The Florentine
Where? The Florentine (Poblenou, Barcelona, Spain) Map Menu
When? Saturday January 20, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Brunch
It’s a bit chillier today, only 13C and very slightly breezy so it feels colder than that, but it’s still pleasant and sunny outside. I’ve already had my morning suizo so now I’m having a late brunch in Poblenou. As tempting as it is to try Eggs Benedict with Iberian Jamon or “Barcelona style” with mozzarella and pesto, I’ve gone for a traditional eggs benny with bacon, and a simple green tea.
Mains
Eggs Benedict: with smoked bacon
I have to eat it quick or it’ll get cold, but that hollandaise and perfectly poached egg combo is sumptuous. The potatoes helped to soak up any excess sauce; as far as eggs bennies go, this was pretty decent. As I was eating, it suddenly occurred to me why I had been craving bacon for the past few hours - today is a porkada, a celebration of pork in the suburb I’ve been staying it. There was a parade with pig statues that were being wheeled about, and they ended up at the market where the riders on top of the pigs tossed jamon into each others’ mouths. I was fortunate enough to catch this as I was walking home, I love randomly coming across strange and wonderful experiences like that.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:22am on Thursday March 7, 2024 :: 0 comments :: 
Restaurant BelleBuòn
Where? Restaurant BelleBuòn (Horta-Guinardó, Barcelona, Spain) Map
When? Thursday January 18, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Italian
There’s a large Italian expat community in Barcelona, so I’ve heard. Apparently because the Catalan language is so similar to Italian - both being occidental languages and both having the same set of vowels - it’s relatively easy for either community to learn the other’s language. As such, there’s some very good Italian restaurants in the city and though I’ve been here before, I’m keen to try more of their extensive pasta menu. I tried to get a table here last week but they were fully booked and it was too cold to dine outside, but today, it’s 8pm and 16C outdoors, and absolutely pleasant to chill under a marquee on the street outside the restaurant.
Antipasti
Bruschetta Napolitana: toasted bread with tomatoes marinated with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil
Holy moly this is a lot of bruschetta. Obviously this is supposed to be shared amongst four people but here I am, by myself, eating a family-sized appetiser. They’re beautifully toasted, and full of delicious olive oil - the real stuff. That basil is very prominent. It’s too difficult to pick up with one hand. I think it could use a pinch more salt, but otherwise this is a fresh, classic way to start an Italian meal. I should use up my basil plant at home by making this. A lot of olive oil has dripped onto the plate, and it’s the perfect dressing for the arugula garnishing the bottom.
Pasta
Scialatielli ai frutti di mare: home made pasta with king prawns, clams, mussels, prawns, cherry tomatoes and garlic
Wow. That intoxicating seafood smell. The heads on the prawns. That perfectly al dente home made pasta. There’s a lot of flavour crammed into this dish and a lot of hidden seafood too. Mussels and clams strewn through the pasta and tomato sauce. The heads on the prawns are by far my favourite thing in the plate, and I’ve almost forgotten they come with a body. They haven’t been fully cleaned though, so they’re a bit gritty. But the flavour is absolutely spot on, and every bite has an item of seafood in it. There’s a lot of wine in the sauce, it’s so rich and flavoursome.
I’m stuffed but my dessert stomach has a tiramisu-shaped void in it. I want to take a little break first so even though I know what I want to order, I ask to see the menu. Actually these all sound really good, but I know the Nutella-based ones are going to put me over the edge. There’s a “chocolate cake with hot creamy pistachio and hazelnut heart” which sounds divine, but I’ll stick with the plan.
Dessert
Tiramisu: Savoiardi (lady fingers) biscuits with coffee, eggs, mascarpone cream and chocolate
Oh yes. Absolutely perfect. So light and fluffy, yet filled with that delicious cream and chocolatey coffee flavour. I love it. What a delicious way to end the night.
As I ask for the cheque, the waiter informs me there’s one last surprise for the meal: a shot of limoncello. This is the best.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:54am on Thursday March 7, 2024 :: 0 comments ::
Granja Dulcinea
Where? Granja Dulcinea (Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Spain) Map
When? Thursday January 18, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Chocolates and Pastries
No big meal, no fancy feast this time. Just a quick breakfast in a small cafe by Plaça del Pi in the Gothic Quarter. This place has been in operation since 1941 and is hugely popular with locals and tourists alike, and at 10.30am, it’s bustling with patrons, just under 25 of us seated in the premises. They serve a range of pastries, desserts and hot drinks, and today I want the best chocolate drink I’ve ever had in my life - a suizo, or “Swiss”. I happen to spot a Catalan favourite - a xuxo - so I get that as well.
