Taller de Tapas - Barcelona, Spain

Our last meal of the trip and we didn't really know where to go. It was between Taller de Tapas or Senyor Parellada, which are both on L'Argenteria. We looked at both menus and Senyor Parellada's menu was all in Catalan and we couldn't make out any of the items. Taller de Tapas had an English menu so we opted for Taller instead just for the ease factor. Forgive us, we just came back from a day trip to Montserrat, so we were tired and hungry.

We ordered some sangria. We managed to get through Spain without trying sangria till the last night of our trip. We've had tons of wine, but sangria hadn't crossed our minds. Maybe it's more of a summer drink, hence we didn't see it advertised as much?

We really wanted the fried peppers, but they ran out. Could you believe it? I was crushed. We ordered salt cod fritters instead. I had read that they were good somewhere else, so when I saw it on Taller's menu, I wanted to try it. These were a bit too salty, I know, I know, they're called salt cod fritters. But I don't think salt cod is supposed to be that salty.
We ordered one of their specials, the caldereta d'arros de llamantol (fresh lobster paella broth). This was really good. I enjoyed this much more so than the paella we had at Set Portes, but perhaps we would have liked their soupy paella as well if we had ordered it.
For dessert, I got the cheese and quince jelly. I was trying to get my fill of cheese before we left Spain.
Pete got the chocolate mousse. Both were really good.
This was our last meal in Barcelona. We tried to go to Pinotxo Bar again to try their donuts the next morning before our flight, but they didn't have them. So sad. We tried one of their other pastries, which didn't look so great at first, but Mr. Pinotxo said that it was really good heated. He put them in the panini press waited till the sugars had caramelized on top.

He truly does wonders with that press. Something about their coffee is really addicting too. I hardly drink coffee, but I was craving it by the end of the trip. All in all, I had a wonderful time in Spain. Thanks Pete, for being such a great travel and eating companion and I'm so sorry I suggested we walk through that stupid park. =) Many thanks to Eric and Matthew too for showing me around Barcelona and for feeding me such great food. Chin chin!

Taller de Tapas

L'Argenteria, 51

Ciudad Condal

Ciudad Condal is a great tapas bar in L'Eixample, which is only a few blocks up from Placa de Catalunya. Matthew and Eric had come here for dinner a few nights before and gave us a few tips. Rule # 1. eat at the bar and rule # 2. order their meat skewer. Follow these two rules and rely on your bartender for other suggestions and you will not be disappointed.

We started with some olives. Pete became a lover of the olive throughout this trip.

These pimientos de padron were awesome!

We also got some patatas de brava and grilled octopus with paprika.

We asked the bartender for recommendations and he told us about their brocheta de langostinos (brochette of jumbo shrimp) and their montadito de solomillo (mini-filet mignon canapé). I think this is what Eric and Matthew were referring to as the meat skewer, so I was excited. Both of these items were outstanding.

He also told us their clams were really good so we tried that as well. You really can't go wrong with seafood in Barcelona.

For dessert, we had a slice of their caramel cake, kind of tasted like a crema catalan but in cake form. Everything that we had was excellent. It became another one of my favorites in Barcelona.

Cuidad Condal

Rambla de Catalunya, 18

corner of Gran Via and Rambla de Catalunya

Set Portes - Barcelona, Spain

Surprisingly enough, we had yet to try some paella while in Spain so we asked the concierge at our hotel for some recommendations. He referred us to Set Portes, or “seven doors” near the waterfront. It's hidden under a colonnade of archways, but most likely you will see a long line if you come during dinner time. Apparently it was founded in 1836 and is the second oldest restaurant in Barcelona.

After you get past the long line, you'll find yourself inside a surprisingly big restaurant. On my way to the restroom, I spotted a second dining area and even a second level, so this place is huge. The pink ceiling lamps were cute, so I had to take a pic.

We started off with some bread and little olives.
Even the dishes have their name on them. Here's a chicken croquette cozying up to the dish.

We got their classic Paella Parellada, called the "Rich Man's Paella" because the meat is de-boned and the shellfish taken out of its shells for you. When we got the dish, Pete and I both noted how brown it looked. I thought paella was supposed to be more yellow. It was tasty but it didn't knock my socks off. We had food envy when we saw that one table had ordered arroz caldoso, similar to a paella but more soupy. On the menu they also had a version with noodles instead of rice. We probably should have tried that too. Darn!

I tried the crema catalana, basically creme brulee, but a bit lighter.
Pete got the fruit salad. Note the presence of the sugar packet. They like to put sugar in everything.

