Twitter Poll: What's Your Favorite Spanish Food and Where to Eat Them?

While researching for my piece on famous Spanish foods last week, I started a series of conversations with fellow Spain lovers on Twitter. From where best to sample jamon to picking up the freshest boquerones in the country, they had a wealth of knowledge to share and discuss.
Some are Spanish locals who prefer nothing much than a simple pa amb tomàquet, while others are either frequent visitors here or Spain food lovers.
In today’s post, I decided to pick their brains to find out what the most popular Spanish food is and where they would recommend having them. Here are some of the highlights, be sure to try these foods on your next visit to Spain and don’t forget to check out their suggested restaurants or tapas bars!

What’s Your Favorite Spanish Food and Where to Eat Them?

@michellechaplow says her favorite Spanish food is salmorejo, a thick tomato-based appetizer similar to gazpacho, and calamares fritos, fried squid. The best salmorejo she has tried is from the Parador de Arcos de la Frontera, a palace-turned-hotel in the Andalusian town near Cadiz. For the best calamares fritos, she highly recommends any beach bar in Estepona, Costa del Sol.
Unlike most tweeps I’d asked, @noallegiances adores callos (tripe stew) and always makes it a point to order one when he’s in Barcelona.
@HollisCGuerra suggests the paella by the beaches of Poblenou, Bilbao. The best tostados con tomate (a typical breakfast of toasts with grinded tomato) are from Restaurante Los Caracoles (Calle D´escudellers, 14) also in Bilbao.
@IsabellesTravel votes for the rosca de jamón iberico (a circular baguette sandwich packed with plenty of Spanish ham and cheese) at Taverna Almendro 13 (Calle Almendro 13) in Madrid.
@global_gal has her heart devoted to the Pote Asturiano (a chorizo and beans stew typically eaten in Asturias) and cabrito con patatas (roasted lamb with baked potatoes) at Casa Generosa (Calle Quirós 6) in Pedroveya, Asturias. The village is at the top of La Ruta de las Xanas, a hiking trail.
@DTravelsRound thinks the pulpo a la gallega at Restaurante Monastrell (Calle Rafael Altamira 7, Alicante) is out of this world. The residen chef is all-star awesome!
@JenaFox adores the espinacas con garbanzos (baked spinach with chickpea) as well as croquetas de jámon (croquettes with Spanish ham), both from the casetas at Seville’s Feria, an annual fair held every April.
@carmic thinks the best food in the world is the arroz con bogavante (rice simmered for hours with tender lobster meat) at el Asador del Parque( Calle Romacalderas 3) near Villalba, Madrid.
@WhyGoFrance found her favorite food in San Sebastian: grilled squid at La Cuchara de San Telmo (Calle 31 de Agosto, 28).
@WhyGoGreece makes her very own seafood paella at home, whipping up her favorite Spanish food in the comfort of her own kitchen.
@fabian_gonzalez handpicked his favorite combination of Spanish food: jamón with Manzanilla wine, more glamourous than champagne and oysters. I’ll have to second that!
@velvetscape is a lover of fine dining and well-blended cuisine. One of the best steaks he’s ever had was a tender and juicy solomillo with asparagus in the province of La Rioja.
@jimmypons favors home-cooked Cocido Madrileño (a light stew with chickpeas, chunks of meat and some vegetables), prepared by his wife!
@viviendomadrid also votes for home-made Puchero Andaluz, a lighter version of Cocido Madrileño, except that you drink it like a soup.
@budgetyourtrip has got distinct tastes: Bacon wrapped figs stuffed with blue cheese and almonds are his favorite Spanish tapa.
@makeshiftalisha couldn’t stop eating croquetas (croquettes, breaded mashed potato deep-fried) and patatas bravas (chunks of fried potatoes drenched in a spicy, tomato-based sauce) when she was traveling in Spain.