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Innovative - traditional

 
Most restaurants in Barcelona offer a menú del dia, or menu of the day, which goes for between €10 and €20 and includes two courses, wine, bread and dessert (coffee is always extra). This is an excellent deal if you can wait to eat between 2pm to 4pm, and not before or after (once the kitchen is closed so is the menu del dia, and though the Spanish are late for some things, food is not one of them).

 
The lunch special is common, but most restaurants don’t offer a similar dinner menu. Catalina has broken this mold and is offering dinner specials this summer for a total price of €30. And what might you get for you thirty big-ones? The small mom and pop restaurant change its creative menu once a month, so it depends on when you go. Most recently they were offering a starter salad of duck, asparagus and tomato, cod canalones, Riu rice with mushrooms and artichokes, and lemon sorbet for dessert. Oh yes, and of course the house wine. As you can see, the ingredients at Catalina are local and seasonal.

 
Catalina also offers an exclusive service for the busy, lazy or cooking-impaired which they call ‘Cataling’. For a small fortune, they will come to your house for your next big to-do and prepare all the food. They plan a personalized menu for the party and can even set up a wait staff. This is a luxurious and innovative option for special events which is sure to make your party a success.

 
Information:

Angli, 4 bis

08017 Barcelona

93-206.17.91

€30 and up

Reservations recommended.

Eating vegetarian is not as hard as one might think

 Compared to say, Seattle or Berkley, Barcelona seems to be without veggie options. Still, Barcelona is a cosmopolitan city and while vegetarian restaurants are not popular they do exist. As a vegetarian, I know the ins and outs of going meat-free in Spain. It isn’t easy. When I first arrived a typical conversation with a waiter would go like this:

“Do you have anything without meat?”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t eat meat.”

“There’s the pallea.”    

 
“But that has chicken and rabbit in it…”

“Chicken isn’t meat.”

And so on. I don’t mention my veggie ways anymore, and instead search the menu for something relatively meatless and call it a day. This applies mostly to Spanish and Catalan restaurants; obviously with foreign foods it’s easier to go veggie. If you too, are a veg then you could skip all the hassle and just go to one of Barcelona’s few vegetarian restaurants. Restaurant Vegetalia is not only vegetarian it’s also organic making it truly a unique find.

Located on the infamous ‘Plaza Trippy’ (you can decide for yourself why it’s been coined with that name), Vegetalia is in the heart of old Barcelona, where bohemians, tourists, punk rockers and dog-walking Señoras all blend together in a strange though not unpleasant ambience.

The best time to go to Vegetalia is for lunch, when they have a set menu for about €10.00. This includes a three-course meal and coffee or tea; not too shabby. Besides the restaurant, Vegetalia also produces a tofu and tempe line. For more information about their products or for information on visiting their farm, check out this site: http://www.vegetalia.com

What: Vegetarian food  

When: Lunch and dinner

How much: €10 and up

Over the last month or so, I’ve been rambling on about Barcelona’s barris and some of my favorite places to visit within them. One barri I’ve decided begs mentioning once more: Gracia. I’ve already ohh-ed and ahh-ed about Gracia’s adorable squares and Indy movie theater, and this week I want to add a couple more restaurants to the Gracia line up.

 
One of the reasons Gracia is so attractive is because of its dappled selection of dining options. Feel like some curry? Gracia. How about Japanese or Nepalese cuisine? Gracia and Gracia. Mexican? You guessed it, Gracia once more. This barri has a multicultural palate which attracts people from all over the city.

 
No. 1: Mexican – Cantina Machito

 
I’m a sucker for mole and anything with a picture of Frida Kalho on it, which means I feel right at home at Cantina Machito. Right around the corner from the always buzzing Verdi Street, this Mexican spot is usually full Thursday through Saturday nights. There’s inside seating near the bar resembling a Mexican saloon and patio seating on the inner-courtyard offering relief from July’s humid evenings.  It’s decorated in cobalt blue, sunflower yellow and a rainbow of other bright colors which scream, ¡viva Mexico!

 
The food isn’t too bad either. While not authentic (I’ve yet to find an authentic taco restaurant in Barcelona), it’s tasty and almost passes as Mexican. Still, it’s missing something, which may be hot sauce or the right kind of black bean. The beer is an authentic import, Dos XX, as is the tequila with which they blend salty margaritas. For a bit of fun, up-beat Latin music and passable Mexican food, Cantina Machito is the place to go.

