromonte on another, and the steep hill that holds the Alhambra on the other. I felt guilty after awhile, just sitting there ordering coffee and taking in the view. No one seemed to really care, though.
5. Restaurant Arraynes
I guess what I love about this place, besides the food, is the fact that, in order to reach it from the bottom of the Albaizin, one has to take one of several routes through narrow, shop lined alleys that seem as much like Morocco as Spain. Once you get to the sign, Arraynes is up a little flight of steps that seems to go nowhere but there, making it seem hidden, though I'm sure Lonely Planet sends roughly 10-15 people a night. Once inside, especially if you go in December, you'll find a warm spot with an equally warm owner, and wonderful, if a bit basic, Middle Eastern fare. I had baba ganoush, Arabic soup, a huge plate of cous cous with lamb, and Arabic tea. Nothing will completely surprise or amaze you in the food department but, as Granada demonstrates time and time again, simple is sometimes just enough.
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