Spanish Food Journal - March 11th

I can safely say that the seventeen euro meal that I had today was one of the best meals that I have ever had in my life! The “menú del día” is one of the best deals on the face of the planet. Unfortunately, the name of the place slips my mind at the moment; however, I know that the restaurant is down in the Port Olimpic section of the city and it is right next to the water. Regardless, we were served six courses of absolutely spectacular food.
The meal started off with some ripe green olives, traditional “pa amb tomàquet/pan con tomate,” and fresh olive oil. This light starter was followed by a refreshing house salad which had black olives, tuna, onions, corn, carrots, and iceberg lettuce. Many individuals would likely have been able to make a meal out of these “starters!” However, there was still a lot more food to come…the third and fourth dishes were some true Mediterranean classics (at least, I think they’re classics). The third and fourth dishes they brought were plates of fried calamari and mussels. Sadly, I am not a big fan of either of these dishes. Both of these dishes have a unique consistency/texture that is not that appealing to me…however, I still mustered up the courage to try them both. The calamari was cooked really well and did not have too much of a “fishy taste. The mussels on the other hand were a different story; they were much too fishy and a bit overcooked; however, the marinara broth that they were in was spectacular. The next dish was the “main course.” Even though shellfish/seafood is not too appealing to my palate, I elected to have a traditional paella dish. The paella was cooked in a huge pan which they showed us before they divvied up our portions…it was one of the most impressive culinary masterpieces that I have ever seen (it was at about this moment when I wished I had my camera…). I had enjoyed the delights of paella before in my life but certainly not like this. Everything was absolutely wonderful and the dish was cooked to perfection. Simply having a taste of this dish proved to me that “somebody in the kitchen” truly cared about what they were making. The paella had that “special ingredient” which all great dishes have: love. Whoever made this dish took his/her time in preparing it and it was quite evident. Thank you whoever you are!
Finally, they brought out a nice dessert to top off a stunning experience. Our cravings for some sweets were satisfied by the sixth and final course, a light chocolate mousse. I’m not sure how “traditional” this dish is but either way, it was delicious. Did I mention that we were given unlimited wine throughout the entire meal! Yes, unlimited bottles of wine. Sure, it wasn’t the greatest wine but for an American who is visiting Barcelona…free wine is perfect wine!

All in all, the meal was unforgettable. I just wish that there were places like this in America…