We came here specifically for paella so we were expecting it to be amazing. It wasn't the best paella ever, but it was ok. I think next time, I'd definitely try the soupy paella and the squid ink paella with noodles.

Set Portes

Passeig de Isabell II, 14

Pinotxo Bar - Barcelona, Spain

As you enter the Boqueria market, immediately to your right you’ll see a little lunch counter with an orange sign and awning that says Pinotxo Bar.

You will also see several wooden Pinocchios and most likely the man himself, Juanito Bayan. He’s the talkative gentleman with the spiked gray hair, bow tie and vest. He's a legend in Barcelona and is referred to as “the ambassador-to-the-world of Spanish gastronomy.”

We had read that you should come here for breakfast because they serve the best xixos, a type of sugar-covered doughnut. We got sidetracked by the intoxicating smell of the other food being prepared so we sat down and got some tapas.

Mr. Pinotxo told us their shrimp was really good that morning so we got an order to start. I was

not aware grilled shrimp could be so juicy, but all its briny goodness flooded out when I cut into

the shrimp.

He then suggested scrambled eggs with clams. They were amazing.

They had three different types of croquettes so we tried one of each. I can't remember what they were. I think one was with ham, nuts and cheese, respectively.

We saw a lot of people eating bocadillos, so we ordered a sausage and cheese one.

Halfway through the meal, I noticed this little guy staring at me. He was making sure we were enjoying ourselves.

We were so fixated on the other tapas that we completely forgot about the xixos and by the time we remembered, they had run out. Oops. Well it gave us reason to come back again.

Pinotxo Bar

stall 466 inside the La Boqueria

Espai Sucre - Barcelona, Spain

Another great resource for restaurants in Barcelona is the Maribel's Guides. For "something totally unique," they recommended Espai Sucre for dessert. This restaurant only serves desserts and is only open at night from 9 to midnight and from 8 to 11 on weekends. It's on Princessa 53 (word of caution: beware of phony cops checking for counterfeit money and ATM pin numbers. If you are approached by such cops, just scream and run away ... lesson learned). We were told to look for a lighted orange sign with a black ant on it and it's exactly what we saw.

They had three different kinds of dessert tasting menus. They also had a five-course tasting menu that included three sweet and two savory dishes. Since we already had dinner, we decided to share the big dessert menu, which came with five desserts and petit fours at the end. Jordi Butrón previously worked at El Bulli, so I was expecting some eclectic flavor and texture combinations and eclectic is definitely what we got.

Here's our first dish. "Mariafuisa" cold soup with green apple and spicy yoghurt ice cream. I sort of wished I had kept the menu with me while I was eating this so I knew exactly what was in this dish. Even though the very kind waiter told us what we were being presented with each time, there were too many incongruent parts, that I just couldn't absorb all the information. My brain's a bit rusty these days too. When I took a bite, it was spicy and salty, so I assumed the matchsticks were cucumber, but Pete pointed out that it was actually green apple. I liked the sweet and salty aspect of it, but I was left puzzled throughout the whole thing. I think the waiter said the foam was liquorice and the block was green apple gele. Now that I think about it, maybe it's supposed to be a palate cleanser. That would make sense.

Bread pudding, bacon ice cream and pineapple. I don't really recall this one being that special. Bacon ice cream really tasted like bacon, but didn't really see how it went together with bread pudding and pineapple. I need Tom Colicchio to explain this to me.

Red wine baba, pear and saffron was interesting. Ok, I just had to look up what baba means, it's a rich cake soaked in rum and sugar syrup. So I guess instead of the rum, it's soaked in red wine. It came with red wine sorbet and saffron sauce. The little cubes on the bottom are pear gele and Parmesan biscuits. My favorite part of this dessert were the pear gele and Parmesan biscuits. They were so good. I could pick at them all day. I guess it's like eating some fruit, wine and cheese together but in a whole new package. Clever Mr. Butrón.

The next one was good, but not as out there. It was called Extra virgin olive oil cake, white peach, green olive and "San Simon." The peach jelly and peach sorbet were really good. There was a green olive caramel crisp and some sort of sauce at the bottom that was just OK, not very memorable.
The last dish was called Empyreumatic, I have no clue what that means. I call this dish all things dark and bitter, in the most appetizing way, of course. There were so many components to this dish that kept you nibbling, but I think there was just too much going on here. On the right was a chocolate puff pastry log, which tasted bitter and burnt, and milk mousse with some anise thing on the bottom. To its side, were poached plums topped with caramel ice cream and earl grey granita.

