T'estimo, Barcelona.

Barcelona was an awesome city to visit, explore and eat in. The food in itself was an adventure, so many different styles and tastes to be had in one city, I could have eaten my way through Barcelona for another 6 months.

While planning our trip to Barcelona this fall, I was so excited to truly experience spanish tapas, and of course, did as much research as possible to ensure only the best eating experiences during our short visit.

My eating plan included doing everything in my power to get reservations at El Bulli (often called "the greatest restaurant in the world"). I decided to go in strong. I sent them an email, begging and pleading, complete with a photo of me holding "a day at el bulli"- the restaurants coffee table book that right now holds the top spot on the ottoman in my sun room.

They kindly responded no. (actually, they kindly responded in broken english, explaining they are currently "living a big problem" with the amount of requests that they can't fill, but that they "will take care full time to see if there are changes that permit us to find some solutions more", which I found very authentic and cute for a restaurant with such an international following).

In order to keep it in the family (literally), I planned for us to have lunch at inopia, opened by Albert Adria, the brother of the esteemed owner and chef of El Bulli, Ferran Adria. The restaurant also came recommended by a friend who lived in Barcelona and worked in the kitchen at El Bulli a couple of years back - I'd say that’s a pretty strong source for a recommendation. I also made us a resi at the well-known and critically acclaimed Commerc 24, and since the chef used to be the sous chef /kitchen manager at el bulli, I felt like we were keeping it close to the mothership with this call too. It was going to be our fanciest, most expensive meal there, and also the most anticipated of our trip to 3 cities.

Those two restaurants delivered extremely opposite impressions and each deserves a full review below, If you only have time to read one, scroll down to the inopia review, don't miss it. I’ll list some of the other worthwhile places we visited at the end.

Lets Start with Comerc 24.

Giddy with excitement, we pulled back the big glass and metal doors and were greeted by a guy who was all business, decked in black, with perfect hair and trimmed stubble. The place was subdued, dark and modern. We were led to our velvety seats by Senior Eurostyles, past the waiters (dressed like ninjas) and the empty front section of the restaurant.

Our waiter arrived, and we ordered a couple of cocktails and were presented with menus. The host stopped by to go over the menu and encouraged us to order the taster’s menu as most customers do. There were 2 options and we ordered the basic “festival” tasting menu, which is designed to be customized to your individual tastes and preferences, and served tapas style… in 12 or 13 separate courses including dessert. Sounds yummy.

A short conversation with the host ensued about what type of food we would each prefer to see and things we’d like omitted. We’re told the chef will use this information to prepare items from the menu (or off of it) to that most suits our tastes. How delightful. I was excited for the meal but tense from the cold, uptight vibe in the place. There was a lot of buildup to this meal so I had high expectations, and I was trying to take in everything I was seeing, smelling and hearing.

The bread service arrived and it was top notch. Safe to say that when the only part of the meal that even comes close to being top-notch is the bread, you're in trouble. Light, fresh, country style breads with 3 choices of olive oil. Amazing. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there.

I cannot recall every serving that followed, because around the time that I realized I was actually feeling nauseous from the food, I stopped taking photos, and have been blocking the experience out of my memory since. I will only go through my menu, but I can tell you that Eric was equally (if not more) disappointed.

First course was an avocado and vegetable roll. Tasteless, textureless. literally plain avocado. I went with it and figured maybe they were giving us very bland and natural ingredients to prepare us for some very interesting tastes on the way? Wrong.

Next came a cold cauliflower vichicoise soup with truffle infusion. I like a cold soup, but this was starchy and thick, and the truffle taste was overpowering and not balanced. Gross.

Third course: gold dust covered hazelnuts. Again, tasteless. Well, they tasted like nuts. I appreciated how beautiful they were so I tried not to complain. I looked over at Eric and faked a "how are you liking the meal?" I thought maybe he was having an entirely different experience than me so far, and I think I was faking it to myself too. "it's goooood" he said, unconvincingy, and I just said "ya". Neither of us wanted to ruin the other’s Comerc fantasy meal, yet.