 
What: ‘Mexican Food’

Where: C/ Torrijos, 47 – Gracia

When: Evenings; dinner

Price: €20 and up for dinner

This is a fairly newbie in Gracia’s restaurant scene but a success nevertheless. There’s something fun about sitting upon cushions on the floor and eating with your hands. Abissinia also represents, gastronomically speaking, the mystery of Africa which people in Spain are drawn to. There it is, Africa, the giant continent below just about touching Spain’s southern coasts. And yet, there are few Africans in Spain and few Spanish (with the exception of Morocco) going abroad to Africa for their holidays.  

That said Spanish and African cultures seem to be getting to know each other a little more everyday. While an Ethiopian restaurant would not have been popular 30 years ago, times are changing and diversity is embraced in Gracia. Most nights of the week Abissinia has quite a few cross-legged customers scooping up lentils from communal trays of authentic Ethiopian dishes. I say authentic, but the truth is that I’m a poor judge having only eaten Ethiopian one other time in my life. I’ll stick to my guns though because I met the owner of Abissinia and his family who are all from Ethiopia, which in my mind gives them credibility. 

 
Where: C/ Torrent de les Flores, 55 - Gracia

Price: €25 and up for dinner

La Cigale or ‘the cricket’ is down one of Gracia’s characteristic side-streets. It is an adorable hole-in-the-wall with pleasant, bilingual waiters. La Cigale is decorated like a funky old house that used to belong to your Great Aunt Matilda, the eccentric nude painter on your father’s side. The restaurant-bar is packed with overstuffed couches in red and gold and mismatched chairs that appear to be antiques. There are strange photos on the walls and worn books on the shelves. While La Cigale is often full, it maintains an intimate feel, and is a good choice for going out with a few friends.

 
The cocktails are a good price, and so are the dinner options. There are many ‘wok’ dishes to choose from at about €6.00 a piece, which in this city is a good deal. I usually opt for the Spanish selection of cheeses platter and a plate of ‘nachos’ with a couple of cocktails among friends. One drawback, this cricket is smoky. If you don’t like second-hand smoke with your cheese platter, than best to choose another place.

Where: Tordera, 50 – 93 457 58 23

When: Evenings, tapas, drinks, dinner

What: wide cocktail and mixed drinks selection. About €15.00 p/ person

What’s in a name? The people at Foc have played a little word game between English and Catalan, which is just oh so clever! Foc in Catalan is ‘fire’ and foc in English is….well, I’ll let you figure that one out.

 
The bar and restaurant started out along the port in Barceloneta and has since expanded with a more spacious and trendy location in the Eixample. Foc offers an international menu, live music and a Martini Bar where customers can order from a list of ‘focktails’. Here, traditionalists can get a hamburger or a sandwich while those wishing to try the local faire can order lamb, tuna or shrimp. I like the Foc salads, which are large and filling and not covered with mayonnaise like so many other ‘salads’ here are.

 
My recommendation? Check the Foc web to see who’s playing and head down for pica pica (appetizers) and a couple of ‘foctails’ (perhaps the classic cocktail; ‘foc on the beach’?) to start off your night.

Where: Roger de Lluria, 23 – 933 043 020

What: Music, cocktails, dinner and lunch

When: lunch and dinner

Price: €15 and up

Hot Chocolate and Churros in the Afternoon

Eating at the Granja-xocolateria is one of the most decedent experiences in Barcelona, and maybe even in the world. If you love sugar, chocolate, whip cream and deep-fried dough, you must high-tail it to the Granja A.S.A.P.

This is no normal hot chocolate bar, but an institution in the Barri Gotic. A hole-in-the-wall, the cafe is packed in the morning and especially for afternoon ‘tea’ time, (it’s closed from 2-4pm). At the Granja-xocolateria the waiters wear crisp white shirts and one has the impression that they have worked at the Granja all their lives, with no regrets about doing so. They take your order and yell it to the cook; “A plate of churros and two extra thick chocolates topped with cream.”    

Minutes later a plate of fried churros (deep-fried dough tubes topped with sugar) and two cups of the thickest chocolate you’ve ever seen are plopped down in front of you. The chocolate is covered with a literal mountain of fresh whipped cream. You are handed a spoon and so, attempt to excavate through the cream to the atomic goo hidden below it. Dipping the hot churros in this cream and chocolate mix is also a very good plan.

I can not recommend the Granja-xocolateria enough. If you go nowhere else, go here. After a 3,000 calorie snack at the Granja, explore the rest of the area. The café is located on Petritxol   Street which is well-known for its art galleries, specialty boutiques and paper shops.    

Where: Petritxol, 11 – 93 302 20 36

When: Mornings and afternoons. Closed for lunch.

Price: Two chocolates and a plate of churros, about €5.00 a person.