On the Road in Spain with Mario Batali et al.
Food is one of the great pleasures of travel. Having Moreton Bay Bugs in Port Douglas, Bucatini all'Amatriciana in Trastevere, beef in Buenos Aires, and Guinness at the source are some of our favorite travel memories.
We've dined in restaurants recognized around the world for their excellence, sampled local treats from the market, and just followed our noses into some dives that gave us pause. But for the most part, we've eaten remarkably well without breaking the bank, stayed gastro-intestinally healthy, and rarely felt mistreated because we were tourists.
Except, that is, in Spain. We spent three weeks there in 1999 and, to be honest, I'm not sure we had a memorable meal until we got to Portugal, where the food was great. Even the tapas -- which we enjoy pretty much everywhere else -- were a big disappointment.
But that doesn't mean I won't be watching "Spain...On the Road Again" when it premiers next week on PBS. The 13-episode series follows the road-trip adventures of superstar chef Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow, NY Times food writer Mark Bittman, and actress Claudia Bassols as the criss-crossed Spain in search of great food.
If anyone can drill down past the ubiquitous jamon to uncover the real culinary gems, it's Batali. Consult the web site of your local PBS station for show times.