I really enjoyed the petit fours. On top, we had some sesame caramel crisps and chocolate and coconut lollipops. On the main level, we had some marshmallows, orange jelly and some sort of chocolate cookie or truffle. On the lower level, we had some curried biscuits and shortbread.

We also got small shots of bay leaf and kiwi juice, which was icy and slushy - really good. It was very refreshing and an excellent end to our dessert menu.
I love desserts, so trying Espai Sucre was fun. It was definitely a hit or miss for me with some of these items, but I admire the creativity and playfulness that Mr. Butrón puts forth with his creations. I dare not even try to recreate any of his dishes, but I have to try to make that kiwi and bay leaf drink at home. Yum.

Espai Sucre

Princesa, 53

Cafe Viena - Barcelona, Spain

So while in Spain, I had my share of ham sandwiches, but my quest would not be complete without trying what Mark Bittman, writer of the Minimimalist column in the Dinning section of The New York Times, called the "best sandwich [he's] ever had." Ever? Could you imagine the number of sandwiches this man has consumed over the course of his life, not to mention, all over the world? He called the ham sandwich at Cafe Viena the best. So naturally, I had to go see for myself. I was happy to discover that this infamous cafe was right near our hotel. It's actually on La Rambla del Estudis, which is the same street that La Boqueria is on. It's a very busy street and I am sure Pete and I walked down this street at least 10 times and not once, did I even notice it. The storefront just has "VIENA" on it, but this picture was taken inside.

The only hint of its fame is a small sign on the side window.
Pete and I shared the flauta d’ibéric d.o. jabugo. Here's the article that started it all. Bittman describes this experience much better than I ever could and it was written 3 years ago. To sum up, something wonderful happens when a crispy baguette meets a salty and chewy piece of superior jamon. Pete and I both remarked however that the crusts cut the roofs of our mouths when we bit into the sandwich, so beware, but there's no pain, no gain, right? The sacrifices we must make for our tummies.

I didn't notice this the first time (you didn't think we wouldn't come back, did you?) but when we bought one to go another day, I saw that the jamon and bread were not the sole players. There was another hidden yet key member of this team, the tomato. It had been rubbed unto the bread as well. As Mark Bittman brilliantly points out, it adds just the right amount of moisture and acidity to the sandwich. It's pretty darn tasty. I still have too many sandwiches to try before I can make the same proclamation as Bittman, but this place is definitely worth a visit or two, or ten.

A word of advice, don't be tempted to order a Bitter KAS with your sandwich. It's a sparkling beverage that entices you with its bright cherry red color, but the use of "bitter" in Bitter KAS is not mere ornamentation. It was actually quite bitter and didn't have the bubbly, fruity flavor I was expecting. Interesting, yes. A good beverage to wash down your sandwich, not quite. Th bottle is really pretty though.

Mark Bittman might be single handedly keeping this establishment in business, and for that, I am grateful. Oh flauta d’ibéric d.o. jabugo, how I miss you already.

Cafe Viena

La Rambla del Estudis, 115

Cal Pep - Barcelona, Spain

This was one of my favorite places to eat during our stay in Barcelona. I don't know if it's because when you order a glass of wine, they unabashedly plop a whole bottle of wine in front of you, or whether it's the sound of Mr. Pep's raspy voice. The food was excellent and the staff were so friendly and attentive and I just dug the vibe.

If you are walking down Placa de les Olles after visiting the Picasso Museum, you'll see this awning and perhaps a line of people waiting to get in. There's only a dozen or so seats at the counter. It's a tiny yet lively space. We were expecting to wait quite a bit for lunch, but we were really lucky to get a seat about 5 minutes after we arrived. We noticed a much longer line when we were leaving.

There's Mr. Pep himself. He goes around to each party and makes sure you are enjoying your meal. He suggests five dishes for you to try. I think we got full after the fourth dish so we had to stop.
We started off with our trusty companion, the tomato bread.
Here's my bottle of wine and Pete got a bottle of red all to herself. One guy next to us finished a bottle all by himself. Impressive. Pete and I thought we had to drink the whole thing. Turns out they only charge you for how many glasses you drink. haha.
We started off with almejas con jamon, some clams sauteed with ham, shallots, garlic and parsley. This was fantastic.

Tortilla Española is a very popular bar item in Barcelona but this one blows the others out of the water. Without a doubt, this was my favorite dish at Cal Pep. This potato and egg custard-like omelet was crispy and golden on the outside and creamy and velvety with bits of onions and crispy chorizo on the inside. Let's not forget the light coat of garlic aioli smeared on top too.

There's a guy, whose sole job is to make these omelets. He was frying these up nonstop. I was trying to figure out what goes into this lovely egg and potato concoction, but I couldn't get a good look, I just saw flames.

Next, a plate of wild mushrooms and sliced sausages. Very tasty as well.
Here are their chipirones, squid in a chickpea sauce. Who knew that beans and squid could go so well together. So flavorful.
I was curious to see what our last dish would have been, but we were so full, especially me, since Pete doesn't like beans so I pretty much ate all of the squid and chickpea dish. For dessert, they brought us two cups of frothy white and dark chocolate mousse.

There seemed to be a mix of tourists and locals sitting next to us and everyone seemed to be enjoying their meal. I've been amazed at how these restaurants can cook up such amazing dishes in such a tiny space. It's really impressive.

They ask for your email address afterwards and they've already sent me an email featuring a Stuffed and Baked Fresh Hake. Now, if only I can figure out where to get hake in the states.

El Xampanyet & La Llavor dels Origens - Barcelona, Spain

Just down the street from the Picasso Museum is one of Barcelona's most famous tapas bars. I wanted to try cava, Spanish champagne, while in Barcelona and I was told El Xampanyet was the place for it. We stopped by for pre-dinner drinks around 8 or 9 pm and even at that time, it was packed and bustling. It's apparently a local's favorite too. It's a tiny little space with small tables scattered throughout, colorfully tiled walls and lots of interesting nick nacks hung around the bar. There's a jovial buzz to the place that's infectious.

Here's my glass of cava with a platter of ubiquitous tomato bread.

We tried resisting tapas while we were here since we were on the way to dinner, but we eyed some cured sausage being served and had to order some.
It's a fun and lively place for drinks and tapas and the staff, who we think are all family members, are really friendly.

We headed down the street for dinner at Origens 99.9%, which was supposed to be on the same street near Passeig del Born. We saw the sign for Origens (see below), scurried inside and sat down. We opened the menu to find that it said, "we, La Llavor dels Origens, have nothing to do with Origens 99.9%." Oops, I guess we were at the wrong place then. We looked at the rest of their menu, which was translated in English and looked interesting enough, so we decided to stay.

They apparently specialize in Catalan cuisine and also sell olive oil, wine and cheese from all over Catalonia. I think we would have benefited from an Eric though, because we didn't really know what was good, so we stuck with what we were familiar with, which resulted in OK food, but nothing spectacular.

We ordered a salad with figs, hazelnuts and goat cheese from La Garrotxa, which was tasty. We had heard that the meatballs with cuttlefish were good at Origens 99.9% so we thought we'd try it here. It was alright. And last but not least, we ordered a "macaroni of the grandmother." While the English translated menu was very helpful, some of the translations didn't carry over so well, so macaroni of the grandmother turned out to be penne pasta.

There was an interesting item on the menu that we were curious about as well. It was called "Roasted back with you countersink." haha. From the picture, it looked like a meat dish so we asked what it was and the waitress told us that it was just a very bad translation. I think it was roasted pork. So don't worry, no countersinks were harmed in the process. =) I thought Koreans were the only ones with funny translation errors, but I was amused to see that it happens in Spain as well.

For dessert, Matthew ordered mató with honey and walnuts. This is a very popular dessert made from goat cheese. It looked like cheesecake, but tasted more like tofu. I liked it, but then again, I tend to like bland, mushy things like tofu and cottage cheese. Pete got the strawberries with yoghurt. The strawberries were macerated with balsamic vinegar and black pepper. What is on our plate? Caramel? I don't even recall that being there till now. And for my dessert, I ordered three glasses of muscatel. hahaha, j/k. They just gave us those to drink.

I think I had been spoiled by eating such great food at other places that I wasn't as impressed with Origens, but I do appreciate that they try to use organic and local ingredients and that their prices are reasonable. I thought initially that maybe it wasn't as good because we went to the wrong Origens, but after doing some poking around online, it turns out that we were at the right place all along. The original founders of Origens 99.9% wanted to separate themselves from the franchise that they became, so they ended up changing their restaurant name to La Llavor dels Origens. I kind of hoped a real Origens existed somewhere that I would have loved instead, but I guess that's wishful thinking on my part. Maybe our experience might have been different if we ordered the "Roasted back with you countersink" instead. Note to self, when in doubt, order the weirdest translation on the menu and you might be pleasantly surprised.

El Xampanyet

Carrer de Montcada, 22

La Llavor dels Origens

Vidriera, 6 (corner of Passeig del Born)