Barcelona - Tapas 24

Tapas24 is another Barcelona restaurant that has been blogged about all over. That's how I heard about it, and I'm so glad I did. I ate there twice. At the beginning of my trip, and on my last evening in Spain. Perhaps I should have ventured further afield, but the fact is, by that final Wednesday evening I was wiped out. As Tapas24 is located just blocks from the hostal where I stayed, it was a logical (and delicious) decision.

I never quite got used to the late Spanish dinner, so I arrived unfashionably early for both meals (before 8:30 pm.) If you don't want to wait, I suggest you do the same. By the time I left potential diners were lined up behind the counter and up the stairs. The majority of seats at this subterranean restaurant are located at a counter surrounding the kitchen, with a few larger tables near the walls. There are a few tables outside as well, but I wouldn't expect attentive service if this is where you choose to sit.

I found service to be a bit scattered at the bar, where the wait staff scurried in and out, making pan amb tomaquet on the fly and scooping up little bowls of olives. At times it was difficult to get their attention, especially when it was time to pay the bill (to be fair, this seems to be common to many restaurants in Barcelona.) Tapas are, of course, ideal for couples and groups dining together. I was alone, so two visits allowed me to try a greater variety of items. In fact, on my first visit, the couple sitting beside me had the oxtail with beans pictured below. They said it was a highlight of their meal and it was the first thing I thought of when I decided to make a second visit.

But first, meal number one. I started with some really excellent fruit juice. The sweet-tart berry juice was flavored with just enough mint to refresh without overwhelming. And the little bottles were so cute. Next was an order of boquerones al limone, fried anchovies marinated in lemon. Good, but not super memorable, I probably wouldn't order them again.

The patatas bravas though, they were fantastic. The wedges of potato very nicely fried before receiving a healthy douse of garlicky allioli and a spicy tomato sauce. I miss them. I finished up with a satisfying bowl of lentils and smokey chorizo. It was a simple brothy soup but the combo of slighly chewy sausage and tender beans was just what I wanted. I didn't try for dessert, the small restaurant was packed and I was beat (and so full.)

Before meal number two I spent a sunny day wandering around Park Guell. It was packed, the crowds inescapable. It's a must-see in most guidebooks, but I preferred Gaudi's more intimate Casa Mila and, frankly, stunning Sagrada Familia.

Still, I had fun taking photos and admiring Gaudi's curious creations. But before long the sun and stairs had me ready for a relaxing meal.

I kicked off the meal with another fruit juice, apple mint this time around. It tasted like apple pie in beverage form, with teeny bits of apple suspended in a slightly spicy apple nectar. Paired unconventionally with my croquete de pernil iberico, aka delicious fried thing filled with fancy ham, it was quite good. The croquette itself was to die for, crisp exterior giving way to a molten filling of rich, creamy potato studded with salty ham.

Of course I ordered the oxtail, my fixation had not waned. And it was worthy. The creamy white beans soaked up the rich, wine-y braising liquid beautifully. The meat, tender and occasionally slightly gelatinous, was like pot roast on crack, so full of beefy goodness. On the side, an order of tomato bread, toasted and scraped with raw tomatoes and garlic then slicked with peppery olive oil. The fresh, tart tomato flavor was a nice foil to the richness of the oxtail.

I elected for dessert this time around, though I barely had room. I picked xocolata, and the three little ovoids of chocolate mousse were pure decadence. Drizzled with more of that peppery Spanish olive oil along with flecks of crunchy fleur de sel, the chocolate was creamy and dense, not too sweet. I could only get through about one and a half before offering the remainder to the friendly couple next to me. And then it was back to the hostal for a brief sleep before hours and hours of travel back to Bloomington. But I've still got more to food to post, so check back soon!

Happy Burger Day - my burger odyssey

So the internet tells me it is National Burger Day. I'll admit, I won't be indulging. Over the past year I've eaten more than my share of burgers. This post has been many months in the making. Last August I got the opportunity to work on an exciting project, writing and photographing a round up of burgers in Bloomington.