Then, the meal turned from plain bad, to terrible. A cold "ramen soup" broth arrived to be poured over flowers. Again beautiful to look at, but no taste. There was a vague ginger taste to the broth, other than that it was tasteless. One of the exotic flowers makes your entire mouth go numb and tingle for 3 minutes... interesting, but I was sure I was going into allergic / anaphylactic shock, which is really, really not cool. It scared the shit out of me. I said "Ric! My lips, they are swelling! my tongue!", and when I called the waitress over to ask her if there was perhaps some lobster in the soup I might be dying from, she explained the whole "electric flower" thing. I made Eric try it to show him how not nuts I am, he did not like the sensation about as much as me. How about a little, “here is your soup, enjoy the sensations from the wild flower". Or “here's your soup and, oh ya, you may feel near death while your tongue seizes up for 3 minutes.”

Little hairy wildflower- eating the entire thing could cause days of tingling & numbness

Next up, another soup (again – if you’re keeping score that’s 3 soups in 4 courses)... it was a broth with three types of "yolks" floating in it. One was a quail egg, one was a truffle yolk, the last a parmesan yolk. I’m not yolking. The waiter told me to put them in my mouth and essentially let them explode. Interesting, because eating them one at a time does not blend the tastes, but rather overpowers you with one strong flavor at a time. Also, there was nothing interesting about the texture. It was slimy and the liquid had no pulp or texture. The yolks were also way too large. When they opened up in my mouth I wanted to gag. It was too much liquid, and an unpleasant taste. Eric claims I sprayed one back into the bowl by accident – just by purge reflex. The thought of getting through this soup made me ill.

Next course was called a "kinder surprise", like the chocolate egg with the helicopter toy you have to assemble inside. Only this was an egg in brown shell that had been laser cut at the top and refilled. The bottom was egg white pieces, cooked in small slivers in raw yolk, with black truffle, and potato mousse on top. The mousse fell after 10 seconds, and this quickly became a slimy cold, sludgy, yolky substance - what's the DEAL with the eggs and soup consistency and overpowering truffle in every dish? I am into egg, and truffle of course, but this was done like a bad joke.

After that I cant remember anything. A tiny serving of salty chicken arrived (finally – solid food), but Eric and I were too busy figuring out the least embarrassing way to escape this meal. The plan was all about approaching the waiter because everyone in the place spoke in a whisper and we didn't want to make a scene or insult anyone, or have the tables near us overhear. I was feeling nausous from the amount of slimy and raw egg that I had consumed, I had yet to eat one solid thing the entire night. Erics food was partly different but equally horrible. It deserves a column to itself – it really does, but this has run on long enough I think. We called over the ultra chic maitre D and explained in hush tones that the food was making us nauseous and we wished to end our adventure now please. We took the cheque and left before the final few courses. The ambiance was lame, the food was a disaster and I couldn’t sit there any longer. In the restaurant’s defense, the service was excellent and we got the impression they were more embarrassed by the situation than we were upset by the food. They refused to charge us for all but the wine. Classy, considering we were prepared to pay for the whole "festival" in order to bust out of there asap.

Altogether, a major disappointment. No taste, basically one texture, one big catalan flop. We could not believe it. I have met, spoken to and read about handfuls of people who were just as disappointed.

Inopia

We rented bikes at the bottom of las ramblas (where I contemplated buying a pet bunny for ten euros 15 times in 3 days, seriously) on a beautiful sunny day, and mapped out our journey through some local neighbourhoods in search of Inopia. It is definitely a “drive-to” destination, off the tourist path. After (luckily) not getting killed on our bicycles on some fairly busy Barcelona streets, we arrived just before the lunch rush and were seated immediately.

The menu was all spanish, and the waiter was very helpful in explaining each dish, and making some recommendations. Everything is delivered to the table with just the right amount of style and attention to detail, without taking away from the real amazing part - the food.

