Barcelona, Andalucia, Algarve, Lisbon (many pics)

As I alluded to in top ten of 07 , my recent voyage to the Iberian peninsula was an eye-opening (or mouth opening) exploration of real, local, and fresh foods prepared with utmost regard to their intrinsic flavors and textures. The markets were true testimony of a better and old fashioned way to commune with the sources and producers of one’s ingredients that is paradoxical to the American relationship with food- oft disconnected with food processed beyond recognition. Perhaps the greatest pleasure was interacting with the market vendors who, despite language barriers, communicated a sense of pride in their products. Clearly this food was born, raised, and processed in loving hands within a day’s drive from farm to market. An elemental approach was evident in nearly every meal we ate as well, particularly with seafood- as a sea-starved Midwesterner, I aimed to consume every possible critter from the deep as possible- some dishes as simple as plain grilled or ever so lightly battered and fried fish or crustacean. Vegetables, as well, often appeared simply grilled, as did meats. This cuisine has left me seriously determined to make better on my commitment to eating local and having a deeper respect for the ingredients in my kitchen. And now the food:

BARCELONA
My first jetlagged, yet ravenous (plane food for 12 hours, read: pretzels and bread) meal of tapas was at my sister’s favorite spot in her neighborhood in Barcelona, La Flauta. A rather large restaurant, bustling with activity, was immediately promising with displays of the day’s finest preparations. Highlights included my first taste of Iberian ham, in this case the superb, Jabugo- I ate the entire plate of velvety, nutty, jamon:

Grilled vegetables were pristine and did a body good:

This was a very exciting and surprising plate- Pimientos, deep fried little chilies coated in coarse salt- apparently one in ten have a scorching bite, which while my asbestos lined tongue failed to detect, were nevertheless highly addictive. I coveted this dish the entire trip and was never able to indulge as thoroughly as I had at this first sitting. Does anyone have a source for these here?

This dish was as simple as farm fresh fried eggs with telltale orange hued yolks on a nest of fried shoestring potatoes, a study in one-upmanship on the American hash brown breakfast:


A visit to La Boqueria, the dizzying market in the Rambla area, further influenced the sentiments conveyed in the preface of this post:









The next big meal, on day two, was a pilgrimage to LTH-raved Cal Pep. We patiently waited maybe twenty minutes for a seat at the counter. We were instructed that they would bring us the day’s tapas. It began with the indescribably delicate fried seafood medley, calamari, shrimp, and head on anchovy- the first (and best) of many head to tail seafood feasts:

My Mike G shot:

Nearly full already, similarly fried artichokes swooped upon us, again totally addictive. Then, clams in a basic broth with parsley, garlic, and flecks of bacon, nuff said:

Definitely to the point of blown- out- full when this aioli smeared tortilla arrived. I was absolutely stumped how potatoes and eggs were concocted into such a gooey and unctuous almost pudding like cake. There was bacon in this too:

Just when things seemed to be past the hilt, my sister detected another round coming our way- I did not believe this, until this fell from the heavens, Buttifara sausage, the local Catalonian specialty, tasting predominantly of full- on juicy pork, served in a nest of beans coated in the deglaze of the sausage pan and drizzled with a red wine reduction. Humble ingredients, elevated to haute cuisine:


It was a whirlwind few days in Barcelona and since I was staying in a real home with a real kitchen, I figured that I should take full advantage of this luxury, so a trip to the market- and a real eye-opening (read: wallet opening) purchasing of fresh seafood which showed the true price to eating this fresh. Paella with mixed seafood would be the dish. We had a delightful time navigating through our purchases with the vendors, who had cooking advice for everything we bought.
Some jumbo “gambas”:

Some “rapi”, monkfish:

And two types of “meillones”, including razor clams, which I was a bit perplexed by, a quick steam or a slow simmer? I went slow, but they were not super tender:

The finished dish:

All in all a festive and fun repast:


