Botana
Feb 12, 2009 23:40:34 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Feb 12, 2009 23:40:34 GMT
Some might argue that this belongs with tapas, but this story is more about drinking than eating.
Botana more or less means snack, and if it's served in a bar around Oaxaca, it's the "snack" you get with your drink. I put "snack" that way, because it can range from peanuts to soup or stew to tacos to meats. There are generally several things available on any given day and you can choose or just get a surprise every time you order a beer. Generally after two or three beers, you have to turn down the botana because of being full.
I have a dear friend from San Luís Potosí who now lives in Aguascalientes and is a great booster of that city. My sister & I happened to be visiting him on her birthday & I wanted to take them out to eat. He insisted we go to a botanas place instead. I said we didn't want to be drinking that much, but he told me to wait and see.
Aguascalientes has a beautiful green park near its historic bullring. The park fronts on San Marcos church and a wide pedestrian area lined with restaurants & "botaneros". Pedro Antonio led us into one which was like a big nice restaurant -- not like a bar at all. There were strolling musicians & a great atmosphere. We ordered beers which came immediately, along with several little plates of snacky foods. We hadn't finished our first beers before the waiter was changing & replenishing the plates.
Pedro Antonio doesn't speak English & my sister's Spanish is weak, so she wasn't completely into the spirit of the thing when we had the musicians come over and play Las Mañanitas, particularly since she didn't know it was the Mexican birthday song. Everyone looked at her & raised their glasses and the waiter rushed over with a cupcake topped with a burning toothpick and more beer. He gave her a little snifter full of brandy & made her toss it down. He then galloped off again & returned with a very large shot glass which he filled with tequila, set on fire, banged three times on the table, then stuck a straw in the flaming glass & the other end in my sister's mouth. Eyes watering, she wasn't able to finish all the tequila but we graciously helped her.
By this time, she was relaxed enough to be in the spirit of things when the evening's entertainment changed to a singer who took the mike around from table to table. I swear I was pretty sober & that the place was filled with people with great voices! We kept our heads down & spared the other patrons our voices, but my sister happily warbled along in English when the entertainer broke into the ubiquitous Spanish version of "My Way".
The food? It was okay. Aguascalientes, although it produces wonderful bread, is not a great center for Mexican regional cooking, & a couple of the botanas were wienie-based. Still, as a fun evening out for a group, it can't be beat.
Botana more or less means snack, and if it's served in a bar around Oaxaca, it's the "snack" you get with your drink. I put "snack" that way, because it can range from peanuts to soup or stew to tacos to meats. There are generally several things available on any given day and you can choose or just get a surprise every time you order a beer. Generally after two or three beers, you have to turn down the botana because of being full.
I have a dear friend from San Luís Potosí who now lives in Aguascalientes and is a great booster of that city. My sister & I happened to be visiting him on her birthday & I wanted to take them out to eat. He insisted we go to a botanas place instead. I said we didn't want to be drinking that much, but he told me to wait and see.
Aguascalientes has a beautiful green park near its historic bullring. The park fronts on San Marcos church and a wide pedestrian area lined with restaurants & "botaneros". Pedro Antonio led us into one which was like a big nice restaurant -- not like a bar at all. There were strolling musicians & a great atmosphere. We ordered beers which came immediately, along with several little plates of snacky foods. We hadn't finished our first beers before the waiter was changing & replenishing the plates.
Pedro Antonio doesn't speak English & my sister's Spanish is weak, so she wasn't completely into the spirit of the thing when we had the musicians come over and play Las Mañanitas, particularly since she didn't know it was the Mexican birthday song. Everyone looked at her & raised their glasses and the waiter rushed over with a cupcake topped with a burning toothpick and more beer. He gave her a little snifter full of brandy & made her toss it down. He then galloped off again & returned with a very large shot glass which he filled with tequila, set on fire, banged three times on the table, then stuck a straw in the flaming glass & the other end in my sister's mouth. Eyes watering, she wasn't able to finish all the tequila but we graciously helped her.
By this time, she was relaxed enough to be in the spirit of things when the evening's entertainment changed to a singer who took the mike around from table to table. I swear I was pretty sober & that the place was filled with people with great voices! We kept our heads down & spared the other patrons our voices, but my sister happily warbled along in English when the entertainer broke into the ubiquitous Spanish version of "My Way".
The food? It was okay. Aguascalientes, although it produces wonderful bread, is not a great center for Mexican regional cooking, & a couple of the botanas were wienie-based. Still, as a fun evening out for a group, it can't be beat.