You know what's an unusual sight? Entering a pub where everyone's staring intensely at the futbol game on television. I know I'm in a major futbol country, but the Spanish are much louder. I look closer. Lighter complexions, yellow jerseys, aha! Dortmund versus Arsenal, a German runs this establishment, therefore German futbol. Mystery solved.
Not knowing whether to wade through the crowd and block a view, I waited near the back. Finally, someone came to take my order. Devil's Kitchen has a select menu featuring burgers and German sausages, fries, wings, and beer. For beer, you have cheap or good. I chose good and asked for something dark. I was forewarned it was the most expensive, but I accepted. It was light, like most German beers I've tried, but had some light spicy notes.
For food, I ordered the well regarded Devil Burger and Fries. The waiter asked me where I was from. I respond with "Colorado". Then he asks confirming "so, you don't want mayo, right?" Correct. They will serve you mayo for an extra €.30 and perhaps mild scorn if you're sporting anything but a Spanish accent.
I received the beer and discovered the server's sister lives in Boulder, Colorado. He's visited numerous times for skiing and loves our scenery. Go Colorado!
I received my burger, but screwed something up in the progress. They give you white waxy paper for eating and the chef reached with his metal spatula on which the hamburger lay. I inadvertently touched the spatula trying to help. My future advice- just move the wax paper so it's easier. The only available seat was tucked in the far back corner, a longer reach for him.
The burger was great. The meat was flavorful, the bun hearty, some juices ran. The fries were a welcome sight also, nearly covered completely in paprika. You should see all the sauces I had. When in a German restaurant, go with the Curry Sauce. Delicious, especially when applied on my burger too.
After the game, people cleared out relatively rapidly. I took my ticket up to the register and paid. They have a different system when the game is on. Assuming you want to watch every minute, they'll hand you your ticket and you'll pay afterwards. Good futbol loving system.
Devil's Kitchen
Carrer de la Lleialtat, 4
El Raval
08001 Barcelona
Ever cut into ravioli and it wilts beneath your fork's pressure? This ravioli doesn't. Las Sorrentinas' ravioli is packed; no, stuffed with ingredients. Cutting into their ravioli is like revealing the center of a dense cake.
I passed this place last night after midnight yesterday. Most of this area was closed or closing, but I made note of their location. I visited this restaurant the next day around mid-afternoon and it was moderately busy. Seating is mostly shared around 3 tables and some counter seating. A WC visit gives you a fine view of their kitchen.
Their menu is posted outside, but the prices are incorrect. The ravioli is actually €1 more. Fortunately, their menus inside are all updated. Barcelona locals might be more familiar with them under their original name, Con Pasta y a lo Loco.
I ordered the beetroot ravioli with poached pears in sugar, goat cheese, and ricotta topped with green pesto and ricotta. Their menu advertises picking a pasta, a sauce and a topping. Since the prices build on each other, you probably don't have to get all 3.
Wow! Was that ravioli delicious! First, it was smothered in green pesto lending a small grainy earthiness to balance my ravioli's slight inherent sweetness. And then ricotta balanced everything else with its refreshing intact creaminess.
I strongly recommend this spot. It is slow, but they advertise this. If you're traveling by yourself and don't get alone with your thoughts, bring a book, practice your Spanish with someone at your table, or order a salad or soup to keep you busy.
Las Sorentinas
Pl. Sant Pere, 5
08003 Barcelona
Spain
+34 930 102 114
I count myself fortunate I stumbled onto Ten's Tapas Restaurant earlier tonight. Chef Jordi Cruz has an outstanding pedigree with his 4 Michelin stars. Now let's forget I know this less this shades my review.
Ten's menu caught my eye. It hung off the awning leaning into the pedestrian path's center. It highlighted the 15 tapas menu items in 3 languages including English. I quickly scanned looking for something interesting and eye fell upon several items, but would my friends want to try this restaurant? They did. After checking with management, we sat ourselves outside. As our server was receiving our drink orders, he sung Chef Jordi's praises. For myself, I ordered the foie gras dish with sichuan pepper ice cream (intriguing) and the slow cooked egg dish. I also shared some bread, fried potatoes, and black rice (all not photographed).
Onto the dishes. First, we have the foie gras with figs, sweet and sour stir fried bread with sichuan pepper ice cream. Overall, this dish was quite sweet. The crunchy topping (perhaps the stir fried bread?) alleviated some of the sweetness. I was hoping the sichuan pepper ice cream might lend slight heat in balance, but even that was blatantly sweet with little peppery bite. What sat between each foie gras piece was lost in the shuffle.
