Barcelona, Spain was one of my stops during Fall Break of ‘07 (the semester I studied abroad in Florence, Italy). Highlights of the trip included Las Ramblas, Gothic Quarters, and several Gaudi-designed architecture. These included the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo, and Parc Guell. The food was great, especially the tapas at Cal Pep, this restaurant that NY Times reviewed. Unfortunately, the bill that came at the end wasn’t so great, especially from the perspective of a college student struggling to budget her semester abroad as the U.S. dollar continued to fall in value against the Euro. Alas, my photos will forever document the lunch that set my roommate and I back 70 euros.
Cal Pep Lunch/Random Tapa:
We also tried a random anchovy dish at a another tapa bar while walking towards the Salvador Dali museum, and later that evening we ate at Le Quinze Nits, a popular restaurant with a much more reasonable price. My roommate and I split an order of homemade roast chicken croquettes, and then I had the grilled salmon with courgette slices. I ended the meal with a traditional catulayan dessert consisting of nougat ice cream slices smothered with catalan custard and melted chocolate. Of course, we couldn’t come to Barcelona and not try the sangria.
Le Quinze Nits:
I've been told that a certain smile breaks across my face whenever the subject of food is brought up, a smile that radiates the purest forms of delight and happiness. Food transcends beyond the smell and taste of what's presented in front of me; it's an experience to be enjoyed, indulged, shared with those I love. Working and living in NYC continually opens culinary doors, from hole-in-the-walls to upscale (even stuffy) dining. I never take any morsel of food for granted, and I'm often THAT girl at the table found licking her plate at the end of the meal.
