As it turned out, I had by 61st birthday dinner at Solera Cocina de España Restaurant in Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, accompanied by one of my sons Zach and wife Emily last night. This was an absolute wonderful moment in that it brought together a number of great feelings such as pleasant and flavorful tapa dishes ingredients and a very cordial atmosphere, including the impeccable and knowledgeable service individuals. Executive Chef Jorge Guzmán, as he emerged from his kitchen into the dining room, was warmly greeted at exit time and let him know that everything was indeed excellent. In my view I had just traded some of his high culinary accomplishments for one of my extracted female drawings—a young lady that appeared in the form of a cloud hanging in the sky over the area of Idiazabal, Gipuzkoa, Euzkadi/Basque Country, Spain, Europe, and that made part of the background of a picture from the restaurant’s website taken with a couple who did the famous cheese, which we also enjoyed and himself in the middle. As soon as I saw that image I knew I was indebted to Jorge for taking the time to visit with and stand by my dear country people. Yes, the necessary kudos go to the entire staff at Solera’s and I hereby would like to recommend this fine dining establishment at many levels but especially for its understated ambience grandeur and management savoir-faire (France is Spain’s neighbor so I thought I use some of my French here.). Please get there soon and be prepared to delight your palate, engage your brain, and don’t be surprised if you find the experience is quite affordable for the overall package received like I did. Filename: SoleraRest20140115