Background:

The evolution of Spanish cuisine in New York City is fascinating to me. To be completely honest, I’m not quite sure if what I’m eating is authentic or not; all I am aware of is the flavor of the food and how it compares to other restaurants which I have tried in the past. Case in point: I’ve probably partaken in more than five paella tastings across New York City. (I admit I’m a sucker for this dish) At this point, I can tell you which paellas I enjoy the most, but I would have no idea which one is the most authentic. Oh well, even though I desire the real thing, I’ve had more than my share of delicious Americanized Chinese and Italian food so I’ll make due with our version of Spanish food for now. This issue of authenticity came up recently when thinking about my outstanding restaurant week dinner at Bar Basque. I believe that the food I ate was authentic Basque cuisine, but if not then I’m tempted to say: who cares? If the food is as good as this, then I might be willing to ignore the ethical issues. Is this wrong? Am I being a bad food critic? Decide for yourself! Read More