Despana

Ever since I was converted back to a pork diet, I've been taking it nice and slow. No big chunks of meat yet...just thinly sliced Serrano Ham. This here is the yummy goodness from Despana, a specialty food store of all things from Spain in Nolita, NYC:

In addition to Serrano Ham, they also have Iberian Ham (at more than $100/lb), wonderful cheeses, chorizo, freshly made sandwiches, which they call Bocadillos, and much more. My favorite Bocadillo is their Pescador, which is a spread of tuna, piquillo peppers and aioli sandwiched between ciabatta bread.

My fiance and I loved (and still love) Despana when it opened in his neighborhood a few years ago. I loved dropping by the store and grabbing things you need that are ready to eat. Best of all, you can taste before you buy. I've done Tapas with food from Despana, and it was the easiest entertaining ever...virtually no cooking required! I can go on and on about the store, so I'll stop while I can.