Ah, to be in college again-so young and carefree…the opportunity to study abroad…I just returned from visiting my brother in Barcelona where he is doing just that. (Well, he is actually in Santander, a great little beach town in the north, but we met up in Barcelona.) What can I say? The food was just incredible. I adore Spanish food. Going to tapas is one of my favorite things to do. I really feel it’s the perfect way to eat a meal: sit around with friends, enjoy each other’s company, try all different types of dishes, drink good wine…what could be bad about that?? Not much. There are so many excellent restaurants in Barcelona, and I couldn’t eat at them all, but below are a few of the food highlights from the trip. I recommend you check them out should you find yourself traveling to Barcelona….don’t forget to take me with you.

Inopia

sorry for the dark photos, they were taken as discreetly as possible on a camera phone…

Well, I don’t even know where to begin. This might have been one of the best meals of my life. Inopia is the brainchild of Alberto Adrià, the brother of Ferran Adrià, founder of El Bulli. Unlike El Bulli, Inopia is a traditional tapas bar with a relaxed atmosphere. If you only have one meal in Barcelona, make sure it’s here. A few highlights: seared tuna belly over toast with spicy mustard, soy, greens, and garlic (remember how I reconciled with mustard few weeks ago? Well this dish confirmed that mustard is an absolutely essential condiment). The octopus was incredibly fresh. It was served warm in olive oil and literally melted in your mouth. One of the specials that night was seared tuna in olive oil and soy sauce with a tomato garlic compote and greens-this was unreal. My brother and I ordered two. And of course, the eggplant. Lightly fried and drizzled with some sort of maple reduction-it was sweet and savory at the same time.

Café Adonis

While taking a stroll through the Gracia district, we stumbled upon a very lovely café, Café Adonis, which turns out to be part of a bed and breakfast. When I lived in Spain, my homestay mother often made me some sort of meat with french fries and greens, and we had a dish that reminded me exactly of that. We also sampled some salmon carpaccio (extremely fresh, of course) and a tomato, arugula, Parmesan salad. The thing about ordering such simple dishes is that the ingredients are all so fresh that everything tastes so flavorful. This is a great little spot to sit outside, enjoy a glass of vino or two, and relax.

Segons Mercat

Another great little place we ended up at was called Segons Mercat in Barceloneta. This was probably the best pan con tomate (a traditional Catalan dish) that we ate. It’s simply fresh bread that’s been toasted and rubbed with tomato, garlic, drizzled with olive oil. This particular bread had the right amount of oil/tomato/garlic balance. I also recommend getting the fried artichokes with garlic. The albondigas (meatballs) with octopus were tasty as well.

A few other suggestions

I tried to go to Cal Pep (several people recommended it), but it was closed the whole time I was there. If you go, let me know how it is. And of course, take a trip to the Boqueria Market. The women in the fish stalls are just unreal! They just stand there with huge machetes chopping up that day’s catch. Get a slice of Jamon Iberico, a special type of ham produced in Spain and only recently available in the states. For an afternoon beer, check out Mudanzas in El Born. And if you are looking for something sweet, check out Xocoa and Demaise, both Barcelona-based shops severing up excellent sweets with well designed packaging.

Thanks, S, A, and B for meeting me in Barcelona.  Buen Viaje!