For Easter 2023, we decided to explore the Rioja region. We started in Logroño, the capital of Rioja country AND a major stop on the Camino de Santiago!
Our little guesthouse in a former wine cave had its own Camino stamp!
Longroño is famous not just for being the capital of Rioja country and a Camino stop, but for its insane pinchos culture. First stop: Pasión for Morcilla with a cheese & bell pepper shot.
We also tried the poached egg over bell pepper speciality at Pasión. Note that there are about 70 pinchos bars on one street, Calle Laurel.
Stop #2: Huevos rotos at Entretapas941.
#3: Torched foie gras at Umm. This is the first of MANY foie gras dishes I will eat this weekend...
#4: Cruijente de cerdo (of crunchy pork) at La Tavina. It was a bit like a giant pork nacho.
#5: Brochetta de gambas and pork loin at La Anjana...
Followed by an AMAZING dessert at La Anjana: Deep-fried chocolate balls in Orujo (a Spanish Bailey's). I was so excited I spilled the orujo all over the table...
#6, and probably my favorite: Foie gras (left) and magret de pato (right) at Bar Torrecilla
#7: Some very old-school pincho bars sell just one item. The most famous of these bars is Bar Soriano. They serve just a stack of sautéed mushrooms.
#8: Torched foie gras with goat cheese, and a miniburger at Torres Laurel.
#9: Torched foie gras at Doností
..and foie gras croquettes with cojonudo (chorizo and bell pepper on a quail egg), also at Doností
#10: Pork loin and a chicken crepe at Torres GastroBar
#11: Rioja tasting at Vinoteca San Agustín
It's Easter in Spain, which means creepy penitents and their creepy hooded robes. But they make adorable, yummy cookies!!!
At night, the Easter penitent marches began.
The drumming could be heard all over the town, and lasted for HOURS.
We visited some Rioja wine houses- this is Azicuren, Logroño's only urban winery.
Zaragoza & Logroño