So I’m not confident about a lot of things, but I’m very confident about the things I’m confident about, if you catch my drift. So here I was, excited to be in Barcelona, CONFIDENT, that my foodie palate would be lovingly engaged, indulged and satiated because I know good food AND, my gastrointestinal system has never let me down.
I stand corrected. A nasty little bug gave me the *coughs* Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But fear not! I did sample a little this and a little that and the verdict is in. Your foodie heart needs to journey to Barcelona Christmas in Barcelona – HER//Excursions (herexcursions.com).
Food Tour
Our first sampling was a trio of pintxhos, snacks of slices of crusty bread with toppings. The first was a roasted eggplant, topped with red pepper topped with a tiny fish. I happily wolfed down the serrano ham, blood sausage, (non-spicy) green pepper on a red sauce next. And then. Transcendence. An eggplant slice anchored a thick slice of caramelized goat cheese. Holy, pancakes. It. Was. glorious. The mingling of lusciously smooth, briny but sweetly caramelized cheese, with neutral eggplant and bread was a divinely explosive experience. Not least of all, the Espinaler Rojo vermouth Vermouth Espinaler – Espinaler left me a devotee.
Our next foray was to Boqueria Market Barcelona. We sampled some tapas; Manchego (a Barcelonian staple apparently) cheese, chorizo sausage and two types of ham, one of which was Iberico Jamon. Now, I am NOT a fan of ham. Basically, ever. Iberico Jamon though, is the Rolls Royce, the Fendi, the Louboutin of hams. Iberico Jamon is specifically made from acorn-fed black pigs. Then it’s cured for years. As a result, it is frightfully expensive. But friends, it is an absolute feast. While I found the samples on the thin side, there was plenty to go around, and the quality difference was still obvious for those that had never had it before. This is NOT your grandma’s ham.
Ewan (out guide) took us to a test kitchen next. We imbibed in more wine. It paired well with the white beans and chorizo in a sweetish sauce (it worked! I also liked the sliced tomatoes drizzled with balsamic with Manchego and mini toasts.
We finished the day with a lesson in making Sangria (I assure you, I will be making it thus), and the Catalonian dessert; Crema Catalana. This traditional Catalonian dessert is cross between a crème brulee and a custard, one on the liquid side. It rounded off the food fest nicely.
Cremat 11
My daughter discovered HOME | Cremat because she had a hankering for pancakes. In Spain (kids…gotta love ’em). This cool brunch spot is located in the La Ribera neighborhood and was a short walk from our abode.
The restaurant is small and intimate. I found a funky, artsy space; worthy surroundings for a lazy brunch. My daughter immediately, and single-mindedly ordered the Passion fruit pancake. But she didn’t just get a lone pancake. We were wowed by a tower of four thick pancakes artfully covered in a passion fruit sauce, loaded with a waterfall of fruit and dried coconut.
Ladies and gentlemen. It was a hit. I tried a little bit and actually liked it because it wasn’t too sweet. No, I didn’t have brunch. Not exactly. My plans lay at Boqueria market and I wasn’t about to upend them. I did try their Sangria, which turned out to be as big as my head! It was delicious but no, I did not finish it. I couldn’t very well have my child hold up her mother as she staggered her way through the streets of Barcelona now, could I?
La Boqueria Mercat
I admit most of my meals came from the Boqueria Market Barcelona. Before you get too excited, this was unplanned. It just happened that way after my unfortunate, uhm, GI issues. I ended up not eating much for two days.
Enough of the depressing stuff. The fact is, you could theoretically eat all your meals at the market while in Barcelona, and you’d still not eat everything. My lunch (at this point) consisted of a simple but delicious Iberico Jamon sandwich. This no-frills sandwich didn’t feature any sauce. And it worked just fine.
At certain points, we also treated ourselves to paella, empanadas, croquettes, grilled meats and fish in addition to freshly squeezed juice. We loved everything and would certainly do it again.
Antigua
Knowing that we would be in a foreign country on Christmas Day, I had pre-booked Christmas dunch (lunch/dinner) soon after booking the trip. We had to take a cab to the restaurant.
The small restaurant Antigua Restaurant (antiguarestaurante.com) is located on a quiet side street. The classy yet casual eatery features an interior of exposed brick on one wall, and an autumn-toned landscape mural on the other three sides. We were immediately offered a choice of red or white wine on sitting. Imagine my surprise when the waiter left the entire bottle of red on the table. And then my daughter reminded me that wine is viewed as a meal in Spain.
Dinner was a set five course affair. We kicked off with a beautiful plate of seared tuna topped with a shrimp, smoked salmon and a sachet-esque pastry bag filled with a soft cheese and cilantro. My daughter rather liked the foie gras served with toast that followed. It was the first time she had it. However, we were in complete agreement of our enjoyment of the next dish, a shredded oxtail risotto.
My daughter had ordered the cod as an entree. I admit that was going to be my first choice when I booked. Unfortunately, nausea and a disgruntled stomach nixed that idea quickly. And thus, I ordered the beef tips. She loved her perfectly flaked fish, and the tiny bite I forced myself to stomach revealed an impeccable dish. Unfortunately, my medium rare tips, however, were tough and chewy. The mashed potatoes were good though.
The meal culminated with a bruleed citrus sponge served with a condensed milk ice cream. What can say? GI issues or not, I polished off the dessert. My daughter even loved the luscious dark chocolate truffles that were also served. And this is a young lady who absolutely hates dark chocolate. My daughter ended the meal by accepting an espresso.
Illness aside, I liked Antigua. My picky daughter certainly enjoyed it – so that says a lot. I would visit again if I had the chance.
Moka
Moka Barcelona Restaurant was located a few doors from our hotel. It was also the site of our last meal in Barcelona. Additionally, it was the first time in two days that I felt hungry and could eat more than a couple of bites.
I ordered grilled vegetables served with a romenesco sauce, bread with tomato and veal. My daughter ordered a goat cheese salad. We shared the bread and really liked it. The veggies were grilled just right and were a delight to eat with the sauce. The veal was humongous! And pretty tasty. Still, we both agreed her salad stole the show. Please understand she hates goat cheese typically. And yet she kept raving over it in Spain. We ended the night with a very good red velvet cake slice.
While my body betrayed me in Barcelona, I can assure you the place is a foodie’s delight, a veritable paradise. I recommend it unreservedly and would love a do over.