The second presented dish was the slow cooked egg with Iberian ham and sobrassada paprika sausage, permantier potatoes, mature gouda and rocket salad It sounded really good and again, presented well. With those components, this is a lustworthy dish. However, I was told that to properly eat it, one must swirl it around thoroughly and apply it atop the tomato toast. My gorgeous dish became a seething eggy mass. It tasted nice, but the egg overwhelmed everything else. The iberian ham, sobrassada paprika sausage, mature gouda - all lost. Where does this leave Ten's? Merely satisfactory. I appreciate Chef Jordi Cruz's presentation skills and willingness to pair disparate items. However, I am underwhelmed when a dish doesn't elevate any one flavor or masks too many pieces. Also, the service was confusing at times. Our waiter was quite thorough, but sometimes too quick with his suggestions. Customer(s) and waiter must work harder to overcome both a challenging menu and language difficulties (he spoke acceptable English, though quick and Catalan tinted).
Thanks to my eBay work experience, I watch fashion more closely. GiltMan and its corresponding GiltManual are also responsible. I found this gentleman on Barcelona's downtown streets and stalked him as I attempted a picture worth sharing. Two items caught my attention. Foremost are the cordovan/oxblood moccasin style loafers. I personally favor the rounded toe style shoe. The contrasting gold corn corduroys set off the shoes' color (similar pants here), while hitting the shoe line nicely. The second thing catching my attention was the tweed hacking jacket with its two right side slanted pockets. If you're able to zoom in, you'll notice the distinctive cornflower blue and near fuchsia windowpane pattern. Rarely seen in public, it's nice to see a hacking jacket worn well. Finally, the caramel shaded rims of his eyeglasses finish the brown and tan tones.
Taking his picture was difficult due to constant movement. Fortunately, he paused here waiting for a traffic light and I was near stairs leading down to Barcelona's subway system. He was also surrounded by two younger people, the woman you see him looking at and a young man. Their constant rotation about him as they conversed made it difficult for me to capture proof of the hacking jacket, namely that third pocket, the ticket pocket. I imagine him as a professor out with his students, but perhaps you'll have your own story.
My first review recounts my recent Barcelona visit for their annual lindy hop event Barswingona (April 22-25). When I wasn't busy dancing during the evenings at the Casino del Poblenou, I was wondering the streets of Barcelona most notably on Ramblas, Catalunya, and Passeig de Gracia.
Rounding a downtown street corner near Passeig de Gracia on Saturday, a menu caught my attention. Gastronomic was the key word. Fresh take on Spanish tapas it was delivering. The meal was fantastic, amazing food porn picture worthy, and quite affordable. This was the Ohla Hotel's Gastronomic Restaurant (note: I planned this blog after this trip, so it isn't as thorough as I'd like).
The meal started with a meat cannelloni featuring whipped truffle butter. You can see a croquette in the background also. Each can be purchased individually. This was followed by a selection from their menu's egg portion. Simply beautiful, there were two eggs, asparagus, fine bellota ham and light black pepper. Eat slowly, cherish the flavors.
I'd like to point out one very notable aspect, their open kitchen. They have ample bar seating so you can watch the chefs work. Both images are from Easter Sunday. I was the only person there for quite some time.
Naturally, when the one waiter mentions an a la carte pork shoulder that isn't on their menu, you say yes. I waited approximately 15 minutes, but they kept me sated with house roasted almonds (paprika and two other spices). Do you see the chef on the right? He's applying the sauce/rub for the 4th time. Here is that delicious creation. The pork fell off the bone nicely, the sauce was savory, and the portion amazing. Knowing the quality of Spanish pork, eyeing the portion size, I was a bit monetarily concerned. 8 Euro. Fears alleviated, Ohla's praises sung again.
As I was exiting the lobby Saturday, I saw the edge of a bar. Tucked away to the right of the concierge desk, is a bar ran by one Max La Rocca. Black, glass, simple quadrilateral wood highlight this sophisticated bar. Read the menu and you know you're in good hands. Quotes from the Savory Cocktail books, award winning drink concoctions (citations included), both simple and inventive ingredient combinations. Saturday I reveled with the Teasing Bee, Max's award winning 42 Below cocktail featuring ginger (yes, I'm a ginger fanatic). This drink won him a place on Ireland's mixology team when they represented at the world competition in New Zealand. It is a light refreshing drink, perfect for a hot afternoon.
Sunday's return to the bar was amazing. This is the El Condre, Max's take on the classic Negroni. It features Beefeater 24 gin, Carpano Antica, Cynar, maraschino cherry. The second image is of their edible negroni shots with crystallized orange. That was my afternoon before the pork shoulder.
This video was shot my third time there, late Sunday evening. I and 3 other friends rushed from Pobleneu at 1:37am in a taxi to make it there by 2am. We made it, had two amazing drinks each, edible negroni shots, and this amazing smoke infused shot. There was dancing to the Palmetto Bug Stompers, there were hat tricks performed, and we closed Ohla Bar that night! Enjoy the extra pictures below. More drinks, guest appearances from Elias (an awesome Swede) and Jo Hoffberg (dancer extraordinaire).
Drink Suggestions:
El Condre (a twist on the classic Negroni)
Madama Baudelaire (a wonderful absinthe based drink, notice the pictured drink with star anise)
the gold dusted mojito. Ohla Hotel, Via Laietana, 49 - 08003 Barcelona - Spain
