Hola,
Although I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the touristy stuff we have done throughout the week, the highlights for me have been wandering around aimlessly, taking photos of cool architecture, and finding off the beaten path restaurants and bars. "La Plata" is the perfect example of a local hangout, nestled in between the Gothic Quarter, the Born, and the waterfront. The tiny bar is nearly overflowing with locals who are chatting, smoking, enjoying beers or the house wine(s), and plates of fried fish. The lack of menus, prices, and the overall crowd may seem a bit intimidating to tourists, but we had to see what it was all about...The head barman and server was loud, raspy, and a bit aggressive, yet not in an offsetting way...He simply wanted to be efficient, and have time to chat with his regular customers. After ordering a plate full of fried little fish, a tomato and olive salad and some catalan toast, we began to understand what it was all about...It was Sunday around noon and the bar seemed to fill up with husbands and wives, families including underage daughter and very elderly grandfather, along with singles and even one little dog (with owner!)...Eating in this country is so much more about flavor and enjoyment rather than filling up. Fast food is not about the biggest and the greasiest burger and fries, but rather includes dishes like tomato and olive salad, fried fish, crispy potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and aioli, sauteed peppers, grilled sardines etc...And eating in Spain is nearly always a social event, and many times occurs standing at a bar with friends or coworkers, enjoying a beer and sharing some tapas before you head back to work (or siesta!) Anyway, I wish La Plata or someplace like it existed in San Francisco, where one can casually grab a quick an delicious snack, a little cup of vino, chat with friends and acquaintances, and be back the next day for more! It seems that there is such a division between bar and restaurant in America. One either sits in a very civilized manner at a restaurant or cafe to eat and perhaps have a glass or two of wine, or on the contrary, drinks almost always too much beer or mixed drinks at a bar...They rarely every go hand in hand, and if so, the food usually pays a price in quality...
After "La Plata" and some more wandering around, we met Paul, our writer/actor friend from London, whom we had met the night before at our neighborhood wine bar. We headed towards "Can Ramonet", a restaurant towards the water which I had read about in my timeout Barcelona guide. It apparently was also off the beaten track, looked a bit rustic, and therefore usually avoided by tourists. A bit aged from the outside, the entrance of the restaurant offered a view of loads of fresh oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp and sardines on ice...We were hopeful, as we had been in search for paella since we got here. Paul was all about sharing food as well, and after much contemplation, we settled on ember roasted eggplant, red pepper and onion salad, gambas al ajillo (shrimp cooked with garlic and olive oil), baby squid with beans, and the house special paella. The dishes began to overwhelm our table, and the waitress accidentally and fortunately mistook our squid and beans for fried baby squid...It was the best fried food I have ever tasted, dusted only in flour and salt, and probably fried in light olive oil...We were all in heaven at this point...Finally, the enormous paella was presented in a very large pan, dotted with langostine, mussels, rabbit and pork along with english shelling peas. It was such a beautiful sight to see, and tasted even better than it looked. The rice was so incredible, with a meaty, garlicky and slightly saffron-spiced flavor to it. We all agreed we had hit a goldmine in terms of food in Barcelona. Daniel and I loved the meal so much that we found ourselves back again the next day for a late lunch of another plate of fried fish, jamon Iberico, patatas bravas (fried potato with aioli and spicy tomato sauce), and boquerones. Along with a Mugo Blanc from Rioja, it might be the best lunch I have ever had...."Can Ramonet" is my new favorite restaurant, and a must stop for foodies heading to Barcelona...
