Foodies in Barcelona

What is Spain know for....tapas...Sangria....cava....and eating very very late.....and i mean very very late....breakfast is usually around 10/11 (even on work days, most people start at 9 without breakfast and then have breakfast at work), lunch around 3/4 and dinner around 10.....unbelievable...and not for me...how can one go to bed with such a full tummy at night...

Of course while in Barcelona we had tapas, Sangria and cava....we did however NOT do the whole eating late thing....the typical Sangria is of course the red wine Sangria...however, the typical Barcelona Sangria is the cava Sangria...and that one is my favourite...i guess that was not difficult to figure out cause Cava is sparkling wine and we all know how much i LOVE that....hahaha.....

We had some really great tapas experiences in Barcelona...let me share a few highlighs with you....the one night it was only mom, dad, Sofia and I that went out....it was a Saturday evening and the rest was tired.....we chose a little place in the Gothic quater...it was on Placa Sant Josep Oriol, 4....the name El Nou Pi Antic...we had quite a big lunch and also quite late hence our hunger was not too big...so we just ordered a few tapas....white anchovies in vinegar, tomato bread, deep fried calamari rings, jamon Iberico, hot chorizo and mussels....we were very happy...of course the meal also needed some Cava....the calamari rings were not my favourite and nor were the mussels cause they were not in their shells....they were in vinegar and i expected them to be in the shell and warm....let me share a pic with you...

Tapas at El Nou Pic Antic

The most unexpected part was when there was a suddenly very loud music....and people started gathering around.....and then i saw it...a parade...apparently one of the biggest festivals in Barcelona...actually a Catalan festival...the parade lasted about 1.5hrs...so loud....and Sofia just slept through the whole thing....it was amazing...and the parade was very beautiful....let me share a pic with you....

Parade

Back to some more food experiences....next up....Zona d'Ombra in the Gothic Quater....on the street Sant Domenec del Call, 12. We had been there before and we loved it, it is this tiny restaurant with 8 tables...and it is just so cute....again...Spanish style it was tapas, jamon croquettes, green peppers called padron, jamon, various marinated olives, melted cheese and a cured beef carpaccio....my favourite....i am sure you can guess....the melted cheese...we are just such a cheese family...cannot go wrong in serving me cheese....from raclette, to fondue, to chaes-schnitte, to chaes und wurst salad to cheeseplatter....anything with cheese and i am a very happy person.....hahaha....so this little spot we truely enjoyed and we would definitely go back again....here is two food pics....

Padron peppers

Jamon, olives, melted cheese and cured beef carpaccio

Another one which I had been to before with Mutti was called El Bitxo near Palau de la Musica....Verdaguer i callis 9, again this is a tiny little almost wine bar with 4 tables....we loved it, so i wanted to take the rest of the family there....quaint little place, one person taking orders, making drinks and food...so yes, they are not the fastest, but that is Spanish style anyway.....and the food...to die for....we ordered patatas bravas (roasted potatoes with a spicy tomato/mayo sauce), platter of local manchego cheese, platter of jamon, platter of cold chorizo and boquerones in vinegar (white anchovies) and of course no tapas is complete with some tomato bread.....everyone loved the little spot...and yes, i would definitely recommend it....dessert we tried the apple tarte tatin with zabaione ice cream....the tarte tatin pastry should have been a little thinner, but the ice cream made up for it, the ice cream was so damn yummie....wow...definitely worth it.....let me share some pics with you

Patatas bravas and boquerones

Apple tarte tatin and zabaione ice cream

After our delicious meal I did crave an ice cream sandwich though...i have seen the advertisements so often of this particular Maxibon ice cream sandwich that i just could not resist, it was the cookie ice cream sandwich...and guess what...thank god i could not resist cause it was very delicious...i will share a pic....cause if you ever come across this ice cream, do yourself a favour and buy one....

Maxibon Cookie ice cream

Last but not least ill share some pics of the food experience from Tallers 76 where we also enjoyed the good cappuccino....we ordered a jamon platter and i must say....it was the best out of all the places, and jamon was something we really ordered every time, so when i say it was the best, it really means something, it was dark, not too much fat, cut thickish, it was just amazing...and of course tomato bread.....let me share a pic

Jamon at Tallers 76

We also had a caprese cause i just needed something salad like and something Italian.....dad had the seafood paella there and he enjoyed it...dessert crema catalanya...the flavour was good, the sugar crackly (how it should be), but the consistency for me a little too runny, i know crema catalanya to be more solid....if i would have tilted the ramakin, it would have just flown out, and that should not be the case.....

Crema Catalanya

So all in all we had good food in Spain....some more general comments about some places we visited for foodies....Masqmenos, we went there for a quick bite to eat cause everyone was tired, the atmosphere for me was a little too modern but the salad i chose was excellent, i chose the one with Iberian ham and the ham was very good and the dressing just wow...i loved my salad....very very good.....

We also tried Celler de Tapas which is right around the corner from my sister's place...it was good...but nothing special, Mutti had some mushroom risotto, mom and i shared some tapas and dad had a steak (which was overcooked), we also tried a steakhouse called Mussol...and also there unfortunately the meat was not cooked the way we wanted...so i think the spanish do not know how to cook meat....hahaha....the jamon Iberica had way too much fat and the roasted veggies were very dry.....so not such a nice place...definitely do not recommend it....

Lastly, we also tried this place called.....Cerveseria Catalana...there were always lines to get inside, so one day we went 12 o'clock to avoid lines, but i must say....i was quite disappointed....the atmosphere was rather cold and modern inside and it seemed like a factory production, the frittata was not cooked properly, the patatas bravas were not even golden brown, the octopus was yummie and the fillet pincho...but the rest nothing special at all...i would not run back to it...but all in all i think we had some very good experiences...but after a week of tapas i must say...enough is enough....funny how Italian food i cannot get sick of....hahaha....now off to dinner...cheers from me....we chat soon about Girona

 

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