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This place is fantastic! We stumbled upon it accidentally and have become completely addicted. The Bocquerones sing to my finace's heart and I love all the wonderful Spanish cheeses. Not to mention the simple charm and ease of the staff. Despana is definitely worth a trip, a few trips or even a weekly stop.

I wonder if they carry Spanish wines. Do they carry Spanish or Latin American stuff? I know this sounds weird but can you clarify? So many people use the terms interchangeably.

They do not carry Spanish wines, unfortunately in New York food places are not allowed to sell wine too.

The goods seem to be all Spanish ones.

yes, continental spanish, not latin american spanish.
think lomo, jamon, aioli, manchego, piquillo peppers, basque peppers
i adore this joint too, such a great place to graze through, and everything i've bought from there has been delicious and well priced

i liked Julie's review but i think it needs a bit of editing... there's a few grammatical boo-boos

For Christ's sake! It's a Spanish food store, not a bodega, thus the name Despana, which means "from Spain." Those "people" who think all Spanish-speaking cultures are interchangeable also think we all eat refried beans, which are Mexican.

For those who are easily confused: the Spanish are Latins, like the Italians and French, who were all ruled by the Romans, whose official language was Latin.

Latin Americans are Latinos, or Hispanic, derived from Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic), the first island Columbus landed on when he discovered America on behalf of the Spanish, who went on to colonize three-quarters of this hemisphere, from San Francisco to Tierra del Fuego.

nyc mommy - no wines. in nyc, you cannot sell wine where food is sold.

this is a wonderful shop.

oops. sorry. i just saw that jenny already said this.

As for the review, it completely fails to capture the highlights of this magnificient gourmet food shop, which is that it is one of the few places in the U.S., where genuine Serrano ham, a true delicacy which is eaten by the slice -- not in ham-and-cheese sandwiches -- is now available. The shop also features excellent Spanish saffron, among other delicacies.
For the writer to list in her review what is essentially just a cold omelet with some slices of boiled potato truly misses what is wonderful and special about this place. This review conveys a lack of deep, abiding love and knowledge about food, which, in a gourmand's paradise like New York City, is unacceptable.

eddie, too much caffeine today? a bit harsh, though I agree that the Spanish (from Spain, we get it, hence the banner showing a bull against a red background) delicacies could have been described in more passionate terms by someone more into food, specifically the food and cuisine of Spain. 'Potato omelet' is not enough of a description to convey what a tortilla espaňola is like.
and refried beans can be found in countries other than Mexico, but let's not get into that.

i think there's a lot of awkward phrasing here and i think the writer might have considered boning up on spanish food before tackling this review.

fyi, here are some food notes: the blue cheese you thought intense (i would have liked to know what kind it was. it sounds like a cabrales or a valdeon) is often eaten with pears to soften its pungency (like french blue cheeses are eaten with butter); the air dried tuna (i think you are describing mojamba de atun, but again i would like to know the name) is used in many dishes in spain and is considered one of their long standing traditions. it's similar to italy's bottarga. although it can be eaten with bread for tapas, where it would be drizzled with olive oil, it's shown off to best effect in pastas, revuelto, and other classic dishes.

Yes, I did have a 1/2 cup of black coffee today, which will probably keep me up until long past midnight.

By the way, Despana also has great coffee.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the comments. It's true--I got lazy on the specifics and didn't bother to note the proper names of anything. In that way, it's perhaps more a composite recollection of a habitual window shopper than a journalistic review.

On the other hand, it was my intention to write from the viewpoint of someone who steps off the street into this completely serene and different world which seemingly represents Spain's food culture in all its authentic old school glory. I wanted to convey the sense of wonder when you try something that is essentially familiar and comparable to what you already know (blue cheese), and yet is confoundingly different. I didn't want to tell it from the point of view of someone who already knows everything about Spanish food.

And, in a way, I think the store takes the same approach. They don't assume you know anything, and rather than resenting you for it, it makes them really happy because they take such pride in winning you over.

--I hope some of this post makes sense.

Hey, two worlds, who else makes refried beans? My parents are Puerto Rican so refried beans are not part my culture, but I just got back from five years of living in LA, and I just love them! Sadly, I was never able to get a decent recipe for making them myself. The best I had were actually in New Mexico, at Rancho Chimayo, across the road from the pilgrimage site known as the Lourdes of the Southwest. The cuisine is more New Mexican than Mexican. I actually can never find them in Mexico City where I spend a lot of time on business. Any and all suggestions, specifically in NYC, would be appreciated. Thank you.

i agree with others, that Julie could have gone more in detail with names of certain items mentioned, as well as a good edit--a write-up of a food shop misspelling palate? it seems as if it was written a bit hastily. on a more positive note, she did make despana sound like an intriguing and enjoyable shop to visit.

I think Julie did a lovely job. I would also like to add that I have been studying wine as my life's work for over ten years now and still manage to misspell palate/palette on a very regular basis.

Hi eddie,
There are diff. recipes for refried beans. The best way to get them to taste just the way you like them is to make them yourself, of course. Rancho Chimayo has a cookbook out, you'll find it on Amazon.com (p.97:their recipe for refried beans). Enjoy!
Some other countries where I know they make refried beans: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica.

As a Spaniard (and nerdy foodie) longing for a decent place to buy Spanish imports, I would have liked to hear more specifics and a more detailed description of the food items in the review (just to beat the horse some more).

I just happened to stop by for my first visit this weekend, and I think it's important to mention that it is a small place offering just a taste of Spanish cuisine, but it pretty much hit all the marks. For future reviews, I'd like to hear less about the people who wince at the delicious flavors I've been yearning for, and more about some of the pantry fillers that although prepackaged and often canned, are delicious.

p.s.- nycmommy: no wine, but they do have Sidra, cider from Asturias in the north, where I happen to be from. I'm already stocking up for New Year's :)

The review makes me want to visit and leaves enough out so that I'll have a sense of discovery while perusing.

Rancho Chimayo has a cookbook out. Wowee!! I know what I'm getting my friends for Christmas now! If I can only get the church to send me a bag of the holy dirt, I can give them out in little baggies with the book. (Like I wrote above, it's the Lourdes of the West, and the dirt is supposed to be holy.)

(continuing from my list)
Nicaragua -& prob. others.

(continuing from my list)
Nicaragua
prob. others.