Bilbao's Pintxo Contest

This weekend is the final weekend of the Concurso de Pintxos in Bilbao. I was invited by a friend to help judge in the first round, so early this week I made a trip over to Bilbao to do some potear-ing.

The contest, which has taken place over the course of a week and a half, is a great chance for the resident or tourist to get to know the bars of Bilbao. The best ones are all marked in the contest brochure, and each participating bar offers a special, limited-time pintxo.

The pintxos presented range from twists on classic (like the calamari croqueta, below) to contemporary (a scallop bonbon with crunchy morcilla and artichoke cream), but they're all quite interesting.

You can pick up the brochure in the tourist offices around Bilbao...enjoy the last weekend of txikiteo!