The place is awesome. Casual, unpretentious and so styling. The very cool and easy going Albert Adria whizzing past us every two minutes, adjusting the volume of the music, reworking his playlist, bopping his head to the vibe, and hugging and kissing and welcoming every patron that walked in. It was like Cheers, times ten thousand. He smiled over at us, picked up one of our empty plates, and said thank you (the only english word the guy speaks). We shared a no-english moment with him, acknowledging the food and the great scene unfolding at his ultra happening spot. This guy was beyond cool (I sat watching him greet his friends and work the restaurant and sort of fell in love on the spot).

Albert Adria, you're cool.

First up came our beers and fried eggplant with sugar cane molasses. Seriously, unbelievably, amazing. Perfectly cooked. Crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside.

Then came Russian Salad: I didnt take part (tuna), but Eric says it was potato salad, tuna, and "other stuff". Very descriptive so thanks Ric. He said it was good, not his favorite, but here is a pic in case you happen to love Russian Salad.

Next (as per the waiters suggestion), was the inopia croque monsieur. A very basic, but tasty dish, I would give it a thumbs up, but relative to the rest of our meal, it was just OK.

Next up, The bomb. A delicious little ball of deep fried sheperds pie (basically), sitting in tomato sauce with a dollop of sour cream on top. The meat was well spiced & out of this world hot and amazing. Truly the bomb.

Chicken fingers, with spanish potato chip batter and mustard sauce (the chips are sold in bags behind the cash), were the highlight for me. They were so mind blowing that in looking at the photos I see that I became slightly cross-eyed with shock and excitement. My favorite junk food has always been chicken fingers - but this dish was from another galaxy.

Dessert was figs and yogurt. Perfectly ripe and juicy figs (figs like that could only grow in the mediterranean sun), and a light and fresh way to end the meal (and head out drunk and full on our bikes). By the time we left there was a lineup to get in, and as I saw a couple deciding to leave, I told them to wait it out, big big mistake to pass up that kind of food.

Inopia was one of the best meals of our trip, and one of the most delicious and fun spots of all time (I wish we had gone for every meal)

Other great spots & stuff

Cerveceria Catalana: We hit this spot the first night we arrived at 1:15am- perfect for your first pitcher of sangria. It was jamming with people, a great fun vibe and bar scene, and very decent tapas. We loved it! Be sure to eat Padrones peppers at every meal while in Barcelona!

La Bodegueta: very authentic and local dive - great padrones peppers and other classic catalan bites. A good, cheaper option.

Mercat de la boqueria: the famous market just off of las ramblas is a must do. One of the most impressive food markets I've ever been to- A great choice for breakfast, they have prepared fruit cups, coffee bars & eating Jamón ibérico off the pig leg is good any time of day.

Chiringuitos: are restaurants on the beach, a fun way to relax and spend the afternoon.

Also be on the lookout for some amazing looking paella at nicer restaurants along the beach.

Montjuic: A great place way out of the busy bustling streets to relax in the afternoon, take some sun, have a glass of wine while a catalan artist plays music on the steps, and enjoy the fabulous view.

Vinoteca Torres: We had classic tomato bread app, apple tart, and then chocolate on toast with sea salt. one of the best desserts that has ever hit my mouth. A+++ for a late night glass of wine and snack, and the dinner food looked incredible too.

Cal Pep: Packed tapas bar is a Barcelona favourite. Beware the long waits!

Bunny rabbit I almost bought 15 times.

You're going to love these nuts, Ottolenghi, & other stuff at home.

Ventured out to Amira headquarters this weekend. The company that makes nuts, dried fruit, olives & spices has an open to the public "cash & carry" near L'acadie and chabanel.

We went there to buy an assortment of nuts to assemble some pretty jars for chanukka presents. Also because we really love going to the freaky place with fresher-than-average nuts, and getting to the cash with a basket full of stuff for $6. Makes me wanna say Boo-ya!

We loaded up on 2 kinds of pistachios (sea salt & lemon, and good old "REGULAR IRANIAN"), large (but not jumbo) cashews, some dark chocolate covered peanuts, and almonds RNS (roasted, no salt - who knew there was a whole nut lingo I had to learn?).

