Devil's Kitchen - Barcelona, Spain

 

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

Las Sorrentinas - Barcelona, Spain

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

Ten's Tapas Restaurant - Barcelona, Spain

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).


Ten's
Carrer Rec, 79
08003 Barcelona

Borimechkata - The Bear Fighter

Welcome to the Borimechkata restaurant. This restaurant, named after a Bulgarian legend, "The Bear Fighter", features native Bulgarian dishes in a traditional setting. My group seated ourselves off to the right. I lagged behind admiring the decorations, noting the upper level, and looking at the traditional dolls.

This restaurant is great for social and more intimate settings, as that couple is warmly demonstrating.

Before we start with the food, I should start with what is on the table. Notice the sturdy pottery containing salt and pepper. Then admire the dishes filled with a spicy and mild herb and salt mixture. 

One of the best ways to enjoy those mixtures is to order the bread. The thick charcoal decorated bread. Tear it off with your hands and dip or pinch the mixture. My favorite was the spicier variety. In the background, you'll notice my yogurt drink. I like it best with a healthy dose of salt mixed in. Gives it a nice flavor.

Our dishes steadily arrived. To my left is the Shoppski appetizer with curds, strained yogurt, mayonnaise, onion, red pepper, dill and garlic. It was good, but way too strong for me. There was also the Shoppska salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onions, feta cheese, and an olive. I saved the salad for last and was satisfied with my decision. Munching the vegetables was a good way to finish.

Next was shkembe v maslo, pork belly and stomach. They came with a very strong garlic sauce and chilli seeds. The belly and stomach was too soft for me, almost as if they were trying to slither away in my mouth. Except for the Shoppski appetizer, I had consented that my group order whatever they saw fit and think I should try.

Rather soon, we received our 500ml of warm Rakia, a traditional Bulgarian spirit. It is their version of firewater with a brandy base. I received so many warnings leading to this order. Yes, I know it's strong. Yes, if you think I should drink it warm, I will. Yes, I can handle my higher proof beverages. Yes, I will be fine tomorrow. Carbonation gets me, firewater doesn't. Go figure. We went 6 rounds before we ran out.

There's nothing like high proof spirits to bolster my food eating spirits. I needed all I could get before I braved the grilled chicken tails (aka chicken butt). I don't want to recount this, but let's go. You have to just pop it into your mouth and work the meat off the little circular bone. It had a nice grilled taste and the meat fell off the bone relatively quickly. However... that mental factor. One was enough for the rest of my life.

I didn't receive a medal for eating the last dish, but we did get the Hero's Appetizer with smoked sausage on shish, ribs, pork fillet, pork liver, and nervous meat ball. The sausage with onions and nervous meat ball were my favorite items. I did try everything on that immense platter. I have to say that this restaurant knows how to make use of the entire animal. I can't imagine how much protein and iron I downed in this wholly comprehensive meal. 

We finished with a traditional Bulgarian folk dancing demonstration. These things happen when eating with dancers.

Overall, I had a great time at Borimechkata. The food was robust as the bear fighter himself. I felt that I received a great representation of Bulgaria's native dishes here.

Sofia Samplings

Striking Sofia, land of McDonald's and these unique underground shops. Until I visited Sofia, I had never seen so many McDonald's in a foreign country, even two across the street from each other. Then there are these little shops strewn all over the city. Need something fast and want to practice your third world squat? Squat down and order something here whether it be smokes, water, candy, or other "necessities".

However, this is not a blog for Maccas. It's for visually stimulating Bulgarian food like the breaded yoghurt, housemade charcoal grilled bread, yoghurt soup, and peppadew peppers topped with more Bulgarian yoghurt at The Red House.

It's for the Beans in Furnace dish with smoked bacon, peppers, tomato, and onions. This was a very hearty meal and a wonderful start for my Sofia stay. Yoghurt, as demonstrated above, is a regular staple in the Bulgarian diet. I asked several people about purchasing the bacteria cultures, but did not have much luck.

This is Tarator soup from O!Shipka, a highly recommended pizza restaurant. This Tarator featured dill and garlic. While here, I also learned how not to pour water. Bulgarians have a custom of pouring wine (read first paragraph) on a relative's grave and it is done very specifically, so if you do it in a restaurant, it might be shocking. Hold your glass in your right hand and twist your wrist clockwise to pour.

This was one of my favorite spots for a small, but filling bakery snack. According to my translator, the bakery's name translated and spelled in English was Bomato. However, I can't find this bakery on my maps or TripAdvisor. It is next door to the Luciano Padovan store at 1 Vitosha Boulevard.

The second time I returned, I enjoyed a dense, glutinous roll, poppy seed cake with caramelized orange, and a Bulgarian white cheese and spinach (? it was green) muffin. The food is nutritious, fresh, colorful, cheap, and very good.

Further toward the NDK building, you'll find many more low level convenience shops and this very popular outdoor pizza place. The lines cycle through quickly and you'll get this large pizza slice for 2.50 Lev. This is at the corner of Vitosha Boulevard and Patriarh Evtimiy. The cheese was most noticeably delicious, then the red pepper, and finally the underlayer of meat.

