My Life in Valencia

Today I had my first hamburger in Spain and it did not disappoint. It was DELICIOUS!! Yes, I know, shame on me for posting about eating a hamburger and not something like Paella, but you know sometimes you just NEED a hamburger. Hamburgers are probably the reason I am not a vegetarian. Oh and steak. And bacon. And jamón serrano. Oh well I guess I will really never be a vegetarian! But really, when I’m home cooking for myself, I don’t eat a lot of red meat. But there are times I just really crave it. I’ve been craving a burger now for at least a month. And today I finally got it!

There is a surprisingly good number of actual hamburger restaurants that are not MacDonald’s or some other fast food restaurant. The problem is the timing. There is another hamburger restaurant near where I am living now that was recommended to me as soon as I got here. The problem is it is either never open when we want to eat, or it’s booked. Vivían has tried several times to get a burger at the restaurant before 4pm to have later for dinner, but no luck. In Valencia, and in Spain in general, the main meal of the day, known as “la comida” is in the afternoon usually between 1:30 and 4pm. Most restaurants close by 4pm and don’t open again until at least 8pm if you’re lucky. Dinner is usually much lighter and isn’t until 9 or 10pm. During the week when I’m working I either eat in the cafeteria (known as the cantina) around 1:30/2pm or bring something light to eat and then eat dinner when I get home, usually around 8pm (I try not to eat later than 8:30). But today…..I planned. I wanted to go to my apartment to try out my new washing machine and wash my new sheets (a story for another day) and so I researched the hours of the two burger restaurants nearby and was so excited when I found that one of them, Hundred Burgers, was open around the clock until 11pm. Just my luck!

I ordered a tostada beer….also delicious….and then ordered the Royale con queso with a side order of sweet potato fries. The Royale was a dry aged burger with CHEDDAR CHEESE, caramelized onions, ketchup and mustard, cooked just right in my opinion on the rare side. The burger itself was delicious. Topped with cheddar cheese…YUM! And then the fries….well those were truly the best sweet potato fries I have EVER had. Cooked to perfection with a light seasoning of sea salt, rosemary and pepper. Here’s some pics of my meal…

Now that I have found 100 Burgers and I know it will be open whenever I have a craving, I will certainly go back. Next time I may need to try their Singular burger which won best burger in España in 2018. Dry aged burger with cheddar cheese, carmelized onion, a BBQ sauce of the house AND Camembert cheese! To die for! I’m going to have to gear up for that one and not eat for a week! 🙂 Of course I also have to try the other burger place called the Orange Club and see who really has the best burger. But for now, I’ve appeased the burger appetite and can go about eating more traditional Spanish fare like jamón serrano and tortilla de patata. Ahh, yes I live a hard life. More to come for sure in the burger saga! 🙂