La Flauta:
C/ Balmes 164-166

La Boqueria
Mercat Sant Josep PARADA 606

Cal Pep
Plaça Olles 8

GRANADA & SEVILLA
Onward to Granada to view the spectacular Alhambra. It was right around Christmas, though, so we had a hard time finding open places to eat. We had a really nice lunch just outside the Alhambra at La Mimbre, a Rough Guide recommended spot, a beautiful room and good food, lots of veggies. My sauteed monkfish:


Christmas eve night, after scouring the town, we ended up at the Chinese spot. This was no Lao Sze Chuan, but fun:


Sevilla had more grub to offer. The advice I’d heard was to meander from tapas bar to tapas bar, sampling a bit of this and that, so I wasn’t taking really good notes on where we ate what. These white anchovies with beet garnish were primo, though:

Another new taste delight, which was new to me was mojama, cured loin of tuna, which has a deep salty and bloody quality, not unlike bresaola. A wonderful delicacy and I brought a little back with me.

We had tapas at a spot, Casa Morales, which was described as the oldest tapas bar in Sevilla and I believed it. Dig the menu scrawled in chalk on ancient wine casks:

This place was unheated, smoky, and packed with locals. The food was primordial, all served cold atop neatly trimmed pieces of stale bread. From left, morcilla, which I am not so sure is great eaten cold, way too much congealed fat, next some sort of roe, big, salty black eggs, quite nice. Then, baccala with a rouille- like sauce, Spanish sushi. And the sandwiches on the end, which were fantastic had tuna with a pepper paste and capers:


On our last night in Sevilla, we splurged at an upper scale joint, Rio Grande, which despite a slightly stuffy atmosphere (great view though), had food that really delivered. As an app. We shared a tuna tartare with avocado, kind of California style, but really sumptuous and incredible. I had a cod loin steak with roasted red pepper, garlic shrimp, and baby eels, a symphony of sea fresh joy, not unlike a menu item I’ve had at Avec (sans eels):


La Mimbre
Paseo de Generalife
Granada

Casa Morales
c/Garcia de Vinuesa 11
Sevilla

Rio Grande
c/Betis 70
Sevilla

ALBUFEIRA & LISBON
Westward to Portugal, to Albufeira, a kind of surreal beachfront town on the Algarve, primarily populated with old British tourists. Fantastic to get so much sunshine and ocean views in mid-sixties weather. The only dinner we had was fantastic and an omen of char grilled delights to come. We were greeted with a cheese course, "couvert", a Portuguese custom where they bring an appetizer course, which you will pay for, but is ambiguously served without ordering. Great goat cheese everywhere in Portugal, though. I was immediately entranced by the sight of a large lump wood charcoal fired grill at the end of the dining room. I knew everything grilled would be the way to go:

The grilled sardines were miraculous, like a chicken wing, the perfect ratio of lots of charred skin to flesh:

Didn’t quite have the cojones to down these larger heads, but peeled the burnt skin off them. The tails were as crispy as potato chips:

Grilled sea bream was fantastic, if not overkill on the grilled fish after the sardines. Very odd that all entrees in Portugal that we had were served with frozen fries- a British contribution, perhaps?

I tapped into what would prove to be the crown jewel of Portuguese cuisine: Chicken Piri Piri. This stuff not only is the freshest of chicken grilled over lump wood charcoal, but is marinated in garlicky chili oil, unbelievable:


Onward to Lisbon and more Frango Asado (grilled chicken). We found the mother of all grilled chicken spots, Bom Jardim, thanks to a tip from National Geographic Traveler. My folks said that it reminded them of Greek Town back in the old days and by the sparse décor and convivial local crowd I was transported back to better days. Had to snap a quickie of the succulent grilled shrimp app. before they disappeared:

Rounds of Frango Asado commenced. Here, the bird was less marinated, but the Piri Piri oil was served in these very civilized crocks with little paintbrushes, for dainty application:

This bird was rotisserie cooked (churrascaria style) whole over lump wood (it was butterflied and grilled in a cage the night before), so it yielded a moister meat. Variety is the slice of life and this bird was as good, but hard to compare to the previous night’s feast:

I had to snap a pick of the grill and the proud grill man insisted that I snap a portrait of him as well:



Another Portuguese addiction that we acquired was to the national pastry, "Pasteis de Nata", which is essentially creme brulee in a flaky tart pastry shell, very richly eggy and very luxurious:


The next night, we were craving, guess what, Frango Asado. We checked out a joint around the corner from Bom Jardim, did not record the name unfortunately.
We had a nice Portuguese clam app:

Chicken was consistently good, so was life.
I branched out and order grilled kid, which was a surprising first for me. The meat had the texture and color of veal and a flavor more lamb-like than goaty, yet deeper and grassy. Damn good:


A Taberna do Pescador
Travessa Cais Herculano
Albufeira

Bom Jardim
Travessa de Santo Antão, 77
Lisbon

Thanks for reliving this truly spectacular culinary journey with me. I cannot recommend highly enough taking a trip like this to any foodie. These were some of my finest moments in eating, which have changed the way I think about food.

Eric

Great report and photos!

Great post. Two things about Barcelona though. At Cal Pep, the Tortillia Espana I had was smeared with Aioli, not butter. Also, for the future if you're so lucky, pristine razor clams respond to a quick saute ala plancha best. Pinotxo Bar in the mercado was my go to place. A little olive oil, cover (they use a clear pyrex bowl, but then they're working on a flat top) 3-4 mins later, drizzled w/more olive oil and cut into 4-5 pieces. Done. Perfection.

Jazzfood wrote: At Cal Pep, the Tortillia Espana I had was smeared with Aioli, not butter.

I guess we were already in such a state of food coma already that our taste buds may have been backfiring. I did not detect a strong garlic presence, though. Thanks for the heads up, now edited in post.

I feel your pain. Funny how there's such a fine line between that and pleasure.

Jefe - wonderful culinary travelogue.

Those peppers with the coarse salt are almost certainly pimientos de padron (also written patron, or as pimientos padrones), one of my favorites from my time in Santander, which is on the pilgrimage route from the Pyrenees across to Galicia, their place of origin. 1/10 being a "rogue" is about right - I remember a cave guide I was working with digging in to a plate in Santillana del Mar, only to turn maroon in the face, hold his throat, and growl "UN PIMIENTO RENEGADO!" to the knowing delight of the waitstaff and his colleagues. That's also the ratio cited in this Wikipedia article:

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimiento_de_Padr%C3%B3n

Here is a legend about the peppers and a potential source for them Stateside:

http://www.tienda.com/reference/updates ... pdate=7104

Here is a recommendation that they are the same (or very similar) to shishito peppers that you can get at the H-Mart or Mitsuwa:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/409205

I've found them most similar to poblanos (though poblanos are more consistently hot). Someone had some milder poblanos at the Oak Park farmers' market that I prepared al padron earlier in the year, by sauteeing in olive oil with sliced garlic, and then dusting with coarse sea salt. Sabrosisimo!

This was a very exciting and surprising plate- Pimientos, deep fried little chilies coated in coarse salt- apparently one in ten have a scorching bite, which while my asbestos lined tongue failed to detect, were nevertheless highly addictive. I coveted this dish the entire trip and was never able to indulge as thoroughly as I had at this first sitting. Does anyone have a source for these here?

Green Acres Farm grows them each year. They are always at the Evanston Farmer's Market, the Green City Market and the downtown markets. Also, La Tienda typically sells them when they are in season.

Calvin Trillin has a great essay in Feeding a Yen about his trip to Spain and eating Padrons.

I did have one bad meal in Barcelona. En route, I let a taxi driver persuade me into changing my plans, which I'm sure would have been of home run status (all the others were). Caught up in the magic of the moment I changed gears and unfortunately went with his b.s. Bad idea.

The only orgasm worthy item of the meal was the first tapa of padrons. Probably about 20 or so (padrons, not orgasms) small, fried and sea salted. Simple and fantastico.

Again, when you have product like this, nobody is getting away with anything by just presenting it simply. Leave it alone, as if vegetable sashimi.

