APPLE – SPOTIFY – STITCHER
Emma Ratcliffe is the creator of TravelStyleFood, a blog focused on Emma’s adventures around the world. With every new restaurant and food discovery, Emma discusses the nuances of flavors and cultural significance of every bite.
Emma began her blog with a desire to express her love of food and travel. She graduated from college with a degree in journalism. With a bleak post recession job market, Emma focused her creative attention towards writing restaurant reviews and telling riveting travel stories.
The love of food began at a young age for Emma. Her mother was a great cook, preparing the normal Irish fare, but it wasn’t until her first holiday to the United States that she realized the potential for love in every dish. She ate at Bennigan’s, sampled Mexican food and her eyes opened to the tasty world around her.
Emma’s father always encouraged her to try everything. They often dined at restaurants, and he always created a safe space to try new foods. If she tried a new dish and didn’t like it, her dad volunteered a trade so she always enjoyed the meal. The reinforcement of culinary exploration remained in Emma’s life, leading her to wonderful new foods.
Granada
Located in the southern part of Spain in Andalusia, Granada is a foodist gem waiting for hungry travelers. Here, people live every day like it’s the weekend, enjoying life, and eating exceptionally well because every day is worth celebrating. People love life in Granada, and intrinsically, life loves them in return. It’s a place to stop and smell the roses.
Granada is a special city, with a short drive to snow-capped mountains or beautiful sand beaches. People walk everywhere in Granada with distinctive neighborhoods scattered throughout the city, all expressing their own character through architecture, food, and history.
The most notable part of Granada food culture are tapas: small snacks served freely when ordering drinks. The tapas change and improve as more drinks are ordered. Surprise and variety is the name of the game.
When visiting a tapas bar, stay a little while, order a few drinks, eat a few tapas, and move on to the next tapas bar. If you are hungrier and want a more substantial meal, tapas bars also serve up amazing entrees to satisfy any level of hunger.
Generally, tapas is a social activity, made for a group night out. If you travel solo fear not, Granada is a college town, so there are plenty of outgoing and fun college students to make conversation and create new friendships.
Although tapas involve plenty of drinking, these are family establishments with many bringing their kids to dinner.
Flamenco is the dance of Andalusia, created by the gypsies that once inhabited the hillsides surrounding the city. It’s an emotional dance performed to guitar music and a rhythmic synchronized clapping of the spectators and performers.
No visit to Granada is complete without seeing the notable Alhambra, a beautifully decorated palace dating back to the ninth century. The Moorish influence and renovations in the thirteenth century give the Alhambra its notable characteristics with intricate carvings, delicate stonework, and unique designs depicting prayers to God.
Where to stay
When planning your trip, Emma recommends staying in the Old Jewish Quarter, called Realejo. Here, you are closest to the best restaurants and bars with only a short walk to all notable sites.
What to eat
Taberna La Tana – Tapas – Famous wine bar that Anthony Bourdain visited on the show Parts Unknown
Pcta. del Agua, 3, 18009 Granada, Spain
Rosario Varela – Tapas
C. Varela, 10, 18009 Granada, Spain
La Botillería – Tapas
C. Varela, 10, 18009 Granada, Spain
El Conde – Tapas
C. Virgen del Rosario, 12, 18009 Granada, Spain
La Pajuana – Tapas – Try the peanut butter and pesto sandwich
C. Virgen del Rosario, 10, 18009 Granada, Spain
Damasqueros – Tasting menu changes weekly, 30 euro per person or 59 with local wines
C. Damasqueros, 3, 18009 Granada, Spain
Ajoblanco – Tiny three table wine bar in front of the cathedral
C. Palacios, 17, 18009 Granada, Spain
Ultramarinos Pecorino – Small Italian bar with stuffed egg tapas, lots of Italian meats and cheeses with good Cava
C. Ángel Ganivet, número 6, Local Pecorino, 18009 Granada, Spain
Restaurante Alameda Granada – Mix of modern Spanish and European dishes and best for a long lunch
C. Rector Morata, 3, 18009 Granada, Spain
Casa de Vinos La Brujidera – Wine bar great for hams, pates, cheeses and regional wines and Cavas
C. Monjas del Carmen, 2, 18009 Granada, Spain
Tocateja – Emma’s Favorite Bar. Try the picaña, oxtail croquettes, orange wine
Calle Trinidad, 8, 18001 Granada, Spain
Rollo – Tapas Bar with tables outside in front of the cathedral
Pl. de las Pasiegas, S/N, 18001 Granada, Spain
Restaurante Oliver – Seafood restaurant from Parts Unknown. Try the Clams a Pulpo a la Gallega
Pl. Pescadería, 12, 18001 Granada, Spain
Humo El Origen – Come for the cocktails. Try the Smoked Burrata and Falafel
C. Escuelas, 2, 18001 Granada, Spain
Restaurante Mi México – Mexican Restaurant
C. Elvira, 85, 18010 Granada, Spain
La Vinoteca – Tapas bar varied menu with amazing tapas and wine
C. Almireceros, 5, 18010 Granada, Spain
Muglia 2 – Indian Restaurant with great prices and amazing food. Try the Lamb Madras and Saag Aloo
C. Joaquín Costa, 4, 18010 Granada, Spain
Restaurante Masae – Amazing well price sushi restaurant run by a Japanese chef
Cjón. Antonino, 6, 18002 Granada, Spain
La Tagliatella – Emma’s favorite pizza: Tartufa e funghi (Truffle Pizza)
Calle Recogidas, Cam. de Rda., S/N, 18002 Granada, Spain
Notable mentions
Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil by OMED – Emma’s favorite olive oil that travelers bring back from their trip. The olive gets the name from its pointed shape. It’s a vibrant green, rich with a higher fat content while tasting peppery and acidic all at the same time.
Red Wines: Carmelo Rodero and Viña Pomal Centenario
Whites: Verdejo and Cava Brut
What to do
Alhambra – If the Alhambra is a must-visit for you, book online at least a month in advance as tickets always sell out.
C. Real de la Alhambra, s/n, 18009 Granada, Spain
Flamenco Performances
Tablao Flamenco Jardines de Zoraya con terraza y restaurante – Flamenco show with a three course meal for 50 Euros per person. You eat in the beautiful garden first then go inside the theater for the flamenco performance.
C. Panaderos, 32, 18010 Granada, Spain
Mirador de san Nicolas – For a view of the city and the Alhambra, walk to Mirador de san Nicolas, a square situated on an elevated hilltop.
Plaza Mirador de San Nicolás, 2, 18010 Granada, Spain
Garcia Lorca Park
C. Virgen Blanca, S/N, 18004 Granada, Spain
**AVOID** Calle Navas – This tourist street is lined with overpriced mediocre food. Avoid at all costs. There is so much better food in the city.
18009 Granada, Spain
Other Items Mentioned in the Podcast
River House Seafood – Purple Crab Salad – Jumbo lump crab cake atop fresh spinach with roasted beets, local goat cheese, red onions, yellow peppers and glazed pecans with balsamic vinaigrette
125 W River St, Savannah, GA 31401, United States
Cookbooks Discussed
Old World Italia – Mimi Thorrisson
Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights – Sophie Dahl
Chasing the Gator – Issac Toups
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Chris Kretzer has traveled the world visiting over 35 countries and eating his way through every city. With his wife Tiarra, they explore different food cultures and create food guides, podcasts, and travel articles helping everyone experience the world through food.