Barcelona Foodies - Take 2

We started off our second day in Barcelona with lunch at Cal Pep. For those of you unfamiliar with Cal Pep, it is a small EXTREMELY popular tapas bar. We arrived about 15 minutes before they opened (if you don't, you have to wait in line for stools to open) and were promptly seated at the counter when the doors opened. First off we LOVED our server - he reminded me of Ricky Gervais. (Sidebar: Why is it that everyone who wears glasses in Barcelona has the coolest frames!).

We dove right in to the food, opting for the tomato bread (good, but not as good as I remembered from my last visit), fried baby squid (top notch!), meat and potatoes (we both agreed that this was THE BEST meat we had ever tasted - a high quality cut, lightly seasoned that melted in your mouth!), and pimiento peppers:

I've now visited Cal Pep on 2 separate trips and both times have been extremely inpressed. It is a definite M-U-S-T when in Barcelona. Just remember to get there about 15 minutes before they open for lunch/dinner and make sure to grab a stool at the counter, because it's all about the counter, not the tables in the back.

Next up on the agenda was dinner at Tapioles 53. This was definitely THE BEST meal of the trip. Tapioles is the brainchild of Australian chef Sarah Stothart and her husband, Barcelona designer Ricardo Feriche. The restaurant in located in the residential Poble Sec neighborhood in an old umbrella factory. The space is a loft with only about 10 tables and an open kitchen. In the back, glass doors separate the restaurant from the couples actual home. The feel is very warm and homey with dim lighting and mismatched chairs. Noel, the pastry chef, came over to our table and told us that Sarah was away and that they would only be offering a 3-course instead of the usually five-course menu and that she would be doing all of the cooking based on Sarah's recipes. Fine with us! After the Cava arrived Noel sat down at our table and started to discuss the menu with us, explaining all the ingredients and how they decided on each dish. A-MAZING! Since there were 2 options for each course we ended up trying everything. Course 1: Cauliflower soup with a chuck of cold blue cheese dropped in the middle (PURE HEAVEN!) & a salad of cured meat, arugula, paremesan and balsamic (perfectly done!). Course 2: A beef stew (very hearty) and porcini raviolis in a cream sauce (very good and not too heavy). Course 3 was where we met Noel expertise - dessert. If you are reading this Noel, please FedEx us one of your carrot cakes! (this was one of the best desserts I've ever had and usually I'm a chocolate lover only!). We also tried the flourless chocolate cake that came with a light & airy coffee mousse that was to die for. What I had approached as a nice break from tapas turned out to be one of my top dining experiences ever. The personal touch people, THAT'S what it's all about!

After dinner we headed off for drinks at Las Guindas, a neighborhood bar recommended by Noel (excellent choice!). Finally we decided to visit with the green fairy, sipping Absenta's at Bar Marcella: