Cal Pep, Barcelona Spain

Cal Pep the ultra popular restaurant on the edge of Barri Gotic is highly spoken of, so highly spoken of that the twenty seats in front of the open kitchen fill up within an instant of the doors opening.



One night we joined the que of people that wound it's way out the door, it was not long before we were half way through the line and the line was twice as long as when we had started. Soon we are seated right behind Pep in his trademark purple glasses.



Quickly we have a few snacks on the go and get a couple of cerveza y limón (beer with lemon) which is on draft.



The staple of pan con tomate is probably the most disappointing example we've had in Spain. Soft and under flavored it just wasn't all it could be.



Deep fried llengeta, a tiny inch long fish are deftly dusted with flour before a flash in the fryer and into a basket to drain, then onto a plate before a soft fried egg is slid on top, the last step is to smash the egg through the fish coating them in yolky goodness. Delicious.







Crumbed and deep fried calamari are ok, neither here nor there and a tad oily.



Padron peppers deep fried and served with Spanish flake salt are awesome as always.



Our tuna tartar tastes fine it's just a little gray suggesting that is was cut a while before serving.



With the miss rate higher than the hit we decide not to order any more and take our leave. It's not that anything was bad just not great either especially for the price which is not cheap, maybe the hype has outgrown Cal pep or perhaps we were just there on a off night.
I'm glad we went to see for ourselves though.

Cal Pep
Placa de les olles,
number 8
08003 BARCELONA


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Can Ravell, Barcelona Spain

We stumbled across Can Ravell when surfing the interwebs for Barcelona eats, instantly attracted to the fried Calaf eggs with grilled fresh foie and fried potatoes. The promotion this month was buy one portion and get two portions. Sounds like a good idea to me.

When we first arrived in Barcelona Can Ravell was closed for Easter.. luckily for us it was open second time around. This small grocer opened in 1929 and soon after began cooking some of their own produce in a small restaurant up stairs. A little while after that we came for lunch.



The small stores shelves are overflowing with all sorts of amazing produce we could have easily stocked up on months worth of supplies but we resist temptation and ask for the restaurant which is not easily seen.



Asking was the trick, we are led into the back of the store, then into and through the kitchen to a staircase that then leads upstairs to the dining room.



We were only thinking of the foie but as we eyed the menu there were so many seasonal specials and dishes we had to rethink our position and in the end we opt for the tapas sampler menu. First up seven starter tapas;

Smoked sardines with onions and olives; brined and lightly smoked with a burst of raw onion and a good splash of olive oil.



The White asparagus was huge, I can't get over the monster size of the asparagus favored in Spain. It had been expertly canned and served simply with a dollop of good mayonnaise.



We still got our foie fix with the sheets of seasoned foie



Plus four small plates consisting of confit tuna belly topped with roasted peppers, the ever present Russian salad, small cuttlefish in their own ink, and tiny cockles from Rias Gallegas.



None of these seemed particularly small so our eyes opened wide when seven large tapas were then whipped in front of us.

The days rice - a calamari and ink risotto, Chick peas with slices of fat spicy chorizo, lentils braised with pork double chin (wow!), onion soup served in wine glasses, creamy jamon croquettes , a granitated cannelloni filled with cheese and veal,and two fat grilled scallops topped with a slice of nutty fried garlic.



We were now glad we didn't add the foie dishes as a supplement to lunch, although tempting.

The end of the meal came in four parts. A drained yogurt with a berry sauce, creme Catalan, a fat slice of panatone French toast and a fruit and almond paste.



Finished off with an espresso it was a pretty awesome grocery store lunch. We wandered back down through the kitchen with a big thanks to the chefs and back into the store. Adding the foie with egg as well as the cow hamburger to our considerable next time list.

Can Ravel
Carrer Arago 313

Barcelona, Spain
ph 93 457 51 14

tues - wed 10am-9pm
thurs-sat 10am-10pm
sun 10am-4pm
mon off


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Bodega Santa Cruz, Sevilla

Ah, Sevilla ... Wandering the streets the scent of orange blossom fills the air. We spot hordes of people moving around the streets with these little striped cushions wandering where they are going, or where they have been. A little investigation reveals the annual Bull Fighting festivities have just begun. As I am sure the streets of Sevilla are generally buzzing year round, there is just something magical about being there at this time ....

It's mid morning and after starting the day with a coffee and pastry, we are certainly ready for our next snack. We turn a corner and see people spilling out into the street, a drink in one hand, a small plate in the other. We find an entrance, the place is packed ... just as we make our way up to the counter, a small space clears allowing us to perch there.



We point at a few things on the bar which are handed to us along with our beer. Green olives, the marinade showing it's Moorish influence as we've moved south, full of paprika, cumin and even a little preserved lemon. Fried squid sitting on a little shredded lettuce with some baby bread sticks and a tortilla sandwich - 2 wedges of potato tortilla are sandwiching a tuna and mayonnaise mix again with the little bread sticks on the side.



Bocadillo's, or little sandwiches, are making their way under the grill as fast as they can be toasted and then handed out to an eager customer. We signal our interest, and within moments have one of these little round sandwiches in front of us. We're not even to sure what was inside, but there was meat, smoked paprika and lots of butter.



After wandering through the city for a few hours we have again built up an appetite. Nothing tickles our fancy enough that we have stumbled across, so we make our way back across town to Las Columnas. (Despite Bodega Santa Cruz being painted on the walls, It's known by the locals as Las Coumnas. I figure 2 visits in one day we are entitled to call it by the latter). We are lucky enough to perch ourselves at the bar this time, our server recognizing us straight away. 2 damn lemon are placed in front of us along with some boquerones fritos. Fired baby anchovies, eaten whole, in a light crumb crust with the little bread sticks.



Potatoes aioli are simply boiled potatoes coated in a pungent garlic aioli. A little chopped fresh parsley adds some life.



Champignon con jamon arrive in a little terra cotta dish. The smell is intoxicating, the combination of the earthy mushrooms, the smokey jamon, good olive oil and a touch of garlic. Crusty baguette is perfect for mopping up all of the flavored olive oil.



The last, slightly sweet, dish of the day was fired aubergine with honey. Crispy discs of eggplant are coated in a light crumb and fried to a golden crisp. A light drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of salt is a harmonious balance of sweet and salty.



Now, back into the crowds to enjoy this beautiful city ....



Bodega Santa Cruz
(aka Las Columnas)
c/ Rodrigo Caro 1
Sevilla, Andalucia, Spain

Nothing to do?? Bitoque.

It was with great sadness that we jumped on a bus and moved on from the gastronomic heaven that is San Sebastian. But with Bilbao only a few hours away we had in high hopes for the town which sports the world renown Guggenheim museum as well as rumor the food rivaled that of it's more famous neighbor.

Unfortunately it seemed that this may only be the case part time. Bar after bar we visited only to find intriguing menus with Friday / Saturday across the front. There were plenty of standards available but the good stuff was tantalising just out of reach. With a sinking feeling we made our way out of the meandering streets of the old town and into the new. Our last ditch shot at finding a diamond.... and what a diamond we found.

Bitoque is young, jumping and everything good about old school pintxos bars while giving you everything that's good about modern Spanish cooking, and cooking that's good all through the week. The foods that follow are not a single night but an amalgamation of three nights work, not for lack of trying to find something else. Each night we set out to find a recommended place or just have look and see what we could find but each night we ended up back at Bitoque for some comfort for our disappointment.

Creamy potato and olive oil croquettes.



Crispy fried cheese salad with fruit gummies; warm gooey cheesy goodness, balsamic dressed salad leaves and qunice jellies all in just the right size portion for something so rich.



Patatas bravas; crispy potatos, spicy tomato. The only other place we had bravas cooked with as much care as here was Albert Adrias Inopia in Barcelona. Somthing so simple needs extra care to be good.



Salad of baby scallops and prawns; nothing was jump out amazing here, just a good salad.



Squid sausage; not really understanding all the menu but also wanting to try all of it we were presented with an inky black sausage of squid. After our intial "ok then" we gave it a try and were suprised at its deliciousness. The accopmaning creamy mash really made it.



A beet risotto is barbie pink, sweet and earthy, a puddle of melted mascarpone enrichens.



Foie with grilled asparagus and crouton.



Baby squid; more of the tinyest squidlings you'd ever see sitting atop finger size cylinders of pasta all masked with a jet blak ink sauce.



Beef cheek; a small nugget of unctious beef sat in a puddle of creamy mash. Comfort food at it's finest.



Costilla; this word we knew. A slab of pork rib meat braised to falling apart, green apple puree and a touch of jus. Tasty tasty tasty.



Pancetta con pina, ha we knew this one too and who doesn't like the retro stylings of a ham and pineapple pizza? In this case no pizza but a good whack of pancetta and a pool of pineapple puree to throw you back to childhood.



And with that we had tried it all, The menu from A to Y. ..... Z? Well ok we did manage a little something sweet once or twice.

The chocolate browine with caramel ice cream was divine, but the inverse cheesecake was the one to steal the show. The rich silky smooth spoonful of slightly citrusy cheesecake scattered with cookie base crumbs. So hard to not order another three or four.



With so much to do during the day Bilbao we're so glad Bitoque was there to get us through the nights otherwise Bilbao may not have been even woth a mention. Still from the teaser menus we saw of the weekends offerings we'll come back one day and give it another shot.



BITOQUE ORIGINAL
+34 944418830
Calle Rodriguez Arias 32
48011 Bilbao-Bizkaia

Arzak

When we decided we would be going to Spain we knew we would have to go to at least one of the many 3 star restaurants on offer. A decision was made to book one in advance and play the rest by ear. So where was it to be - choices, choices, so many choices. In the end after many recommendations we decided on the worlds No. 9 Restaurant, Arzak. We were so excited as we rode through the streets of San Sebastian, what we see, eat, experience, like two giddy school kids.

From the exterior Arzak is a simple red brick building with nothing given away as we pull to the curb a doorman steps out open the door and welcoming us in.



