A virtual hug for Barbara + tales of special trip

Barbara, my friend, you are heroic. I can't imagine what you are enduring right now. My heart goes out to you during this challenging time.

Let's not mince words: chemo sucks. I've never gone through it, but I have friends who have. Anything you can do to take your mind off of it for even a moment will help.

To that end, I have a little gift for you. It's not much, but I think you'll like it. If there's one thing you and I have in common it's a love for all things Iberian. Who, besides you and me, would start a food blog writing about eating sardines on the Iberian peninsula? We'll always share that quirky bond.

Well, guess what. I was recently back in Spain. Barcelona to be more exact. I've been feeling guilty that I haven't shared that tidbit on my blog yet, but now I'm glad. I am able to offer photos and stories of my trip to Barcelona to you, Barbara, as a little gift, a lighthearted distraction. I hope you'll enjoy it.

I went to Barcelona at the end of September and stayed for a little over a week into October. At the time I felt conflicted about stepping away from Contigo, but I knew in my heart that I needed to return to the country and the city that inspired both my blog and my restaurant. It had been 2 years since my last trip to Spain and it was imperative that I return before opening my Spanish/Catalan-inspired restaurant.

Oh, Barbara, what a fantastic trip it was! I stayed in a tiny apartment a 5 minute stroll from La Boqueria, the Tiffany's of the world's farmers' markets. In fact, I traveled with my very own Holly Golightly, a certain special someone named Elan. Who's Elan? Let's save her full introduction for a future post.

Elan had never been to Spain or Barcelona, so it was a treat watching her eyes light up as we wandered the streets of Barcelona, exploring my old haunts and discovering new ones together. We had our very own Breakfast at Tiffany's moments perched on bar stools at Kiosko Universal (twice!) and Pinotxo, both in La Boqueria. I got a lesson in plancha cooking watching the cooks at Kiosko Universal perfectly cook our dorado (sea bream) one morning and sardines another.

 

Late September and early October was the beginning of mushroom season, so we had mushrooms every day, including juicy rovellons a la plantxa (lactarius sanguifluus) at both Cal Pep and La Cova Fumada. Our favorites were the humble setas (wild mushrooms) bought from Petras and briefly fried in Catalonia's golden arbequina olive oil by our friends at Kiosko Unieveral.

 

Visits to more upscale tapas bars, like Paco Meralgo, Carles Abellan's Tapaç 24, and Albert Adria's Inopia, reignited my passion for the style of food I will be serving at Contigo: small plates of fresh, seasonal, local products prepared simply and deliciously and washed down with cold glasses of sparkling Cava. Pure heaven!

Elan, who doesn't care for chocolate, generously joined me in my daily explorations of some of the best xocalaterias in town: La Granja, Dulcinea, and Cacao Sampaka, still the best in my opinion. I couldn't get enough of the rich, bittersweet hot chocolate served with ensaïmadas (snail-shaped sweet buns), melindros (lady's fingers), or xurros/churros.

As luck would have it, the best churros I have ever eaten, the light, crispy and fresh Platonic ideal of churros, even better than those served at Madrid's famous Chocaltería San Gines, were sold at the simple xurreria a block from our apartment. Sadly, we only discovered this miracle the 47th time we walked by the shop on our last day in Barcelona.

The highlight of the trip for me, though, was watching Elan's expression when she bit into her first montadito (canapé) at Quimet i Quimet. We were standing at the counter of the disheveled, sardine can sized bodega/bar. The owner of the shop assembled ingredients behind a small bar. Behind him was a wall lined from floor to ceiling with cans of seafood and bottles of wine. He handed Elan a crisp round toast topped with a piquillo pepper, a cured anchovy, a relish of sweet cornichons, and a plump manzanillo olive. She took one bite and her eyes widened, then rolled back into her head. "That just blew. my. mind." Welcome to Spain, Elan.

If you're up for more images of Barcelona, Barbara, there's a slide show below. Stay strong, my friend. You can and will beat this.

Comments

[Anita / Married ...with Dinner]

Wow, what a mouth-watering slideshow that was, Brett! And what a touching gift to Barbara.

[sam]

This is a lovely, post Brett...

[Hande]

Brett, I know this is for Barbara, but it was also for me such a great gift! Thank you! I so miss Barcelona!

[Bron]

Thank you so much Brett, I know Barbara will just adore these images, just as I have... ahh I'm so hungry!.. Thank you for sharing.

[cookiecrumb]

How nice!
I think this is an icky day for Barbara, but when she's feeling better, she will swoon over your story, as I did.

[Jen Yu]

This is a great hug for Barbara. I'm sure it will take her back. Such vivid flavors and sights!

[Thérèse-Marie]

That was a wonderful tour of your favorite places in Spain and what a wonderful gift to your dear friend. I know little of Catalan, but your post was so informative but very engaging and enchanting.

When I was going though the same treatment as your friend, many kind friends sent me gifts of frequent images of my home in Paris. It lifted my spirits in untold ways, as I hope this did for your friend.

I wish you much good luck on your new resto and have told all my SF and Berkeley friends to make a resevation as soon as you open.

You are a wonderful person to do this for your friend and I hope this made her troubles less for a small bit...bisous

[ilva]

Brett, this is a great hug, and the best thing is that we can all enjoy your trip to Spain! Than You!

[barbara]

Brett - wow such memories for you and Elan and it bought back many for me. We didn't always have some of the more sophisticated food in the tiny northern villages but we enjoyed it just as much as some of the sophisticated meals we found in the bigger cities we walked through like Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, and Santiago.

Thank you for this special virtual hug. I really do love it and I know I'll be back over and over to enjoy the slide show. Hugs back at you and a special welcome hug to Elan. If I could get travel insurance I'd be there for the first night of Contigo.

[Chez Us]

Very touching hug for Barbara and lovely food to share - who doesn't love spain!!!!!

When is Contigo opening? Walk by daily ...hoping!!

[In Lechon Philippine]

Those pics makes me hungry.
Thanks for blogging about this. Wish I saw this post earlier.

Arrielle Green

[Allison]

So glad to see your photos and hear of the trip. I'd noticed your posts on egullet asking for recommendations when I was looking for the same for a Tgiving week trip, so it's fun to hear where you ended up. Our favorites in Barcelona were Inopia (those patatas bravas) and Tapac 24 - the most amazing fried eggplant w/ honey and lime zest dish. We splurged on lunch at Celler Can Roca in Girona which was incredible, and also had a fun night at Rafa's in Roses where we were the only customers in the place...got to chat with him and his wife about the experience of being on the PBS Spain on the Road Again show (sounds like much more of a production than it appeared on the final edit)!

[Brett]

Inopia, Tapaç 24, and Rafa's are all favorites of mine as well. I haven't seen the Rafa episode yet on Batali's show, but will be sure to check it out. Yes, Inopia's are my new benchmark patatas bravas. I can still taste them in my mind. ¡Que rico!

[asola]

Hey, Brett. You may remember me from my recommendations of Goliard and Can Beltrán at eGullet. Glad to see you back in Barcelona!

Sadly I have to report Can Beltran is no more, it closed more than a year ago. I just created a facebook group in their memory, called "Les Nenes". Would love to see you there.

And congrats on your new restaurant!. If I ever go back to San Francisco I'll love to go. And maybe next time you come to Barcelona you wouldn't mind getting some more insider advice, would you? Although it is hard to beat La Boqueria and Rafa's...