Barcelona! Have you been? I haven't ~ but I have been to the restaurant and wine bar in both Greenwich, Connecticut and in Boston. They even have locations in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. If you love tapas, this is the place for you. Great bar scene, chic decor and fabulous food. I was in Boston a week ago and my friend and I were looking for somewhere fun, with a good vibe, to grab a drink. Of course it was the night the Sox won the playoffs and I was staying in Kenmore Square, so we had to time things around possible street closures and swarms of fans leaving the stadium. This worked! (And I was back in time to hear the cheers from the fans as they won, overlooking Fenway, and saw the cameras flashing away...super cool. And I'm not even into baseball!)
First, let's start with the bar. Lots of wood paneling, blackboards with menu listings, jars full of sliced fruits, olives, mint and other herbs for garnish, and a funky drink menu to boot. I ordered the Bourbon Spice Rack - bulleit bourbon, doc's maple syrup, lemon juice, scrappy's cardamom and lavender bitters. It was REALLY strong in flavor, and not to soft on the alcoholic punch either!
With my drink and my friends cocktail, we shared slices of baked butternut squash with spiced pepitas in a maple drizzle...could have ordered 2 more of those! Sorry the photos aren't better - the lighting is great for dining, not for taking photos for your blog.
When we sat for dinner (our reservation was handled precisely on time,) I ordered a fabulous, hearty, vegan chick pea and spinach stew and a frisee salad with sliced mushrooms and celery in a mustard sauce that complimented it perfectly. My friend and I also shared these savory, crispy potatoes that came with a spiced ketchup and a garlic aoili.
In addition to offering fabulous food, they also have an online shop so if you can't get into the restaurant, you can bring some of it home! Go to http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/marketplace.htm for cookbooks, specialty ingredients, and even cooking classes if that suits you!
