Interesting week here at expat HQ-- a couple of freelance jobs coming to fruition for yours truly, the wall problem that has plagued us since we moved in way back in Winter of 2008 seems to be repaired (fingers crossed), and some other odds and ends that I will probably reference in the near future... but for now, back to the slow reveal of our trip to Barcelona. Thus far I've discussed some of the headaches of our trip, but once we got out of the airport and our hotel room, it really was a fun time overall. Right now, Spain is known far and wide as a bit of a foodie paradise, and availing ourselves to that was one of our few objectives when we planned the trip. I've capped on our hotel, but the front desk clerks have my everlasting gratitude for pointing out a newer restaurant a few blocks away, and just off Las Ramblas: Bar Cañete. Despite being in what is generally considered a touristy area, this little gem was very much a locals-only joint, which made it all the better-- because this is how the natives eat, and brother, I must say that I'm insanely jealous. Bar Cañete is a tapas restaurant, which means that they primarily serve "small plates," just one or 2 bites worth of food at corresponding prices. The cool thing about tapas is that everybody orders 3 or 4 dishes each and you can share your food with your date or your friends. We also happened to be supping at the bar (where we had a primo view of the open kitchen-- best floor show in town) while the FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid soccer match-- a long and heated rivalry-- was on the TV. Barcelona won 2-0, and the place was rocking is all I have to say. And the food? We've been to a lot of restaurants, and have had the extreme good fortune to enjoy some excellent meals. But this one was definitely Top 3 of all time material. It really was that damn good. So good in fact that we happily... nay, gleefully broke one of our personal cardinal rules of travel: Never eat at the same restaurant twice-- there is so much to experience; do not confine yourself to the same place. Not this time.
The dish you see pictured was not tapas, but more of a smallish main course: a perfectly cooked flatiron steak on a bed of whipped potatoes topped with... wait for it... foie gras. Decadent (and actually too rich for me to be honest)-- but man alive, the first few bites were revelatory before I separated the beef from the pate. Lurking in the background are a husky Spanish house red and another wondrous discovery: Barcelona's own Moritz beer which worked great with the meal. If anybody is heading over to Barcelona, I can not recommend this place enough-- this is a food lover's dream, with the freshest ingredients prepared simply and expertly. We'll remember Bar Cañete for a long time.
In the meantime, here is a short promotional video of Bar Cañete, and its expert chefs going through their paces-- grab a napkin; you're going to drool.
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