We step into a small bar and are offered an aperitif here or we could be seated. We chose the seated option. A wall slides open to reveal the modern dining room, a complete contrast to the simply decorated bar. The concrete walls set with imprints of cutlery, sleek white table clothes, funky cutlery and pencil drawn menus. Sweet



As far as we're concerned there's no other option as far as ordering goes, it's degustation all the way. We take a look over the menu eyeing whats on offer and hoping the ones that catch our eye are on the course menu today.

So when the waiter took our order and then offered 3-4 options on nearly every course there was much awe and amazement. We were both going to get all the things we wanted. With the food out of the way the sommelier stopped by to see what we would like to drink .. we asked if we could get a matching wine course and were told while they did not have a wine course they would be more than happy to match wines to our meal. Would we like international, or Spanish. We went for the Spanish and were again delighted to see we each received different wine for each course.

As we sipped our cava several amuse bouche were delivered to the table. Strawberries with fresh cheese curd and pickled white anchovies. Fried rockfish pudding wrapped in crispy noodles. Tempura of blood pudding. Red bean soup with apple and warm jellied mushroom with corn powder. All inventive little bites of deliciousness giving us a hint of the joys to follow.




Manazanas asadas con aceite de fois.
Caramelized apple with foie and citrus confetti; Four discs of caramelized apple sat in a row, domes of seared foie atop each, individual sacs of orange and grapefruit brought gasps of how pretty and man that would take a lot of time to prep.



Patata, bogavante y copaiba
Lobster and potato; Poached lobster and and spherical ball of red pepper inside a puffed potato wafer sitting in a pool of sauce made from the Brazilian copaiba tree. The lobster was tender and sweet and the wafer started off with a crunch then dissolved away to nothing - clever.



Menhir de ostras
Oysters menhir; When I see the word menhir I think of Obelix the menhir delivery man in the Asterix books. The oysters arrived with a small menhir of puffed beet and confit potato stacked beside the oysters which had been sauteed to give then a nice crust. Perhaps the oysters were from Brittany giving them the Gaulic reference??



Huevo con temblor de tierra
Tremors of the earth; This was a dish we had heard much about and wanted to try - a slow cooked egg with sun dried tomato and black olive crumbs. The warm egg yolk mixed with the savoury flavours, a fancy comfort food.



Rape marea baja
Monkfish at lowtide; When this dish came out we were both stunned it was so visually perfect. The description in the menu was spot on, a piece of beautifully cooked monkfish sat in the wave wash of low tide right there on my plate and it was all edible, from the nori flavored seashells to the red pepper balls, tempura seaweed and liqueur jelly star fish. As well as looking like life it sacrificed no flavor at all. Beautiful and delicious!



Lubina
Seabass with spinach, walnuts and garlic; Playfulness jumped off the plate with a nothing is as it seems presentation. The garlic cloves were made of spinach, the walnuts of paprika and the sauce a velvety smooth garlic, the walnuts coming on the side as a glassy wafer.



Pichon con Chia
Pigeon with chia seed; The pigeon breast was cooked a perfect med rare and served with one of the birds favourite snack the chia seed. The seed came in the form of a cracker as well as chia spheres filled with broth. Along side a small bowl of the confit leg and micro greens.



Cordero con bizcocho de algas
Lamb; While the lamb was expertly cooked the dish itself was just as you saw it, perhaps it paled only when presented alongside the other dishes of kitchen wizardry we had already been given.



With the last of our savoury plates cleared it was time for a little something sweet. When making our menu choices we were asked if we like chocolate, sure why not. Based on that vague answer our desert menu was planned.

Sopa y chocolate entre vinedos
Soup and chocolate between the vineyards; Warm liquid chocolate spheres swimming in a strawberry soup with a scoop of basil ice cream.



Chocolate y cristales de colores
Chocolate with coloured glass; Small dabs of chocolate mousse paired with puffed wafers of different flavours, cinnamon, rosemary and red cabbage. Alongside a chocolate herb ice cream.



Dulce lunatico
Sweet Moon??; It sure looked like the moons surface. A grey salty sweet powder made up the surface with thickened red wine filled craters, and moon rocks of liquid orange juice encased in caramel.



Hidromiel y fractal fluido
Mead with fractured fluid; This was a desert in several parts. First lemon curd encased in chocolate shell, alongside a yogurt ice cream and finally bowl of clear liquid is presented before a small jug of red liquid is poured into the center of it. The red raced through the clear spreading out like a coral through the bowl. Tre cool.





With coffee came petite fors. A plate of chocolates, jellies, wafers and more. Just a little something to ease the coffee along.



Throughout the meal Juan Mari had come out several times to personally see if all was well. As we were leaving his daughter Elana was waiting to say goodbye, a fantastic personal touch to the meal, it really made you feel welcome.





As we said goodbye I glanced at my watch for the first time that afternoon and was surprised to find that 5 hours had passed effortlessly and un-noticed.

We had heard so many good and many so so stories about Arzak before we arrived, but we experienced nothing but excellence. The service was warm ,welcoming and professional, the food perfectly prepared, imaginative and exciting.

Arzak
273 Avenida Alcalde Elosegui
20015 Donostia/San Sebastian
Phone: +34 943 278 465