Here are some excerpts from my journal which may help guide you on food recommendations and hopefully be a bit entertaining. They are excerpts and may appear a bit disjointed.

We stayed at the Diplomatic Hotel in Barcelona which was much nicer than most of the other hotels in the city. It has enough Western attributes to make it comfortable and yet still have character.

We choose a Tapas bar called Cervesaria Catalan about six blocks from our hotel. We sit at the bar, which was an easy way to order. We could point, or a difficult as it seemed order of the menu, to the foods we thought we would enjoy. We batted about 80%, good for first timers. We ordered an assortment of Tapas, including Tortilla de Patata, which was one of my favorites. Sort of a quiche like consistency, If you have ever had Italian holiday bread, it is very similar. We also enjoyed chicken and potato croquettes, avocado and pasta salad, roasted potatoes w. Mayo and a hint of chili sauce. Most tapas are served on crispy toast points for, I believe for convenience.

The restaurant we choose tonight was Ciudad Conal, at Gran Via Cortis Catalanes and Rambla de Catalonia. The other tapas that I remember where cream cheese (as the waiter said, Philadelphia cheese) enwrapped with pina (pine) nuts, and topped with pineapple. Some of the other tapas we had were; chicken and potato croquettes, sliced chorizo, tres quesos (queso is cheese, and this was mostly brie, which was fabulous), carne (steak) and a single pepper on toast, and toast points saturated with herb infused olive oil. As I mentioned, three pitchers of Sangria enhanced the overall experience. My experience with tapas has been grand so far, and surprisingly inexpensive. The meal tonight, including the wee bit of alcohol, was 7,423 pesetas (about $ 45.00).

The wines I learned about were Cresta Rosa and Mateo Rosse, and I am eager to try both. Look for a report later this week.

Our breakfast at the Hotel Diplomatica is a treat. The buffet consists of a plethora of delicacies, such as: thinly sliced bacons, hams, and chorizo, marinated anchovies, croissants, several baked breads and rolls, a variety of toppings – jam & honey, walnuts, pinas (pinenuts), granolas, cocoa crispy’s, corn flakes, yogurt, and a few “mystery” meats and grains, a variety of fresh fruits — melons and berries, complete the buffet. We also have fresh orange juice and strong coffee (served tableside and with unlimited refills), though refills on coffee seem unusual, since you have to ask for a topping off instead of it being offered to you.

You can also order omelet’s and other egg dishes of a limited menu. The omelets are simple, but wonderful. The one I had was lightly filled with mozzarella and dusted with fresh dill and other herbs. The honeydew is wonderful, I personally have never liked honeydew until I tried it here — it is full of flavor and just wonderful. Never say never.

All of the breakfast is included in the room charge – very nice. They serve from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM – an indication of the strange hours everyone must adapt to when in Spain. The hours my stomach clock are now on are breakfast between 9:00 and 10:00, lunch between 14:00 and 16:00, tapas or a snack around 18:00 (if I skipped either breakfast or lunch), and dinner after 9:00 – usually eating between 22:00 and 23:00. Most nights we finish eating around midnight or after. Many fine restaurants do not open their doors until 20:00 or 21:00 (8:00 PM or 9:00 PM).

Saturday night provided our best meal to date. “El Dama” is a short taxi ride from our hotel. Talk about low profile, the sign is not lit, and barely noticeable. The actual building , though was obviously influenced by Gaudi, but built by another architect, it was just wonderful. The door man escorted us through the foyer to a waiting door, opening only when he provided the “secret knock”! The actual interior of the restaurant is small, seating 50 or so, but very elegant and comfortable.

The servers were mostly invisible, whisking away finished plates and silver, and declaring featured dishes with a flare as they were set down for your enjoyment.

Everybody choose a starter and a main course. Everybody but me. I choose the “Menu Degustation”, which came with several courses. In addition we were provided several small plates of appetizers. When we arrived, immediately, and without ordering, we received mini potato croquettes, and minutes later, a sea urchin bisque served in a half urchin shell. Both very tasty. Brian ordered some brilliant wine – a R. Lopez de Hereoia, Vina Tondonia from the “Rioja Alta” region of Spain, it went well with everything we ate.

My meal ran as follows: – Gazpacho Andaluz, a chilled soup, and the best ever. Served with a full compliment of “add ins” including celery, and two types of onions and tomatoes -Aubergine stuffed with Catalan sausage and mushroom. The eggplant (aubergine) was served both as grilled slices and toasted chips. It made a wonderful appetizer. – Broiled Guilthead from the coast with a fennel and fine herb sauce. Guilthead is also called Dorado, and is a white fish from the Mediterranean, different from the Dorado I have caught off Baja. It is more trout like and fishy in flavor; not a favorite. – Melon sorbet to cleanse he palette – Oven baked slice duck with peaches. I have been in a “duck phase” for a few months and order it when it looks interesting. This was a perfect portion and prepared very well. – The desert selections were amazing, offering up items like wild strawberries with cream, honey drenched walnut cake, pecan and almond cakes, a rich chocolate cake filled with hazelnut creme, fresh peaches and a variety of fresh ice creams and sorbets. My favorite were the fresh figs, skinned and drizzled with sweet creme. They also offered a dazzling array of European cheeses.