I will be in Barcelona in two weeks and plan to eat at Cal-Pep. I have a question though: does one order from a menu or simply let the staff bring you their selections of the day? Everything pictured looks terrific but hard to know what the wife and I might be able to shove down soon after getting off the plane. Also, what might be the average price per diner there?
Thanks,
Thomas D.

Cal Pep cost me about $100. Also if you go, it's best to get there early, like 1/2 before they open which is about 12:30. That way, when the doors open, you get seated right away. It's very small so the wait can be very long watching other people eat while you stare a hole in their backs.

A must eat place in Barcelona, the best food I ate actually was El Lobito near the marina. 2 set seafood menus with the addition of a jamon iberico starter for 55 euro or 70. I got the smaller one which was 13 courses. My best meal last year, and among the best of my life.

At Cal Pep you can either have them bring you what they think is good or order what you want. If you have them bring you stuff, agree ahead of time that after you get a few dishes they should ask before bringing more, otherwise you'll get more than you need (not that they are trying to take you, it's just a lot of salty food very quickly, which always makes me full fast)

Make sure to sit at the bar, not in the dining room. We went both at opening (dinner time) and later in the evening (9:30-10 pm) and didn't have too long a wait. We didn't try them for lunch. The owner, whose nickname is "Pep", is the guy with the glasses and the crazy gravelly voice. He tends to hang out near the back of the bar.

We also had excellent tapas at Tapac 24 (Paseo de Gracia and Calle Diputacio), which at least at lunch was not touristy at all. I think it is also open for dinner until midnight, but you should check for sure - http://carlosabellan.com/

Jefe, I'm knocked out by your pix and inspired by the eggs over fries (splashed with paprika?) -- I may need to make this for lunch. It is so cool that you were able to eat in restaurants and also try a little homecooking with local ingredients; it all looks interstellar.

Hammond

Catalan Cookery
Part One: Jamonisimo, Abac, El Celler de Can Roca

Any account of restaurant life in Barcelona and its environs must begin with El Bulli. So I confess that during my six days in Catalonia I did not eat at El Bulli. Perhaps it is just as well because El Bulli has become at least as much of a shrine as a restaurant. (I cannot comment on the shape of Chef Adraia’s cuisine or the validity of the religion for which he is the godhead). However, attempting to acquire a reservation eleven months prior to the date of our visit proved unsuccessful and no amount of waiting, pleading, or networking gained a table. This stands in contrast to the platonic El Celler de Can Roca (a Michelin three star restaurant), which still had open tables during the lunch that I dined in Girona. Could El Bulli be eleven months more fantastic than Can Roca? I can’t judge, but must speculate that at least some of those months may be attributable to our celebrity culture.

Still, my week in Barcelona was not without glories: Jamonisimo (*), Abac (***), El Celler de Can Roca (****), Cinc Sentits (****), Comerç 24 (**), Botafumeiro (*), Alkimia (****), and Drolma (**). There were some disappointments (Comerç 24 most dramatically), but there was not a bad meal. How many cities might one say that of? Paris? New Orleans once upon a time? New York, if one is careful?

Arriving in Barcelona in late morning, I set my sights on what I imagined would be a light lunch: a smidgen of Spanish ham: Iberian jamon. Near my hotel was a modernist and elegent jamoniserie (my term), Jamonisimo. Primarily a purveyor of dry cured ham, Jamonisimo has a few tables in back where they serve their wares. Perhaps it was due to our uncertain communication, but when I ordered Iberian ham in three textures (the parts of the leg from which they derived was shared for my edification), the plate was larger than I imagined (and could have easily satisfied several ravenous beach volleyball squads). But what an introduction to Catalonia! With dinner served at 9:00, pigging out at lunch was not a tragedy. The slices and chunks had subtly different tastes, density, and moisture, and the experience was distinctively different from an American country ham: richer and less salty. As I chomped, I couldn’t avoid thinking of Bill Buford’s Dante-quoting butcher, wondering whether such a butcher stood behind Jamonisimo.



Dinner brought me to Abac where an al fresco dinner was filled with pleasure, even if I could not claim that the meal was transcendent. Still outdoor dining in a splendid little garden on a warm late summer Catalan night provided hours to be treasured, and a worthy comparison for other dinners. I remember particularly one of the opening snacks: crispy veal, tasting for all the world like a meaty potato crisp.

Equally appealing was an appetizer that consisted of a lovely textured soup, part foam, part mousse, part liquid. An emerald vichyssoise, combined with scallions, leeks, and asparagus. This was a libation that coolly contrasted with the still summer evening. Perfectly made, perfectly enjoyable. However much work went into its construction, its elegant simplicity was a diner’s joy.



I also enjoyed the sashimi quality tuna, raw on the inside, with a cherry gelee and sangria sauce. The tang of the fruit complimented the fish well. While not a unique presentation or set of flavors, it was successful. Similar was the pigeon with cardamom and onion, served with a well-composed salad. The cardamom might have been pushed up a notch, as the flavor was muted, but the game was luscious.





Of the desserts, I particularly enjoyed the sculptural passion fruit with cream sauce and spun sugar. As is typical for Abac the flavor combinations are not astonishing, but the dishes reveal real sophistication for the mid-range of diners. I was not stunned, but it was a fine way to share a first evening in B-lona.



In contrast, platonic is the word for my visit to El Celler de Can Roca, a sleek and airy restaurant on the outskirts of Girona set in a peaceful modernist garden setting. One of the effects of having El Bulli down the road is that there is no need to compete in startling excess. Can Roca offers poetry to E.B.’s cracked science. But through it all the effects of a cuisine agape are evident. El Celler de Can Roca reveals a distinctive style, a style that owes much to sous vide techniques, capturing a density and purity of taste. However, sous vide does not scream at a diner. Not told that one’s meat was cooked sous vide, the marks of the process are hard to pinpoint, other than that the dish seems remarkable tender and flavorful, exquisite in taste and texture, but without blaring headlines.





At a restaurant of the quality of Can Roca, anything less than the tasting menu would be a sin: and I rarely sin at table. My tasting notes are, rather redundantly, filled with the word “amazing.” Chef Joan Roca is in confident control (along with his brothers, Josep, the Sommelier, and Jordi, the Pastisser).

Still the less dramatic “snacks” make the rest of the meal look astonishing in comparison. Weakest was baby carrots with orange, stick and sweet, but not clever. Better was a nicely prepared lavender crisp and the lovely bitter cherries with campari and anchovies.

But it was the second opening course that persuaded. This was among the most experimental presentations of the luncheon. Actually it consisted of a trio of courses: ‘Sferificacion’ of Cockles with Guava Juice and Campari (Sferificacion is an El Bulli-derived technique of controlling the gelification of a liquid to provide desired shapes), a skin of cucumber soup with popcorn made of garlic soup, and a luxuriant and very Spanish pigeon bombon with Bristol Cream sherry. The last, appearing to be a cross between a truffle and a mallomar, is an exquisite game pie in a single bite. It heralds autumn. The cucumber soup is perfect in its edgy elegance, rich with herbal flavor. I loved the cockles, particularly because of the bitter and cocky campari-reprise. Although there didn’t seem to be a strong connection among these three starters, eating them in sequence was delight.



Oysters with with Agusti Torello cava, apple compote, ginger, pineapple, lemon confit, and spices was modernist salt-spray fruit salad, coordinated to emphasize the briny taste of the mollusk. Here was complex deliciousness that was both clean and oceanic.



Melon with cured ham was a trompe l’oeil triumph: an extrusion of melon with fine Iberian ham. Conceptually this was cute, but the heart of the plate was the superb cured ham. One could almost taste the acorns on which the pig once feasted. No lipstick on this porker, but it was still a pig.



This was followed by a magnificently imagined taste festival. Not experimental, it represented modern cuisine’s desire to explore the boundaries of taste: Cherry soup with shrimp and a scoop of ginger ice cream mixed tart and rich, warm and cold, with every element skillfully prepared. This was an astonishing dish. From now on I will serve my shrimp cocktail with jam.



