Tapas

I was in Indy a couple of months ago and as usual, we went out for dinner on Friday. A couple of people, me included were in the mood for tapas and we decided upon a restaurant called Barcelona Tapas in downtown Indy. I wanted to eat everything on the menu, but we finally decided on a couple of things we liked. Luckily, when we split into tables, I was with the hungry [ read eats a lot] group, so we went straight in and ordered a LOT of food. Of course, there was a large amount of alcohol-- who doesn't like Sangria? :) But the food that day was delicious. The feta cheese was so fresh and the olive oil so delicate, you never wanted to stop eating. Ever. Being the seafood nut that I am, I insisted on having oysters-- best decision that evening. They were so good and so fresh and so flavorful, possibly the best oysters I have ever had--

 I've been trying to recreate that dish for a while now, and it's just not the same. I don't know and for the life of me, can't figure out if it was some secret spanish herb that made the dish so special or some ridiculous flavored olive oil that was just the right kind. Maybe it was the atmosphere, the fact that it was Friday, all the food, or the heady happy feeling from the Sangria, or hanging out with fun group of people, it's just not the same when I try to cook it. Although, I will say one thing-- if I do end up perfecting that recipe, I'm not telling! :)