Across from the train stop near our hotel is “Tapa Tapa”, we sat outside on the patio and shared a pitcher of Sangria (I faired much better afterwards, since there were 5 of us sharing the liter). I also ordered olives, carne asada skewers, and roasted potatoes with chili sauce. All were very good and recommendable, however, due to the language barrier they are not what I thought I ordered. For the potato, I expected house made potato chips; instead, the baby white potatoes were cooked directly in the charcoals, leaving a thin coating of ash on the skin – unique and tasty. The red chili sauce accompaniment was a tomato soup consistency and proved to be an excellent dip. Instead of the meat skewers, which were great; I expected toast points with a single slice of carne and topped with a roasted green pepper. A great palce to grab a snack and easy to find. The afternoon weather was perfect for the patio dining, and the waiters were fun and quick.

Monday dinner and …

The ‘Porta Olimpica”, on the Mediterranean is a working port and has lots of shops and restaurants for the tourists. Like Bourbon street, a host (or hostess) try to drag you into their restaurant. We choose place near the end, the actual name was “El Cangrejo Loco”, the “The Crazy Crab”. Their specialty is the Crustacean Mediterranean, which is a large mixed plate of assorted seafood. Served on a wire rack suspended over the table, the assortment included lobster, stone crab, razor clams, prawns, shrimp, and sea snails. The sea snails had to be pulled from the shells (no, they were not kicking or screaming, and were very much dead) and tasted like clams. The dinner came with lemon, but I would have enjoyed hot butter, or aoili as well. We also had a Paella mix which was admirable, but still not the Paella I imagine. We eyed a Gellato place at the other end of the port, so we passed on desert here.

Something different, Thai Gardens for Thai food. If you are in Spain for more than a week, you will appreciate a completely different cuisine. Thai Gardens was a spectacular place with an decor to match.

Our appetizers included spring roll (fried), shumai, and beef satay – all prepared well, followed by a coconut & lemon grass soup. We shared Pad Thai, Mixed Vegetables with oyster sauce, sticky rice, Pan Naang red curry with chicken, and “Treasure” rolls (or some similar name). The Treasure rolls where pieces of marinated chicken that were tied into a bundle, or treasure, with some sort of leave (my guess is banana). The cuisine was well prepared, and a deserved reprieve from the Spanish diet.

The La Carassa is in an ancient looking buidling and can be found down one of the haunting alleys. There were three of us, and we order a salad to share and where guided to order fondue for three – we end up with a mix of seafood and fruit. The aroma from the other diners meals are intoxicating. Our white wine is wonderful and goes well with our meal. The meal is less then satisfying though, but not due a deficit of the restaurant. It turns out the wonderful aroma was coming from the fondue meat selections of our dining neighboors, and not the glutinous cheese fondue that accompanies our meal. Though we did enjoy our meal to a point (point being the operative word), I suggested we now order the meat fondue for a second course – it was the right decision. This selection exhilarated my palette. The fondue was hot oil, maintained by an intense flame under a cauldron set in the center of our table. We had a plate of various raw meats and mushrooms to skewer and dip in the hot oil. Surrounding the fondue was a half-dozen various dips – chili sauce, assorted aoli’s and marinades, and, what I guessed to be, a radachio mayo – all perfectly pleasing. The meal continued with a selection of fruits – apples, oranges, bananas, and a pot of boiling chocolate fondue for dipping. :P

Also for desert, we received a shot of Peach Whiskey, served ice cold from the freezer. It must have been obvious that we were overjoyed by this delightful drink, so much so, that the host provided us another drink and the bottle so I could note the label.

Later that night…

The lounge we headed for was on the other end of the Gothic center, a place called Palau Dalmases. We knew going in the drinks would be expensive (1500 pst, about $ 10 US), but it was worth it. The room was maintained in historical character and was intriguing. We were surveyed by the proprieters as we poked around the rooms examining the treasures. The service was cold, but I would I would recommend the experience, if just for one drink. Severally hampered, I returned to my hotel around 2:00 AM.

Tonight I venture to a place known for roasted meats, called El Asador de Aranda. It is considerably North of my hotel, on the summit of a hill. The building is ancient and spectacular, luckily the dress code is relaxed and I fit right in. The waiter guides me in my ordering and I have some of the house specialties along with some great wines, including a Riberg Del Duero, Vega Izan Reserve 1999. The starter is a plate of olives, roasted peppers, chorizo, and blood sausage. It is all perfect, and the blood sausage is a completely different flavor then Marta’s (Marta’s was great too) – this is more like a Boudan sausage with rice enhancing the texture. The entree was a shank of roasted lamb, conveniently sliced up and served with a house made au jus. To satisfy my sweet tooth I choose the apple tart with custard – um. Compliments of the house, I also had a shot of anisette (sp) and a variety of cookies. A must stop when in Barcelona!

El Asador de Aranda email asador@asadoraranda.com Londres, 94 tel +34 934 146 790 08036 Barcelona Avenida del Tibidabo, 31 tel +34 934 170 115 tel +34 932 122 482 08022 Barcelona

A comprehensive list from the web:

http://www.bcn-guide.com/htm/ang/restaurants.htm