Destination Golf - June 2018 * | Page 51

Pinchos in a Logroño bar Modern gastro-bars and old-world taverns rub shoulders with each other as we arrive at the start of buzzing Calle del Laurel. The choice of bars and their window displays of pinchos can be bewildering, but here’s a selection to get you started: The house speciality at La Taberna del Laurel (Calle del Laurel, 7) is patatas bravas (potatoes in spicy tomato sauce), while La Tasca del Pato (Calle del Laurel, 24) offers white asparagus grilled with a wrap of Rioja cheese. Bar Lorenzo (Calle del Laurel, 4 ) majors on simply grilled chistorra (chorizo with sweet paprika and garlic) and lamb kebabs, while Bar Soriano (Calle del Laurel, 2) is famed for its delicious mushroom pinchos which have been served for the past forty years – three mushrooms grilled and smothered with a rich and buttery sauce of garlic and olive oil, skewered on a slice of baguette and crowned with a shrimp. For an expert’s view and to learn more about the marriage of Rioja and pinchos, we join José Ramón Jiménez Berger otherwise known as El Educador en Vinos (the wine teacher). José is a television personality and bit of a well-known character in Logroño, and one of his services is a guided tour of a selection of pinchos bars in and around Calle de Laurel, where a different Rioja is served alongside a different pinchos in each bar. “I think this is the best way to experience the life of the town,” says José inside Bar El Muro. “Going out for pinchos is a great social activity, and I love nothing more than getting a group of friends together and visiting our favorite spots.” As another pairing of Rioja and pinchos arrives on the bar’s counter, we could’nt agree with him more.... Marqués de Vargas winery FACT FILE WHERE TO STAY Hotel Marques De Vallejo (Logroño): www.hotelmarquesdevallejo.com Hotel Mercure Carlton Rioja (Logroño): hotel-carltonlogrono.com Hotel Gran Via (Logroño): www.hotelgranvialogrono.com Finca de los Arandinos: www.fincadelosarandinos WHERE TO PLAY El Campo de Logroño : www.golflogrono.es Rioja Alta Golf Club: www.golfrioja.com Sojuela Golf Club: www.sojuelagolf.com Izki Golf: www.izkigolf.eus WHERE TO DINE ( LOGROÑO) La Cocina de Ramon: 30, Calle Portales. lacocinaderamon.es Kabanova: 9, Calle del Benemérito Cuerpo de la Guardia Civil. La Quisquillosa: 13, Calle Sagasta. www.laquisquillosa.com USEFUL WEBSITES The Wine Teacher “El Educador en Vinos”: www.eleducadorenvinos.com Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture: www.vivancowineculture.com FURTHER INFORMATION www.lariojaturismo.com www.logroño.es Volume 4 • Issue 44 51