Green olive parmentier with foamy tuna sauce was another experiment in taste: an egg-like lump, playing on the imaginings of olive and potato: a tuna salad from the far future. Perhaps the taste did not compare with the cherry soup, but it combined tastes and textures with élan.



The following pair of dishes – amontillado-steamed king prawn and smoked summer-truffle soufflé – depended on splendid ingredients, impeccably cooked. Neither had sharp strokes of contrasting tastes, but their subtleties were delicious. The truffle soufflé was so sensuous that it deserved to be eaten in bed.





Sole with sea fennel and charcoal-grilled leeks bowed to classic cuisine (sous-vide classic, of course). Many modern chefs seem at sea with sauce, but not Chef Roca. Silken, foamy sauce with fish cooked by God’s hand, its elegance can not go unremarked. This plate reminds us why so many diners loved – and love – classic cuisine, even as lightened with low cooking and roux-free saucing.



Kid belly fillet with goat’s milk parmentier consisted of a rectangle of goat belly (today’s “in” body part) with perfectly crispy skin. This presentation was far more modern that the sole with just enough potato pudding and goat sauce to provide for an interactive experience. Another sumptuous dish.



Goose liver terrine with apricot compote is Chef Roca’s tribute to the foie gras wars. Foie, but not gras, it had a gaminess that foie gras can never equal, evoking the wild in ways that depend on the pungency of goose liver. This was a powerful plate. As foie gras is meat jam, Chef Roca’s foie is a treat from the hunt.



Dinner concluded with a pair of desserts. First was a decorative dish labeled “A fragrance adapted: Extreme by Bulgari (Bergamot cream, lime sorbet, tonka bean, vanilla and patchouli).” The idea seemed precious, but the dish was a decorator’s dream. Not my favorite of the afternoon, it was a pretty mix of textures, tastes, and aromas. Not knowing Extreme fragrance, I cannot tell whether it matches, but I surely would prefer Extreme on warm skin than cold glass.



Cherries with vanilla and amaretto, draped with a clear sugar wrap, completed the cherry trilogy. I love cherries, and found this ending to be filled with smiles.



Were it not for its colleague down the road, El Celler de Can Roca would be goal of any gourmet’s pilgrimage. Bravo.

END OF PART ONE, CATALONIAN CUISINE

Jamonisimo
Provença 85 (Eixample)
Barcelona
93-439-0847
http://www.jamonisimo.com

Abac
Avenue del Tibidabo 1-7 (Tibidabo)
Barcelona
93-319-6600
[url][/url]www.abacbarcelona.com[/url]

El Celler de Can Roca
Can Sunyer 48
Girona, Spain
972-22-21-57
http://www.cellercanroca.com/inici.php?secc=presentacion&lang=uk

Vealcheeks

Photos from my February 2011 Dinner at El Celler de Can Roca. For discussion of this dinner and dinner at El Bulli, see The End of Astonishment While not all of the dishes have a classic aspect, I was startled - and pleased - at the incorporation of the Great Tradition of Haute Cuisine into Chef Joan Roca's modernist cuisine. The meal was far less molecular than the meal that I had in 2008. It perhaps was less startling, but lovely, poetic, and evocative.

El Celler has a clean, modern, linear feel


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Caramelized olives (picked off the tree!) were as delicious a bar snack as one could imagine. It is a counter-point with Ferran Adria's liquified olives (now available to 41 Degree)/


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Caramelized Olive Tree by garyalanfine, on Flickr

A liquified bonbon, a tradition in molecular cuisine. It was fine.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Bellini Bombon by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Sardine snacks - just right for gobbling when watching Barca win at football.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Anchovy Bones by garyalanfine, on Flickr

I remember this snack less well, but it was tasty.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Chips and Chicken Cracker by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Very classic in conception, and very filled with flavor: splendid broth.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Truffled Brioche and Pot au Feu Broth by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Two effective bites in the modern tradition.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Smoked herring-caviar omlette and pigeon parfait by garyalanfine, on Flickr