My article was published in the April/May issue of Bloom Magazine. I'm thrilled with the result, the article is even longer than I expected and features photos of many of the burgers. It's pretty awesome going into restaurants and stores around town and seeing piles of the magazine. All told, I sampled over 50 different burgers at 36 restaurants. Below are some outtake shots and some thank yous. I got a lot of help.

Read the whole article at the Bloom website (PDF, unfortunately.) The layout and colors are so lovely. It's even better in print, all glossy and real. Burger porn ahoy. The lead photo is the tasty Spoon burger from Runcible Spoon. Next is Uptown's elegant yet substantial New Yorker burger, it is excellent.

Upland Brewing Co's Bad Elmer's Burger, it's just not right without the beer

Nick's makes an excellent burger

One of my faves, a double cheeseburger at Trojan Horse

My first Hinkle's hamburger 

A cheeseburger at the new Macri's Deli

A pair of very good burgers at Wee Willie's

Scholar's Inn Bakehouse has $3 burgers on Wednesdays

Meatless no longer, Roots now serves a burger

Thanks to Jessica and Christine and Mariann for burger crawling with me. Thanks to Ginny for sharing multiple burgers, some good, some just okay. And especially for finishing a few off when I just couldn't take another bite of ground beef and bun.

Thanks to my mom and dad who drove me to the far away burger spots and helped me out for lunch. And Carly who gets almost all of the credit really, she knows why ;)

And most of all thanks to Katy who doesn't even eat beef. Despite her mostly burgerless diet, Katy came with me on nearly all of my burger adventures. Sometimes just keeping me company, other times helping me out with the veggie burgers.

In conclusion, I'm taking a break from burgers.

The best thing I ate in Barcelona: El Quim + La Boqueria

La Boqueria is the bustling market tucked right in the middle of La Rambla, Barcelona's tree lined central boulevard. Most hours of the day La Boqueria (and La Rambla) is overrun with tourists but it's well worth the effort spent braving the crush. Inside is foodie mecca. I spent several of my mornings at the market, including my first and second in the city, splurging on seafood breakfasts, buying souvenirs and gifts, and photographing just about everything.

Thursday morning (day two) I was prepared to fight the crowds to get to El Quim, one of the more popular mini-restaurants sprinkled throughout the market. Despite warnings of long waits, there were plenty of open stools when I visited around 11 am. On the recommendations of too many bloggers to count, I ordered  huevos con chipirones. They were fantastic, probably my favorite meal of the trip.

The thimble sized baby squids are served on top of two perfectly fried eggs. Through gestures, your server will tell you to slash through the eggs to release the yolk, enriching the purple sauce of squid ink. The dish is liberally sprinkled with crisp, flaky sea salt adding seasoning and a subtle crunch. Super tender and just a bit sweet, the squid tasted of the sea, not overly salty in the least. At El Quim I also had my first taste of Spanish coffee. I ordered un cortado, a espresso cut with a little milk. Unsurprisingly, it was excellent. I hear cava is popular too, even in the morning, so feel free to order a little bubbly with your breakfast.

Another must-try: zumos. Sold for 1-2 euros, they're the ultra fresh juices sold at the fruit stalls near the front of the market. I tried multiple flavors over the course of the week; coconut strawberry, strawberry lime, kiwi coconut banana, and mango orange. My favorite was the pretty green kiwi coconut banana, the little kiwi seeds add just enough texture and acid to cut through the creamy coconut and banana.

La Boqueria boasts several fantastic restaurants but its main attraction is the hundreds of stalls stocking every kind of meat, seafood, spice, and produce you could possibly need. Though the market is always stuffed with tourists, plenty of locals patiently brave the crowds to buy their groceries.

Itty bitty chorizos and sausages at one of the many ham stalls. And more salted cod, aka bacalao, than anyone in America would know what to do with.

Oozy razor clams are actually delicious when cooked up on la plancha, a flattop griddle.

Pretty little truffles and turrones (Spanish nougat-like almond candy)  are everywhere. But don't touch! It's rude and totally unhygienic, point out which you want and let the owner serve or package it up for you.

Zumos and fresh fruit! Still kicking myself for not trying out the pitahaya flavor, just for the amazing fuchsia color.