Fun with reading a Menu

Have you ever noticed that there are people who have a fun sense of humor and use it to bring joy to their work? I love it when I find this, even if I never get to meet the person(s) responsible for the humor. One example in the US is the people who write the flyers for Trader Joe’s. I just love reading those! Here in Tres Cantos, one example I’ve found is at a local restaurant called Barra. They are a cute place, right on the main avenue. Come, I’ll show you what I mean!

Pictured below is their menu, which they print on brown paper placemats. And while we’re at it, let’s have a fun Spanish lesson as well. This is an overview:

Let’s begin with the first section called Pintxos “Canallas XL”.

First of all, technically speaking, the word pintxos isn’t Spanish at all; it’s Basque. The Basque like to use the “tx” instead of the more Spanish “ch”. So, the word is pronounced “PEAN-chose” and it means the same as “tapas” in Spanish, which is to say, light dishes or appetizers.

The word “canalla” means scoundrel, and it’s plural because it’s an adjective and “pintxos”, the noun, is plural and the two must match. The XL is anyone’s guess. Extra Large? 40? Let’s go with the former. So, basically, put it all together and Pintxos Canallas XL means very big devilishly good appetizers.

The next section is called “Verdes y Healthy”.

Sure, why not? We’ve already mixed Basque with Spanish, why not English to boot? (And, although “verdes” means “greens” this is not generally how that word is used.)

The next section is called Cazuelas “para compartir…o no”.

Cazuelas are little clay or stone basins on which hot food is served, though many of the dishes are actually served on wooden tablets. And “para compartir..o no” means these can be “to share…or not.” I guess it depends on how hungry you are. And who you’re with. In any case, Jose and I have had wonderful experiences with these, though we mostly always end up sharing them. 😊

The following section is called Para seguir y no parrar… This means “To go on and not stop…” The dishes are a bit larger and again, can either be shared or not, depending on your hunger (or your company.)

And we end with Caprichos dulces, which means “Sweet whims.” The Spanish aren’t great at desserts, I will admit, since they go very light on the sugar, but there are some nice dishes to explore here as well.

Homework, if you so desire: look up the actual menu items in each section. (I often have to look up menu items before ordering! )

What do you think? Is there something you’d really like to try on this menu?

And as always, please check out (and tell someone about) my novels here.