That wraps up my smaller Sofia restaurant experiences. The food is hearty, the yoghurt plentiful, and the people friendly. English menus abound. Oh! One final thing: order the yoghurt drink. First, try it without salt. Then add some salt, mix it in, then taste it until you have a sweeter saltier flavor.

Made in Home - Sofia, Bulgaria

I spotted Made in Home during a TripAdvisor search for Sofia restaurants. Customers mentioned "take foreigners there", "feels like home", "unique", and "healthy". I forgot the name and lost my Google Maps tab, but I had a vague idea where it was. This morning I headed toward my favorite bakery, but decided to walk on the right side of the Palace of Culture.

I accidentally found Made in Home. The graffiti drew my attention and I peered inside. I was immediately struck by the unique decor, so I decided to walk inside. Apparently, you can sit anywhere you like, so I sat at a reclaimed desk. You'll notice that most of the tables and chairs appear reclaimed. Above, the leftmost table is a reclaimed door over a low wall.

Bird cage and canning jar lights dot my ceiling partition. This ceiling is also covered in old newspaper clippings and music sheets. The other ceiling is specked with burlap sacks. Each chair is unique. Female friends chat to my right as American and foreign college students chat about long distance relationships, American vs UK "The Office", and making whip sounds with your fingers.

I was first presented with a Bulgarian menu.

It appears like a small children's novel with captivating drawings buttressing the words.

Each page and menu book is unique.

After I ordered, they brought a small cup with napkins, fork, and knife. The table is already sat with herb laced olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a pepper grinder, and delicious salt. Dried sunflowers and growing herbs dot the windowsills. It's a cozy spot away from today's rain.

The first menu item that arrived was the roasted red pepper chutney with Bulgurian white cheese and grilled pita bread dotted with sesame seeds. The pepper had a natural sweetness to them as if cooked with olive oil.  The salty Bulgarian cheese complemented the peppers. I laid waste to this dish, scooping the pepper chutney with my thick fluffy pita bread. I only wish there was more bread.

This whetted my appetite for my second dish, bulgur with peas and mint. A simple dish, yet not to be taken lightly. Do you see the steam rising on the left side? Maybe enlarge the picture. Each bite started with a mint steam waft at the back of the throat. The bulgur possessed a soft texture and tasted buttery. The peas were delightful and there was purple onion hidden about. I crave more.

Made in Home
Angel Kanchev 30A,
Sofia, Bulgaria

Prague's Small Bites

Nothing like meat on a spit to attract attention. This blog highlights several small items I tried while in Prague. In at least two historic centers, there are numerous food vendors selling Prague ham on a spit, Halušky, Trdelnik, and more. Be aware that the most advertised are per 100 grams.

These are the perfect sandwiches for carb watching Americans. The forefront features two Chlebiceks, which are open faced sandwiches. You take a slice of bread, lovingly spread potato salad, then add meats, cheeses, and other garnish. So good! My friend also ordered the Vetrnik lurking in the background. Vetrnik translates to vane, like a weather vane. I'm not sure how the translation relates to the dessert, but I strongly recommend trying one.

After trekking all day around Prague, we had to have my friend's favorite dessert, Hořické trubičky. One order gets you two feather light rolls filled with slightly sweet cream and a side of dipping chocolate. These rolled wafers will slightly absorb your bite then you'll crunch through into the light, fantastic cream. I can't get over the cream. I'm used to sugar sweet things, but this tasted real. Sugar did not mask the flavor. (Apologies for the awful picture, but it was cold and my camera lens fogged up inside).

Have I mentioned my ice cream obsession? So it's cold out, there's snow on the ground, and I'm resigned to not warming up after walking outside for so long. I hoped eating something cold might trigger a warming response. Have I mentioned my ginger obsession too? Meet Angelato's ginger and mango ice cream. So good. Dense, flavorful. Parmesan is April's flavor of the month.

Czech cuisine makes good power food before 3 hour workshops. This meal is from Lavicka Zahradni Restaurace. I ordered potato salad and beef sirloin in cream sauce with cranberries (referred to as candle sauce) and Carlsbad dumplings. Potato salad is a traditional Czech celebration food. It's often a special treat during Christmas and each person swears their recipe is the best. Studded with cubed peas and carrots, this was potato salad at its finest. The sirloin shredded easily, the sauce was divine, and the dumplings(!). I thoroughly enjoyed this meal and strongly recommend visiting this restaurant.

Beas was another restaurant I visited twice. Their specialty is vegetarian indian food offered buffet style. You pay by the weight and it's 50% off 1 hour before closing time. They offer naan, curries, rice, samosas, pudding, fruits and more. My personal highlights were the samosas, the dhal, and halvah. There is so much variety and everything is guaranteed fresh and boasts healthy origins.

