Wow. Did I say that loudly enough? Okay, then. WOW.
Our latest casual pre-season event for “Figaro in Flip-Flops,” presented by One Arts Plaza, was a knock-out Spanish Wines and Tapas Tasting at Cafe Madrid in Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts District. It really struck me as the perfect way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon, in the cool, tile-floored, chatty and cheerful atmosphere of a homey Spanish Cafe, complete with hefty wooden tables that didn’t cry out for a coaster and banks of north windows that bathed the rooms with light while keeping the heat at bay.
The capacity crowd shared tables, tapas, and conversation in equal measures and I sincerely doubt that anybody went home without meeting at least two or three really interesting opera lovers they hadn’t known before.
The tapas…sublime: fabulous nuts and cheeses, seafood and vegetable combos, chorizo and potato galettes (with an absolute killer of a sauce) and tasty paprika chicken salad open-faced sandwiches, all washed down with a wonderful selection of warm and spicy (or crisp, cool and fruity) Spanish vintages.
I loved the Cab and the pink champagne…my guest took a shine to the Shiraz. We’d love to know what you liked best and whether you’d like to see more events like these.
Oh, I neglected to mention that the reason for all this is Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” opening our 2008-2009 Season in November. It may have been performed in Austria but the story is set in Sunny Spain.
Suzanne Calvin, Assoc. Dir. of Marketing, The Dallas Opera