By Eric Ferraro, Manager Barcelona Brookline
My favorite food experience was Bar Mut. It was a real treat. When we showed up it was clear that the first floor was under renovation, but they had stationed a hostess outside who brought us upstairs to the second floor. The restaurant was very warm and the decor was very cozy, with black velvet booth seats and a vibrant gold paint on the walls. There was 20′s era memorabilia everywhere as well, including wigs and hats that we all ended up wearing.
My favorite dish was the pulpo. We had ordered it several times throughout the trip but every time something went wrong: the restaurant would be out, it was actually calamari or sepia, etc. It was served in a cast iron dish with some potatoes and parsley and it was exceptionally tender and tasty.
We tasted some great beer at lunchtime. Most of the week we were drinking wine and vermouth, and whenever we had beer it was the Spanish equivalent of a Bud Light. This was really flavorful craft beer brewed in small batches in Barcelona. One, appropriately, was called Beercelona, with a nice balance of malt and hops. The other was called Cerados Voladore, which was darker and more hoppy. The idea is the three little pigs from folklore all grown up. “Friends, good food, futbol, tits & beer. What else? Ok, and family.” Hilarious!
I studied architecture in college so it was great to see the Sagrada Familia in person. It was Gaudi’s last great work and crowning achievement, but he died before the cathedral was complete. I fire in the basement soon after his death destroyed any remaining plans and models. For the past ~100 years various architects have debated and fought over how to complete the church, and as a result this iconic landmark has remained unfinished and perpetually under construction. Recently, final plans for the church have been solidified and they’re thinking construction will be complete within a decade.
On the last day of the trip, we had a bit more down time than any of the other days. A few of us decided to go shopping, but when we got to the store it was closed. We wandered around a bit trying to find something that was open, and ended up passing a restaurant that Sasa had mentioned. He really liked the flan there, so we decided to stop by for coffee and dessert. Their flan is shaped a little different than ours, so Farah asked to see the mold. They were nice enough to not only show us, but let us take it home so we could try and replicate it. Our intention was to go shopping, but in the end, we were able to bring back mold that could change the way this one dessert looks in all of the restaurants. Imagine if the store had been open?
