{"id":92,"date":"2025-07-30T14:43:43","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T19:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/?p=92"},"modified":"2025-07-30T14:43:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T19:43:45","slug":"pintxos-in-gros-one-day-four-stops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/2025\/07\/30\/pintxos-in-gros-one-day-four-stops\/","title":{"rendered":"Pintxos in Gros: One Day, Four Stops"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Basque country is full of many surprises, but nothing captures its culture and beauty more than their pintxos (pronounced: \u201cpeen-chos\u201d). These bite-sized favorites are as much about community as they are about the food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Stop: Bodega Donostiarra<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday afternoon, I crossed the bridge into Gros, a neighborhood of San Sebastian that feels a little less touristy and a lot more local than the Old Town. I got the opportunity to try some incredible local pintxos from the area. Our first stop was Bodega Donostiarra, where I joined some of my other classmates and Prof. Julian Zabalbeascoa (Prof. Z).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I grabbed the infamous Gilda first\u2014it’s this little skewer with olives, anchovy, and peppers, and I didn’t expect it to be a little spicy, but it was actually really good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the photo below, you can see the ensaladilla, which used to be known as the ensaladilla rusa, which is a creamy potato salad. I was honestly very surprised by this plate because I have never liked potato salad, but this version was very flavorful and fresh. Next to it\u2014as simple as it gets\u2014is the chorizo, a simple bite-sized Spanish sausage with a smoky flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first ever pintxo, the Gilda (back). Chorizo (right), and ensaladilla (left).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly enough, the Basques are known for not using a lot of sauces or spices in their dishes because, as they\u2019ll tell you, they have a fear of food not being fresh\u2014almost as if they\u2019re asking, \u201cWhat are you trying to hide?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next up, we have dados de merluza\u2014tender cubes of hake (a mild white fish)\u2014and guindillas, small green peppers that are sometimes sweet and sometimes pack a bit of a punch. What a random gamble!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Guindillas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Dados de Merluza<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the last things I tried was the jam\u00f3n ib\u00e9rico\u2014acorn-fed Iberian ham, a type of cured ham that my friend Ryan has been wanting to try forever!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jam\u00f3n Ib\u00e9rico<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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My two friends, Kate (front) and Lexi (back) trying the ham!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Second Stop: Kbz\u00f3n Haundi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After finishing up at Bodega Donostiarra, we made our way to the second stop\u2014a Cuban-Basque inspired spot with its own personality: Kbz\u00f3n Haundi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The food was intriguing, to say the least. There were so many dishes on the menu we wanted to try, whether it was because of the unique name or just plain curiosity, we had to order them\u2014and Prof. Z agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From ravioli de morcilla (blood sausage ravioli) to esp\u00e1rragos con tocino (bacon\u2011wrapped asparagus) and even fried pig ear, there were so many Cuban\u2011Basque inspired pintxos on the menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t say I loved everything on the menu, but there were definitely a few standouts within the mix! The foie gras, for example, completely surprised me. I was hesitant at first, but it melted in my mouth like butter. And the bacon-wrapped asparagus was another top 10 on my list. Other dishes, like the thinly sliced duck and fried pig ear, just weren\u2019t for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third Stop: La Tortiller\u00eda<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At this point, I was already feeling full, but there was still more for us to see. Up next was La Tortiller\u00eda, a small walk-in shop that only makes one thing: tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette). You just step inside, order, and they hand it to you fresh\u2014simply layers of eggs and potatoes served with a slice of bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tortilla de Patatas<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Oh yes, It was as delicious as it looks\u2014warm, soft layers of eggs and potatoes that practically melted in your mouth. At this point, it was almost 4 p.m., and most kitchens in the area close around that time, so we needed to rush over to our final pintxo-tasting spot: Bergara Bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourth Stop: Bergara Bar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not so sure Bergara Bar was happy to take on nine people six minutes before their kitchen closed, but we were glad we made it on time\u2014although very full\u2014to try our last pintxos in the Gros area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, I had to order the croquettes (las croquetas in Spanish), because Bergara Bar is known for them, and when they arrived at the table, I couldn\u2019t believe how massive they were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The croquettes were amazing! Even better than the ones I tried in Pasaia, with just enough flavor from the ham and b\u00e9chamel filling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Croquettes<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Final Stop: Papperino<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a reward for our excellent pintxo-tasting skills, Prof. Z took us to Papperino, his favorite gelato spot and the last stop on our tour of the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ordered two flavors on one cone: frambuesa con queso (raspberry with cheese) and pistachio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gelato<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Now this\u2026 this, exceeded my expectations for a first-time gelato experience. As we ate together as a group on Plaza Catalu\u00f1a, it was the perfect way to end a day full of amazing food, extraordinary Basque culture, and the kind of experiences I\u2019ll remember for the rest of my life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Basque country is full of many surprises, but nothing captures its culture and beauty more than their pintxos (pronounced: \u201cpeen-chos\u201d). These bite-sized favorites are as much about community as they are about the food. First Stop: Bodega Donostiarra Yesterday … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1622,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1622"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions\/124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/san-sebastian2-summer-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}