When you are visiting a city as a tourist you often run the risk of making tourist mistakes. Wasting a meal on a crap restaurant or getting ripped off by a taxi driver are two things that come to mind. So it is always great when you visit a foreign city that has a friend who lives there. Continuing our hyper-Euro-tourism we spent last weekend in Barcelona, complete with local guide. Not born and bred in Barcelona, but a fellow pastry chef who is also exploring what Europe has to offer and currently stationed at Bubo in Barcelona.
More like an edible art gallery than pastry shop, Bubo is a feast for the eyes.
And every flavor of marshmallow you could ever want to eat...
Barcelona is probably best known for its Gaudi architecture, its location along the Mediterranean Sea, and its Catalan cuisine. Among the foodie world its no secret that Spain has not only a rich food history, but also leads in food trends and innovation. The likes of Ferran Adria and Oriol Balaguer all strut their stuff near Barcelona.
As Barcelona is right along the water and as the summer heat leaves you in a daze its clear why dinner is eaten super late and seafood tapas are king. One of our favorite Mediterranean treats - Grilled Cuttlefish.
And a our new favorite tapa...sauteed spinach with spanish bacon and chickpeas.
Two of our best meals, recommended by our local guide, came from Carles Abellan's two ventures. Chef Abellan trained under Ferran Adria for nearly a decade and we had dinner at each of his restaurants. One was informal, rustic, and just plain good. Here was the menu at TAPAS, 24 the day we were there...
And then, the following evening we had dinner at comerç, 24. I wish I could tantalize your tastebuds with pictures but I've never been successful at taking pictures of food at dimly lit restaurants. And trying to use flash never makes anything look appetizing, which is a real shame. So, I'll just share with you my meal titled the Festival Menu by the Chef. I jotted everything we ate so not to forget one bit. Most courses came with multiple different tastes.
Enjoy.
Course 1: Gold dusted macadamias. Green Olives. Vichyssoise with summer truffle. Parmesan-lemon mousse cannelloni.
Course 2: Monkfish with black sesame + squid ink paste. Tuna tartare on egg yolk with salmon caviar.
Course 3: Sardines with blood orange + microgreens + fresh wasabi + crunched caramelized nuts. Consomme with spherified egg + cheese + truffle.
Course 4: Cod with pinenut foam + sherry. Artichoke ice cream with warm cod foam + sherry reduction + toasted pinenuts.
Course 5: Duck + foie rice with crunchy corn. Black rice with cuttlefish.
Course 6: Seabass with potato, vinegar foam, caramelized onion, and garlic flowers.
Course 7: Chicken with prawn and cauliflower puree.
Just when you thought it was done...dessert.
Course 8: Oreo cookie of black sesame cookie and whipped cream. Pineapple sable with flambeed meringue. Greek yogurt foam with puffed rice + mango + raspberry. Passionfruit and mandarin foam over mint tea puree. Chocolate mousse with sea salt + olive oil + tuile. Nougat espuma coated in chocolate with marcona almonds + coffee gelee.
Jealous? =)
Very jealous! Of the entire visit. Sounds fantastic. I want to taste all of those marshmallows too.
Posted by: lisaiscooking | Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 06:02 PM
Ahhhhh. Oh but to travel as much as you. This is the life.
Posted by: The Duo Dishes | Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 06:42 PM
lisaiscooking - They had some amazing combinations ... yogurt + berry and mandarin orange were my favorites.
Duo Dishes - Yes, these past 18 months have been amazing and I've been to so many places that I could have only dreamed of. It's been a time in my life that I will never forget and sometimes I let travel stresses and homesickness get the better of me, but then I realize how lucky I am to have these experiences.
Posted by: gastroanthropologist | Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 07:09 PM
I am very very jealous!! :( I love Barcelona so as Tapas!! The cuttlefish.. oh my.. makes my mouth watering.
Posted by: mycookinghut | Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM
Of course I am jealous....
Beautiful city, wonderful people... this bring back my sweet memory of Barcelona.
Posted by: elra | Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 12:23 AM
How lucky for you to have a local guide. They would certainly help avoid wasting a meal! Love that maracon/whisk display too :)
Posted by: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella | Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 11:19 AM
We definitely need to go back to Barcelona. We loved the city there but 10 years ago our food experience was quite different. I understand that the dining there is quite transformed with the influence of Ferran Adria. I love the menu you had at comerç, 24, awesome!
Posted by: Natasha - 5 Star Foodie | Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 01:30 PM
Ah, we both posted on Spain :) Love your foodie pics, especially the cuttlefish - I remembered it was one of my fave tapas in Spain when I went.