We kept this visit pretty focused, I tried not to get lost in the olives & cheese. We grabbed some hot bread that looked like a whole wheat helium balloon, right out of the oven and off the "poker", to eat as we browsed. The place is crazy - they have all kinds of obscure middle eastern foods and knick-knacks with classic foreign packaging. They sell syrian drums and morrocan trays, small furniture and really ornate shesh b'esh boards (I had to hold back from buying one), and weird figurines of Egyptian pharaohs and sphinx. It's a trip (...somewhere stinky).

I headed to the back to pick up some spices. I needed falafel flour mix (the real deal homemade stuff, I'm going to try to emulate Taim's falafel balls), Za'atar, and some tea that I love. Of course I ended up picking up an extra 8 spices, none of which are labeled, so that should be a fun mystery to solve now that they are all sitting in my pantry in plastic bags. I have been trying to find some good Za'atar, to make a chicken recipe out of the Ottolenghi Restaurant cookbook. I rarely follow a recipe exactly, but I like to flip through nice cook books for inspiration to keep things fresh and changing. We visited Ottelenghi in London when we were there in September and I loved it. Beautiful spot and great food. I picked up this book from Bon Apetit Cookbooks. The recipes are original, and some feature ingredients and spices that aren't very common (at least not around here). But it's fun because it gives you an opportunity to try some new flavors, and then understand them for future use. Or something.

Anyways, there were 5 types of Za'atar: Algerian, Banini, Palestinian and Jordanian and another I cannot remember but I'm guessing Syrian. The recipe in the Ottelenghi book never specified which type and here I was very confused (and hung over - bad combo). I went with the smell test and picked 2 varieties that smelled the best to me. (They both had hints of armpit... but I know that'll just make a better end product.)

I tried out one recipe tonight with some friends and a good bottle of wine. Unanimously delicious.

Menu:

Proscuito de Parma, endive, raddichio (tossed in a vinaigrette), parmesan & pear with tuscan bread.

Spicy Mediterranean soup with kale, cannelleni bean, vegetables and lemon.

Herb crusted Rack of lamb, mini cauliflower, roasted red potato.

Zaatar and Sumac chicken, with red onion & lemon.

The boys appreciated the carnivore's delight. The appetizer was excellent, the rack of lamb was perfectly done and the Chicken Za'atar recipe was delicious. It was tangy, juicy, and flavorful. I'm looking forward to having fun with this book. I will post the recipe tomorrow.

Monica & Jonathan: brunch in Brooklyn.

Egg. This jamming "#1" Brooklyn brunch joint was spot on. The only downside (and it's a biggie, possibly a deal-breaker), is the wait. Jon and I fell upon it while exploring Brooklyn one Sunday when I was last in NY .I plopped down on the bench outside next to a couple from Toronto who announced to me that they were "foodies" that come to New York "alllllllllll the time" (mazel tov guys), and that they did their brunch research, and that finding myself at this little joint by chance was my lucky day. Then they told me they had been waiting for an hour and a half (not angrily I might add). What? No caps lock, no bold and no font size could ever explain how outrageous I find that. I did however, store that little snippit of info to use as ammo for the next time Eric complained about a 15 minute lineup at Beautys. Let me just say, I would never wait for 1.5 hours to eat brunch.

Anyways, Jon put our names down, and within 30 seconds, the lovely (but insane) Torontonians said "ta-ta" and strutted in for their long awaited table. Two minutes pass. Next up, the hostess calls out "Monica, for 4?".... no reply. Again, "Monica for 4?".... Silence. I looked around, and then something came over me. I stood up, without thinking, and said "yes, that's me - but now we're two". The hostess grabbed two menus and told me to follow her in. Look out Toronto, I'm doing the strutting now. If you're keeping score - that's 6 minutes from approach to seated. As we breezed past TO's table, I literally (I mean it), lowered my sunglasses and winked at them. It was an out of body experience. I don't think I have ever lowered my sunglasses, or winked at anyone, ever.

