For the last few days, Cora and I have read Susan Middleton Elya’s Bebé Goes Shopping more times than I can count.
In the story, Mamá y Bebé take a trip to the supermercado, and along the way. . .
. . . [j]ust as Mamá is ready to throw up her manos, she gives sweet Bebé a box of animal cookies. A dulce, at last! He finds a camel, nibbles on a giraffe . . . eats an oso. Then they’re off to the checkout line, smiling all the way.
Cora and I both love the rhythm of the language, we adore the Spanish words that Elva includes in the primarily English text, we giggle like crazy when the baby is naughty, and we smile our way through Steven Salerno’s fantabulous illustrations.
This book takes word consciousness to a whole new level, as it’s impossible not to talk about the words since they are new, exciting, and beautiful.
So when the opportunity arose for our family to try out a local Spanish Tapas Restaurant in honor of Rockville Restaurant Week (September 10-18, 2011), yo salté a bordo.
We were, after all, reading about shopping in Spanish. Why not bring a little Spanish food into the mix, in honor of Rockville Restaurant week?
Lucky for us, La Tasca–the restaurant we visited–not only gave our family a fun night out on the town, new tastes for our pallets, and a totally fun way of bringing a little more Spanish into our lives, they also kindly offered to give a $50 gift certificate to give away to one lucky reader.
Fantastic! ¡Que fantastico!
- Trying Tapas at La Tasca — Rockville Restaurant Week: We visited La Tasca for dinner mid-week, and we had an absolutely wonderful experience.
From the moment we stepped foot inside, Maddy, Owen, and Cora’s eyes were wide, because the ambiance is altogether different from what they’re used to. Dim lights, fancy pillows with jewels on the leather booths, Spanish-inspired paintings and tons of pretty things everywhere.
The servers were incredibly helpful in recommending dishes for us, and my husband and I decided we’d go with the suggested Seafood Tapas Tasting Menu. La Tasca offers an extensive menu, but the The Seafood Tapas Tasting Menu gave us a focus, which I liked. It included grilled scallops and artichoke hearts, calamari, grilled salmon, fried mussels, shrimp, short noodle paella with seafood, stuffed eggplant rolls, mushrooms, and a salad. Y-U-and M.
We also ordered a vegetable paella off of the children’s menu as a go-to for the kids.
Our family loves seafood, and though we also adore paella, we only had a short amount of time for our night out (we couldn’t afford to wait the 30-40 minutes for it to be prepared if my husband was going to make his first PTA meeting of the year!).
While Maddy, Owen, and Cora completed word searches, colored a senorita, and played games on the children’s menu, my husband and I caught up about the day’s happenings. And I enjoyed one of the best glasses of sangria I’ve ever had.
I looooooved the Ensalada de Espinacas — spinach, Cabrales cheese salad. . .
. . . and Owen and my husband loooooved the Gambas al Ajillo — shrimp sauteed in olive oil and garlic.
Yum. Setas al Ajillo — mushrooms (and my sangria).
It really was a great mid-week treat for all of us.
The food was so flavorful, so tasty, so fresh–so filling–that the kids barely had room for their scoop of ice-cream for dessert. Though some of the dishes were a little much for their pallets, everyone loved the calamari, the shrimp, the scallops, and the mussels. Lucky for us our kids have inexpensive taste.
Personally, I cannot wait to return to La Tasca for my next Girls’ Night Out or Date Night with my husband. The sangria is calling me. No worries. Volveré.
During September 10-18, 2011, Rockville’s Restaurant Week, many Rockville restaurants are offering a special prix-fixe menus, priced at either $8 lunch/$15 for dinner or $15 lunch/$30 dinner.
La Tasca is just one of many establishments participating in Rockville Restaurant Week. Please see the complete list of participating restaurants for more information. (La Tasca has several locations in the DC Metro area: Rockville, MD; Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC; Arlington, VA; and Old Town, VA in case you’re a bit far from Rockville, and the gift certificate can be used at any location!).
UPDATE: 9/11/11– random.org chose lucky number 21, so Heather K will enjoy tapas at La Tasca! Thanks for entering!
GIVEAWAY: $50 gift certificate for La Tasca: Spanish Tapas Restaurant!