Posted by: Nutrition to kitchen | Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 09:17 AM
Yes! What a meal that is! I love seeing all the pictures. I've not been to Barcelona before, but those tourist mistakes do sound familiar. I have to agree that having a guide/friend is the best way to see a city. I have to say I'm intrigued by those whisks. What a cool idea!
Posted by: Lori | Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 01:33 AM
Yes, curse my envious appetite!
Bubo has my sweet tooth aching and that grilled cuttlefish looks incredible. I know what I would've ordered at TAPAS, 24 - the 'fideua'! (If I'm reading the board correctly, it's with garlic and olive oil?)
Until we ever get the chance to visit these places ourselves, I love touring them through your posts!
Posted by: Tangled Noodle | Sunday, August 23, 2009 at 02:50 AM
The spinach bacon chickpea tapas dish looks absolutely amazing. I went searching for a recipe right away. I hope this one tastes as good as your photo looks:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spinach-and-Chick-Peas-with-Bacon-103070
Posted by: Cynthia | Monday, August 24, 2009 at 08:12 PM
aaaaaah ,...Barcelona!! I adore Barcelona.
We go there every few years for about 8 days.
We love Gaudi too & tapas & la Boqueria! Lovely pictures of the fine desserts!!
Posted by: Sophie | Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 01:03 PM
You are making me so upset that we cancelled our trip to Barcelona in March! Wow! But at least when we finally make it there I'll have some wonderful addresses! Fabulous pastry, fabulous food!
Posted by: Jamie | Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 04:54 PM
Thanks all for the comments. I'm recovering from submitting my dissertation last week and hope to get up to speed with posting and reading all of your post next week! Have a wonderful weekend everyone - Monday's a holiday for those in Britain. A chill in the air this morning...I plan to eek out the very last moment of summer!
Posted by: gastroanthropologist | Friday, August 28, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Um yes, jealous. I went to Barcelona but certainly did not have the foodie experience you did!! Then again, I was a sophomore in college with limited funds...
Posted by: Alice | Monday, August 31, 2009 at 01:05 AM
Hi,
Barcelona and Gaudi! oh and Tapas are amazing there. We are an aspiring food service. Would you give some advice on our blog. Yours is truly amazing and your work is inspiring. We want to make food our business but we are just getting started. We have done all we can to utilize the internet and youtube services:
honeysuckle.posterous.com
youtube.com/honeysucklecatering
Please let us know what you think. Thank you!
Honeysuckle Catering
Posted by: Honeysuckle Catering | Monday, August 31, 2009 at 07:09 PM
Hi,
Spain sounds amazing, particularly Barcelona. I've only tried cuttlefish once and it was in a Taiwanese restaurant, I wasn't impressed. Your pictures look much tastier.
If you have a sec check out our new site. We are just beginning our travels - in New Mexico right now, then California, then New Zealand, then Australia and maybe Vietnam.
I love reading about where you've been and what you've experienced. Keep up the great work!
Posted by: Amber | Monday, August 31, 2009 at 07:31 PM
Amber - I just took a look at your blog. Love all of your pictures. I'm so looking forward to your posts on your future travels. We are going to Korea next summer for my grandfather's 90th birthday and thinking of going to Vietnam as well so if you go I'll be interested in what you think. New Zealand and Australia are high on my to travel list, but will save those for when we move back to the States and regroup!
Posted by: gastroanthropologist | Wednesday, September 02, 2009 at 05:53 PM
I feel like a broken record, but here's another post where I swear I typed in a response, I mean if nothing else to profess my jealousy at this incredible cultural and culinary experience. Wow! The food looks amazing, and ever since I took a few classes in design in college, I've been enamored with Gaudi. What an incredible trip.
Posted by: OysterCulture | Saturday, September 05, 2009 at 03:51 PM
Was there at Tapac, 24 last weekend! Was the BOMB! Sepia - amazing! Killer place to eat. Go here first then go to Comerc,24 for bigger dinner. All else in Barca may fail in comparison!
Salut!
~MIKE
Posted by: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1232590672 | Friday, September 25, 2009 at 03:20 PM
Mike - I know, that's the problem with awesome eats - you don't ever want to eat anything else. Would fly back to Barcelona just for these two places!
Posted by: gastroanthropologist | Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 05:22 PM
seems you enjoyed your stay :) Congratulations!
Posted by: Guide Barcelona | Monday, February 17, 2014 at 03:40 PM