After a few solid minutes of nervous excitement, waiting and imagining the hostess walking up with the real Monica in tow, to boot my sorry ass out onto the curb, my hip-hopping stomach calmed down, and brunch happened.

First up, personal french-press coffee units arrive at the table along with 2 mini warm, light and delicious munchkin/timbit puffs: A great start. 500 points for Egg.

I ordered Eggs Rothko. What you're looking at is two eggs, easy-cooked in two slices of homemade multigrain bread (supposed to be brioche, but I asked for a healthy choice), topped with melted vermont cheddar. Perfectly cooked egg (loose yolk, and tight whites), soft amazing grainy bread, and melted oozing cheese. Wow. The broiled tomato on the plate was bold and flavourful, a nice change from the usual cold, fresh tomato slices, and the well done bacon....well done! A hash brown tater totter went whizzing by, and I knew I needed to have one. Salty, crunchy fried exterior and fresh, soft, hot interior... another 500 points right there.

Egg gets an A+ in my books. No complaints, really. But would I wait an hour and a half for that meal? Absolutely not. 20 minutes would be where I time-out. Or if it was summer, as long as it takes to have a coffee and read the paper in the sun.

Stanton Social in the lower east side is about 1000 times better and the food more creative, and they take resi's ( I am going to blog about them soon, as soon as I can get there and take some proper photos). Anyways, if you happen to be in hipster happening Brooklyn and there's no insane lineup, Egg is a great call. Check out these photos of the hipster nerd types waiting in line.

Golden State Trilogy: Part II

The drive from Napa to LA was spectacular, save for the food. Our unusual accommodations in Big Sur was the highlight of this part of the trip: we stayed at Treebones Resort, in a yurt. A yurt is bassically a big round tent, but with a wood lattice frame under the tarps, making if firm. Remember those gates that our parents used to use to keep children and pets away from the staircases? Wood lattice that pulls in and out like an accordian? Like that. These particular yurts had wood beam ceilings, leading up to a plexiglas dome in the center of the ceiling so that you can see the stars at night. They were spotlessly clean, well appointed with electricity, a sink , colourful quilts, french doors and hardwood floors. The deck outside the yurt had two adirondack chairs, looking out at an amazing ocean vista. Pretty awesome.

We decided to skip out on our reservations at Pacifics Edge, a restaurant in Carmel that is supposed to be top-notch. But we were so happy to be at Treebones after a couple hundred miles of driving, that getting in the car for another long drive to the restaurant was a tough sell. Instead, we headed into the main lodge for the meal of the evening: bbq chicken and vegetables with brown rice. It was a great homestyle cooked meal, we brought a bottle of wine, found a cozy table by the fireplace and played scrabble all night. Perfect night & my favorite of all the fancy hotels and places we stayed on the entire trip.

On the famous drive down highway 1, be on the lookout for some breathtaking vistas. I saw these beautiful cows on the side of the road, with the ocean and mountains behind them. We pulled over and I got some great shots (but again, not many people freak over cows and animals the way I do). We did the Pebble Beach 17 mile drive, it was okay, but there's something not so "nature" like about diving through a golf course in a procession of cars and getting out with 200 other people taking pictures takes away from the beauty. There were a lot of other beautiful sights I preferred throughout the drive (like cows). Also not to be missed- we took a great hike through the redwoods in the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, up to a waterfall- so awesome.

Then there's Nepenthe. This restaurant right off highway 1 in Big Sur came highly recommended by lots of people we spoke to. I can confidently report that the only thing it has going is the view. But the view from our rental convertible was good enough that we could have skipped Nepenthe. The food is really the pits, my chicken sandwich with aging creamy cole slaw on the side was a $17.50 disaster. The view is amazing, but be prepared to wait with all the other 150 tourists for the 7 seats facing the ocean- We did, and it sucked.

Santa Barbara is beautiful. I don't remember the food- but we rented bikes and drove them all around town, and the hotel was great. Feel free to email me for hotel info.

That's it for part II, stay tuned for Part III, all about eating in LA...