My favorite Prague restaurant was Baku Fast Food, located 100 or so meters near me. The link takes you to the flagship restaurant, but Baku Fast Food is located on Dlouha. I first stopped here urgently needing a midnight snack, so I ordered pohaca and baklava. The baklava was thickly spiced with slight bitter notes, thick honey. It wasn't a dainty baklava. These are housemade, so they are slightly inconsistent day by day. The pohaca had great layered texture, some black sesame sprinkled on top, with a buttery burnt bottom and surprising feta inside.

They specialize in Azerbaijani cuisine and offer several entrees and durum. The above picture features (from left to right) baklava, sekerpare, and bülbül yuvası. On my last visit, I made sure I was hungry enough to eat their durum. That was also quite good.

I hope you enjoyed this small taste of Prague. I'll leave you with one final image, the carob and yogurt section at a local Bio store. Prague features several bio stores boasting a wide variety of carob products including carob coated Brazil nuts, dried cranberries, hazelnuts, banana chips, raisins, peanuts, and almonds. I was in heaven.

Lokal - Prague, Czech Republic

My friends speak very highly of their Prague experiences, so I looked forward to spending time there. I visited Prague for 8 days in March. During my visit, I planned classes for my 16 teaching hours, wandered the city, and was introduced to Czech cuisine. Let's begin the journey.

This is Day 1 Picture 1. Immediately after dumping my luggage at an apartment, my host and I trekked to Lokal on Dlouha, a restaurant specializing in local Czech cuisine. While I viewed the menu, my friend gave me various advice for future Prague dining adventures. Advice ranged from beware the Ementhaler, restaurants near tour attractions, and menus boasting too many specialties. Look for small menus and the Ambiente restaurants.

Pictured above is the Butcher's sausage from Přeštice pig with housemade mustard and grated horseradish, and fried cheese with housemade tartar sauce. That sausage was fantastic. I would make a slice, dip it into the mustard and then the horseradish. It was the perfect combination of juicy and savory meat, mild mustard and biting horseradish. The cheese was a bold choice due to my allergens, but it was quality. I enjoyed it in small doses with dabs of tartar sauce.

I also came here a second time, hoping to try more traditional dishes. Next on my list was a neck of pork schnitzel fried in lard with potato dumplings. I keep forgetting that Czech dumplings are never what I picture. They're rather flat ovals rather than my imagined spheres. The schnitzel was pounded flat which is an apt description of its flavor. The lemon added some zest, but I found it to be an uninspiring dish. I enjoy the potato dumplings, though they were a bit mild.

Lokal offers a daily rotating menu with regular staples. Prices are quite reasonable too. If you look at the menu, I'll point out that 1 USD = approx 20 CZK. I've heard their soups are quite nice and naturally, I'd recommend the sausages. Otherwise, beware the slow service. They're great at seating you, taking your order, and delivering your food. When it comes to receiving your bill, best of luck. Bring a book or a movie. You might be there a long time.

Valencia Restaurants - back for more

Life in Valencia brings contentment. I returned the first weekend of February for more lindy hop, aerials, and food. During that time, we visited two standout locations. Curious? Let's start with Mimmo.

Mimmo is located within walking distance from my friends' apartment. As you walk inside you might notice an unusual feature, the television playing fire. My advice - choose a seat not facing the faux fire. We started with unpictured croquettes with red pepper jam. Valencian croquettes have always delighted me. Most croquettes I've eaten in Madrid were served cold and tasted bland. Valencian croquettes are warm, fragrant and bursting with flavors, namely delicious cheese and perhaps some cured meat. The red pepper jam was particularly addictive. I may have used my fingers to clean its container.

Next came with the salad with its thin cheese filled bolsa, meaning "purse". It was a litany of flavors with greens, pomegranate seeds, various nuts, dates, and more. Cut the bag open, mix everything together, and save the crispier parts for scooping up the nuts and dates.

Then we had the daily ravioli stuffed with pistachios, sheep ricotta, topped with spinach presented on slate board. The ravioli had great texture and taste. Don't admire the presentation too long. Otherwise, your friends might take your share. Do as we did and go with a group and share as many dishes as possible.

My second restaurant was for Valencian paella. When a dining companion announces he is paella taliban, you know you're in good hands. My friends and I drove to the Albufera for the paella at Mare Nostrum Germans Zorrilla. Secret to a good parking space? Even when the ocean is appearing closer, "keep driving, keep driving", there is parking the back.

Our paella taliban companion thought our appetites needed whetting, so we tucked into tellines, calamares, and mojama (pictured above) with red pepper and aubergines with hard boiled egg quarters. Mojama is salt cured tuna loin. Indescribably delicious. During this time, I was educated about paella borders, etiquette, wars, and the crispy rice. A great education and I was ready for the test.

The paella arrived filled with rice, green beans, large broad beans, rabbit, and chicken pieces. It was great, tasty, challenging (never had rabbit kidney before or rabbit leg). We divided the paella into 6 large triangles, fought to keep our borders intact, hunted crispy rice sections, and tore into the meat. I really enjoyed the vegetables, particularly the broad beans, the rice's flavor (unique to this Valencian region), and the chicken. The rabbit was particularly messy.

Well done, everyone. I've been forever spoiled. I've had paella in the states and it doesn't compare. Thanks, Valencia!