Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Senyor Paralleda

This is by far the best restaurant we have been to in Barcelona, and this counts for a lot in an eating town. Rather than tapas, this place serves traditional and modern dishes. It is tucked in the corner of L'Argentina, with a gorgeous decor ,detailed high ceilings,pale blue walls,chandeliers, and friendly waiters. The first time we were there, all of the dishes looked amazing, so we asked a friendly and interesting American couple (a writer and artist who now reside in Pisa) seating near us for advice. They told us they loved the place so much it was, in fact, the third time they were there in two days. After about 20 minutes of deliberation, we settled on the tenderest veal cheeks we have ever tasted in our lives and a herring dish .

The second time we were there, we ordered the lamb in 12 garlic cloves and a traditional stew, pot-au-feu. The latter dish was an appetizing dish of the Spanish patrons sitting near us, and after some muddled Spanglish, we were told it was a very traditional dish of the Catalonian region. To this day we debate what exactly was in it (a variety of meats, vegetables, tendons/ligaments, and what I believe to be the skin of a tongue), and little can be seen in the second picture above (it was only taken to prove that I ate more than the meat-eater).
Furthermore, it was ordered only as a promise that I will eat any traditional dish I come across without hesitation, and would think twice about ordering it again. Without a doubt it was delicious..at times..and not...most of the time.
Overall: best restaurant we've been to in Barcelona --> food 5 out of 5, service excellent, ambiance exquisite, and not expensive.We ate a huge meal with cava for 40 euros for two and enjoyed it more than Cal Pep where we paid over 90 euros for two.

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