As I emerged from my late adolescence into early adulthood, I harbored dreams of traveling the world. But like the derailed plans of George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, my hippie-inspired dream of backpacking through Europe had to be put on hold. Marriage, children and the practical demands of paying off student loan debt rerouted my life down a more responsible path. My passion for global cuisine and exploring distant lands was, for a long time, an appetite I could only satisfy vicariously through books and television, especially Anthony Bourdain’s culinary travelogues. Inspired by Bourdain’s shows, which for so long fueled my deep desire to travel and eat fine food, I finally fulfilled my dream after nearly half a century of waiting.
This fall, I embarked on my long-anticipated culinary pilgrimage, beginning in the Spanish coastal city of San Sebastián. This small city is famous, in part, because it was the only place Anthony Bourdain visited three times during the 16-year run of his travel shows. With lush green cliffs that descend into surf-friendly, turquoise waters, San Sebastián is a small city in the Basque Country, a region stretching across the northern coast of Spain and into the southwest of France. The Basque people are known for their unique language, Euskara, which predates the Roman Empire and is unrelated to any other language in Europe. San Sebastián is renowned worldwide for its gastronomy, boasting the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants per square meter in Europe.
Although we splurged on an incredible (and budget-breaking) meal at three-Michelin-starred Arzak, our most unforgettable food experience was going on a Basque bar crawl, known as a txikiteo (chi-kee-tay-o). A txikiteo involves bar hopping from one establishment to the next, having one small drink and a little snack known as a pintxo. Pintxos (pronounced PEEN-choss) are sophisticated, elaborate appetizers often regarded as the elevated relatives of Spanish tapas. These small, artful snacks are characterized by the toothpick that typically skewers the ingredients onto a piece of bread, setting them apart from traditional, larger and more shareable tapas. They are generally eaten while standing at the bar.
On this memorable evening, we were accompanied by Gabriella Ranelli, who was Anthony Bourdain’s local guide during his three San Sebastián episodes. Gabriella, an American expat (and very fortuitously, a friend of a friend), is an expert on Basque culinary culture and the author of the cookbook Arzak + Arzak. We were to meet up with Gabriella at Federiko Taberna, a pintxos bar located on a crowded, narrow cobblestone pedestrian street in San Sebastián’s historic Old Town. Though it was drizzling, its outdoor stand-up table was fully occupied, and the bar inside was packed. While waiting for Gabriella, I ducked into a hat shop across the street and bought a Basque beret to keep my head dry. Through the crowd, we spotted Gabriella, whom we recognized from the Bourdain episodes.
After sharing introductions, Gabriella explained that these bars are always crowded and standing-room-only. She worked her way up to the bar and returned with small glasses of txakoli, a local, slightly effervescent white wine, and mini spider crab tartlets. She explained the tradition: “You meet up with your friends, enjoy a drink and a pintxo, and then move on to the next bar. It’s a culinary journey and social event rolled into one.”
Following this, we moved on to the next bar. The rain had stopped, and the bar was crowded, so Gabriella instructed us to wait outside while she brought out more txakoli and small bowls of risotto con Idiazábal, a creamy orzo dish with Basque sheep’s milk cheese.
The lively street teemed with pintxo bars, their counters showcasing a spectacular array of cold pintxos – everything from tortilla de patatas to elaborate seafood and meat creations. Hot pintxos, meanwhile, were ordered from a chalkboard menu and cooked fresh. Prices ranged from $3 to $6 a piece. This engaging ritual – a single glass of wine, one pintxo, then moving on to the next bar – lasted for three hours. A txikiteo is much more than just a bar crawl; it is a cultural immersion, a communal dining experience, and a vibrant celebration of authentic Basque regional cuisine.
The Gilda
The Gilda, perhaps the most iconic pintxo, is a simple skewer of olive, anchovy and pickled guindilla pepper. It is named after Rita Hayworth’s “salty, green and spicy” character in the 1946 film Gilda.
Makes 4
Ingredients:
8 pickled guindilla peppers
8 green pitted manzanilla olives
4 oil-packed anchovy fillets
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 4-inch wooden skewers
Preparation:
Cut the stems off the peppers. Cut each pepper in half cross-wise.
With the skewer, pierce one olive through the center, followed by two pieces of the pepper. Add an anchovy, threading it into an “S” shape. Add two more pieces of pepper and finish with another olive.
Tortilla de patatas
A Spanish tapas bar classic, this omelette is frequently served in mini portions as a pintxos offering.
Ingredients:
6 large waxy boiling potatoes
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 eggs
Kosher salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika to taste
Preparation:
Preheat the broiler.
Boil or steam the potatoes until tender enough to be easily pierced with a knife. Once cool enough, peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Spread the slices out to cool completely.
Heat the oil in a 9- or 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, then sauté. Cook until the onions are tender and translucent, taking care not to let them brown. Finally, remove the skillet from the heat and allow the contents to cool completely.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and add ½ teaspoon of salt. Beat the mixture vigorously with a whisk until frothy, with no visible streaks of white.
Gently stir the potatoes into the egg mixture with a rubber spatula. Let the mixture rest for five to 10 minutes.
Pour the egg and potato mixture into the skillet. Stir it briefly to ensure the potatoes are evenly distributed among the onions. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for two minutes without stirring.
Once the underside of the tortilla is a solid mass, move it to the broiler and check it often. After a solid “crust” forms on top, mix the cooked surface into the liquid egg mixture underneath, then return to the broiler. Repeat this process until the tortilla is fully cooked.
Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika, slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
This article appears in December 18-24, 2025.