Do you want to win $50 gift certificate for La Tasca: Spanish Tapas Restaurant? (Think about how far that will go during Rockville Restaurant Week!)
- All you have to do is leave a comment here (with email address!) explaining when you will use the $50 at La Tasca.
For extra entries:
- Tweet this: Win $50 for Spanish Tapas at LaTasca #restaurantweek @teachmama http://wp.me/p1NAxy-19U #giveaway
- Share this post on your Facebook page–very easy!
- Share this post with a friend (just tell me who you shared it with!)
This contest is QUICK!! It ends on Saturday, September 10, 2011 at midnight ET. I will notify the winner on Sunday, 9/11/11 and personally put the gift certificate in the mail on Monday so he or she can use the $50 next week!
fyi: La Tasca provided me with $35 to use at their Rockville restaurant, and they are providing the $50 gift card for one teach mama reader. This is an unsponsored post; the ideas are all my own, influenced only by my tres hijos y mi esposo. Rockville Restaurant Week is a promotional partner with The DC Moms, for which I am a section editor and contributor.
Geri
This write-up made me hungry (and it’s almost midnight). Now that my older boys are back in school, I would use this certificate for an outing with my 2-year old girl with the adventurous taste buds. Unlike her brothers, she’s always game to try a bite of any new and exciting food.
Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama
We love tapas and will use it for a fun family dinner out! Thanks for the awesome giveaway and great review!
Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama
Tweeted! http://twitter.com/#!/techsavvymama/statuses/111644182522757120
Lori
Yum! My 4 year old daughter and I have been following (and reading and learning and crafting along!) teach mama all summer! I would use this certificate with her and my husband to celebrate all of us making it through her first (slightly bumpy, but very exciting!) week in preschool.
Sarah
I LOVE Tapas.
Now that my kids are back in school I would come up for a relaxing lunch on a weekday.
Jenn Fedor
We are big fans of tapas over here…something for everyone in the family to enjoy, even the little ones. So, although my husband and I are long overdue for a date night, we’d use this prize for a family meal to celebrate delicious food!
Holly
Yum! We’d love to use the gift card at La Tasca on a family night out!
Melissa Ladd
We love Tapas! I would probably use the gc for a date night with my husband!
Sonia
If we win, we’d go as soon as we can to treat ourselves to a nice dinner and evening out on the town.
Danilo Antezana
tweeted. http://twitter.com/#!/Moco_365
Thanks for raffling this prize away!! Would use the card to take my mom and dad out for dinner.
Deb
Oooh, I think I’d go for the Dinner and a Movie option. Hubby and I keep putting it off since we can afford the dinner, the movie, OR the sitter, but if 2 of the 3 were taken care of, that would be SWEET! 🙂
Michael
I would be a happy foodie and take out my wife and son for a new experience. This would be perfect to push her out of her comfort zone and my son loves to try new things!
Thanks MAMA for having a cool blog …
aimee @ smilingmama
I have to admit that I’m very torn…use it for a family night our OR ditch the kiddos (with a sitter, of course!) and make it a date night….!
Carolyn
Nice giveaway! If I won I’d take the family to lunch or dinner the very day I won it!
sara
We have never tried this restaurant but it looks great. We would try it during Rockville Restaurant Week of course!
sara
I tweeted!
@cookwith5kids
sara
I emailed this post to a few local friends too!
Laura
Yum! Tapas! We’d love to use it for a date night out during restaurant week! 🙂
Christine Q
I hadn’t realized it was restaurant week this week in Rockville. Loved your story Amy and tying in reading and food. Love the ideas. Thanks for blogging this. Matt and I always love the family style concept of Tapas.
Heather K
I would love to eat somewhere besides McDonalds or Chick-fil-A. Hubby and I would love a night out!
Heather K
I shared this link on Facebook.
sarah
How fun! Would love to check it out with my favorite date!
Karen Blake
Yum! I would love to try this restaurant and my husband I would love to have a date night in the next week or two!!!
Kelly
A night out on the town! Oh what I would give for some alone time with my husband to be a wife and not just a mom (which I truly love!) To treat my husband to a swanky night out for tapas sounds uber chic and romantic. Yeah for Rockville Restaurant Week!
Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama
Shared on FB and planning where to eat! 🙂
Stephanie Krantz
I’d usenit whatever night we can get a babysitter!