An elegant and smooth oyster bite with a lot of flavors. Splendid.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Oysters with Agusti Torello Cava, apple compote by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Although the smoke is a molecular touch, but the escalivada is a classic preparation. A marriage of old and new.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Escalivada with Anchovies and Smoke of Ember (Eggplant, Pepper, Onion and Tomato) by garyalanfine, on Flickr

A frighteningly good meld of flavor in a modern cuisine vein. This is how foie gras should be done.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Artichoke, Foie Gras Oange and Truffled Oil by garyalanfine, on Flickr

A classic presentation although with acidulated mushroom juice. Classic up front, molecular behind.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Charcoal-grilled King Prawn with Acidulated Mushroom Juice by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Very powerful cheese and soup course. Lovely textures and a delightful vision.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Crespia Walnuts, and Comte Cheese (with onion soup) by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Each bite is a different taste. Perfectly prepared sole, although some sauces were more intriguing than others.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Sole, Olive Oil and Mediterranean Flavors by garyalanfine, on Flickr

The fun continues. Onion rocks with perfectly tender squid.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Baby Squid with Onion Rocks by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Very classic and traditional dish in composition, including the lard. We almost felt we were dining in Catalonia!


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Red Mullets with Suquet (Catalan Seafood Stew) and Lard by garyalanfine, on Flickr

The most molecular dish of the evening. It works. Much flavor mixing that with mustard ice cream is on the edge.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Steak Tartare with Mustard Ice Cream by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Mainstream modernism. Good, but in a somewhat convention way in light of the canons of contemporary taste. Fruit and meat is a cliche - admittedly a happy cliche.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Lamb with Sweet Potato and Tangerine by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Another fruit and meat (game) composition. Successful and somewhat more interesting than the lamb.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Lightly-smoked pigeon with Anchovies, Truffles and Blackberries by garyalanfine, on Flickr

An incredibly beautiful composition of sweet and herbal and fruity flavors. A glorious opening to dessert.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Green Colourology by garyalanfine, on Flickr

A nice palate cleanser. Sharp and clean flavor.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Lemon-distillate Sorbet by garyalanfine, on Flickr

A modernist dessert with a wide range of tastes that do come together effectively.


El Celler de Can Roca - Girona - February 2011 - Vanilla, Carmael. Licourice, and Caramelized Black Olives by garyalanfine, on Flickr

El Celler de Can Roca
Can Sunyer 48
Girona, Spain
972-22-21-57
http://www.cellercanroca.com/inici.php? ... on&lang=uk

Vealcheeks

I would like to add a story about a lunch in Cordoba. Last May my wife, daughter and I were on our way to Madrid from Granada, but were delayed by a spot strike. We found ourselves at the Renfe station in Cordoba for an unexpected 4.5 hr. layover...and we were hungry. We figured we would just walk around and see what we could find; the Renfe(train system) is directly across the street from the bus station(but far from the centro) so we locked up our bags and walked straight south. The station is set on a higher level than the surrounding streets so we could see some lone activity two very long blocks away. It turned out to be an unimpressive and sparsley populated corner restaurant. My wife peered around the corner and spotted a collection of chairs set out in the shade, and the chairs seemed to be populated. Lucky us!On the corner of Albeniz and Serrano was the Canadian Bar and Tapas...but it was bustling with locals. The waitress guided me away from one dish and steered me to the 'salamanca' a lightly coated,rolled ham stuffed with red bell peppers and lightly pan fried. It came with a very potent cole slaw, vinegar and garlic dominated. Incredible. My wife had the standard salad of Spain(it seems) ensalada atun, bib lettuce, julienned carrots, olives, boiled egg, onions and tuna. My 5 y.o. consumed the whole cheese pizza( a definite thumbs up given her picky ways). The waitress served us gratis the local sherry and a non-alcoholic apple liquor for our daughter. Fond memories of our only glitch in Spain. The little local places, seek them.