Breakfast
Suizo and xuxo
A suizo is vastly different to an American hot chocolate. It’s made by melting actual dark chocolate in hot milk, then adding a bit of corn starch to thicken it, and topping it with whipped cream. This gives it an incredible, rich taste that must be enjoyed slowly, instead of the useless powdered drink stuff they make outside of Europe. Once you go suizo, you don’t go back. A xuxo (pronounced chucho) is a pastry that looks like a cylindrical croissant but is denser and is filled with crema catalana. The sugar on the outside gives it a little crunch as you bite into it, and the cream is thick and delicious.
Arohanui to the folks back in Toronto where it’s currently -8C. It was such a good decision to come here.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:38am on Thursday March 7, 2024 :: 0 comments ::
La Dolça Herminia
Where? La Dolça Herminia (Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Spain) Map Menu
When? Sunday January 14, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Mediterranean
It’s the end to another weekend in Barcelona and I’ve chosen a recommended place in the Gothic Quarter of the city. It looks a little pretentious with its immaculate white cloth and chic decor and ambient lighting, and the fact that all the wait staff speak English is again both reassuring and worrying because it’s probably going to be touristy. A lot of the other patrons are English speakers too. Oh well. Let’s give it a go. As usual, the fideua and the paella cannot be served to me, a loser, who is dining by himself, so I’ve gone with a starter of eggs in chips with Iberian jamon, and baby octopus. The dessert looks good as well, I’ll see how I feel after the two dishes.
Appetiser
Huevos Estrellados: fried eggs broken on chips with Iberico ham shavings
You know, if they did poutine like this, I would be way more inclined to eat it more regularly. The shavings of jamon provide the saltiness, and the egg yolk adds a nice richness to the dish. It doesn’t feel gross and soggy like poutine, the fries are still crunchy and appetising. Not bad to start with!
Mains
Baby Octopus: cooked in onion, with spice, crushed potatoes and lemon aioli
This smells really good, lots of garlic present. The octopus is soft and the tentacles are slightly crispy, and the mash has soaked up all that delicious sauce. They’ve left a few pieces of crispy garlic inside too, that really helps add a nice textural element to the dish. It’s rich and satisfying and despite the small portion, I’m pretty content with the amount of food I’ve had. Of course there’s always room for dessert.
Dessert
Tim Baon: nougat ice cream with crema catalana and chocolate sauce
"A favourite of our most loyal diners", it says. This looks very interesting. They’ve taken a block of nougat ice cream and covered it with the crema catalana, and brûléed it as well to give it that delightfully crispy sugar crust. It goops over the side tantalizingly, and my first spoonful is delightful, full of the different flavours coming together harmoniously. There’s some nice chunky bits in the ice cream too, I wish there were more. A fantastic dessert to end the meal.
I notice that a lot of Spanish restaurants wait for you to ask for the bill, they don’t slap it in front of you when you’re done as a kind of nudge that you should vacate the table. It’s nice to enjoy a little bit of time to write and finish up my blogs but also the introvert in me hates having to catch the attention of the waitstaff.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:32am on Thursday March 7, 2024 :: 0 comments ::
Little Fern
Where? Little Fern (Poblenou, Barcelona, Spain) Map Menu
When? Sunday January 14, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Brunch
It’s such a good day, I’m in a tank top walking around Poblenou in Barcelona and I’ve just come back from the beach. Little Fern is run by a couple from Catalonia but who spent a good deal of time living and falling in love with New Zealand. The cafe is bustling with people on this beautiful Sunday afternoon and because I’m by myself, I get a seat quickly. 
I’ve started off with a house-made hibiscus lemonade, sweet and refreshing on what feels like summery weather.
Mains
Harissa scramble: Free-range soft scrambled eggs with a house salsa (roasted tomato, red pepper, harissa), avocado, sumac za’atar and grated pecorino. Served on toasted sourdough.
It’s vegetarian, but it looks damn good and I don’t want to walk around the city feeling super bloated. That salsa is amazing, there’s so much flavour packed into that. The eggs are silky and smooth, and the sourdough perfectly crispy. Everything is beautifully seasoned, and it’s one of those vegetarian dishes that really makes you feel so satisfied that you don’t need meat. It would still be good with some bacon though, but I’m happy as it is.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:21am on Thursday March 7, 2024 :: 0 comments ::