A small group of us (two Americans, two sympathetic Frenchmen) headed to Barca to celebrate the holiday. We had four exceptional meals. I took few pictures, and most were places I had been to and had reported about here before. One new-to-me restaurant was super fun. I tried to plan meals that would be different enough to show off what Barcelona has to offer without going overboard in the star or price departments:
Suculent: A there were four of us, we were able to eat our way through much of the menu (ordered Ă la carte, but they encourage just putting everything in the middle of the table and sharing). We ended the savory portion of the meal with both the suckling pig and its head! That last, a new one on me, so I took pictures. (Also of the supernal flan.):
Besta–Ate here once before about a year ago. In the meantime, they have renovated the restaurant and raised the prices a little. We all took the short menu (about 72 euros) and agreed that though we would have liked to eat more of this incredible food, we could not have eaten more. It is only a choice between a short and longer menu no à la carte. It is an exceptionally creative chef duo that do not lose anything in terms of delightful deliciousness with their sometimes off-the-wall creative concoctions. Nothing I ate this year was the same as what I ate last year. They no longer have a heavy meat dish at the end at all, and this was a boon. There is meat in some of the dishes/sauces, so if you are a true pescatarian, let them know when you book. I feel certain this they can accommodate!
Here’s the menu we ate (descriptions do not begin to describe the creativity of the menu):
This fantastic Priorat made (unusually) with Pedro Ximénez grapes (by a female vintner) was a great accompaniment to the meal:
Thanksgiving dinner itself, we ate at Hisop. The knowledgeable and extremely professional head waitress is a dream, and we were all very taken with her impeccable service. We ate through much of the menu. Desserts a meh (for me). Everything else is just incredible. We had a mid-course of their extraordinary scorpionfish “a la presse” with potatoe purée, and I ate pigeon for my T’giving bird. Sublime:
Finally, on our last night, we ate at Taberna Noroeste. There were five tables total, and service starts when everyone is present, like some restaurant version of a dinner party. A set menu, one chef in the open kitchen and the other serves (I don’t know if they trade off on other nights), so it is very intimate and personal in a way that doesn’t usually happen in a restaurant. I took no pictures except of the wine (another Priorat, we enjoyed many this trip). But this was fish and vegetables, unusual dishes, and very delicious. It is a relaxed restaurant; and I will look forward to going back.
