Location: Spain
Having just returned from a week in Spain I thought it would be interesting to do comparison between the food scene in Barcelona and Charlotte. Now comparing a city that has its roots in the Middle Ages with a city that hasn’t come into its own until about 20 years ago might not be fair, but fairness isn’t my strong suit. Needless to say Barcelona has an amazing food scene, which is vastly superior to ours. It is a city on a different level than Charlotte, with fresh seafood and real, authentic ingredients. There is seemingly an endless supply of delicious food around every corner. Even with the array of amazing eateries, there were things I missed while I was away. I will attempt to break down the good bad and ugly of Barcelona, while comparing it to the Queen city.
Good: Barcelona is an enormous food culture, with something extraordinarily delicious is every direction. Eating there is an adventure, the sheer volume of easily accessible restaurants was stunning. I realize that my awe probably has as much to do with me being a visitor to the city as the city itself. I will own that, but it doesn’t change the fact that Barcelona is a city that knows and loves food. I only recall having one mediocre meal, my first. I never enjoy a breaded calamari, I made the mistake of ordering it in Spain with results similar to my U.S. experiences.
The main advantage of Spain when compared to many U.S cities is freshness. The vast majority of the food we sampled was seafood, and this in Tapas form. That allowed us to try a variety of different items from many places, although by the end it seemed to all blend together. The grilled squid, which is plentiful, is one of the best seafood dishes I have tasted. It was as if they were caught hours before, which makes all the difference. As good as they were, the anchovies had them beat. I never would have though an anchovies could have such an impact. Once again I have no doubt it just came out of the ocean. Seasoned perfectly with olive oil placed on a small piece of bread smeared with fresh tomatoes it is something I can only dream about now. A few jars actually “found” their way into my luggage, hopefully they will retain some of the flavor. Grilled Octopus, clams, mussels, shrimp it was all there, begging to be eaten and I answer the call…..repeatedly. Fresh food, especially seafood, tastes better when caught the day you eat it. Seafood just doesn’t taste like this here, no matter what market you go to on Central Ave or how well you know the fish guy at Harris Teeter.
A second advantage that Barcelona (and most of Europe) has over its America counterpart is price. The dollar may be weaker than the Euro, but that is more than made up for by the low cost of the meals. The main driver of this is the low cost of alcohol. At 3 euros for a glass of Champaign and 5 for a mixed drink, you can get your fill without selling your first born. Tapas in general are also very reasonable priced, you can grab a small bite for a few Euros and come and go as you please. Tipping is rare in Spain, which further lowers the price. Given I usually give around 20% here no matter how lousy the service is, it nice to look at a menu and know the exact cost.
The whole setup makes eating much easier. Walk down the street or to the market, grab a seat at the counter and order when you’re ready. The service isn’t as attentive as one might be used to in Charlotte, but I actual like that. You aren’t hounded to leave, there is no hovering over you, just order as much or as little as you want, hunt down the waiter when done and its over. I found the experience much more relaxing, but of course I was on vacation.
I don’t know what it is about other cultures, but visiting their food markets are an event on their own. Barcelona had one of the greatest markets I’ve seen, it was a hodgepodge of seafood venders, butchers, Pia stands and restaurant counters. Really, you can get lost in there for hours and we did. I have yet to run into anything close to this in America. Below are just two of the many stores from the market, and yes mojitos, ham and eggs are part of a well-balanced breakfast.
Tapas are just the tip of the iceberg, Barcelona has a number of fine dining establishments. I really need to give mention to Spoonik, where I was taken for my birthday. It was the single most memorable meal of my life. A 15 course, 4 hour event where you share you experience with those who happen to be sitting at your table; it is more like a party than a dinner. The service was some of the best I have ever gotten and the food was definitely the most original. The picture of the small, banana leaf wrapped cod doesn’t do it justice.
The Bad: I can go on for eight more paragraphs about the good, but let me give a fair review of some of things that might turn people off. I love seafood, but Barcelona was so seafood heavy I almost couldn’t look at it by last day. I think it would be different had I lived there, but being on vacation I ate it nonstop. I tried to mix this with their pork, but always found my way back to the squid. It made my long for a familiar burger.
Some might also find an issue with their eating times, although I never went hungry, it did feel as we were eating on a different schedule. At what we may consider normal eating hours some establishments were totally empty. I did try keep the local schedule, but it always seemed like I was a bit off.
The Ugly: There is one place where Charlotte might have Barcelona beat and that’s food safety. As mentioned the market was an amazing place, some of the stores had beautiful chocolates and fruits out in the open. Out with thousands of people coughing near them, sneezing and touching the items. There seems to be a different sense as to what is clean. I noticed this also in some of the Tapas bars, many offerings were just sitting out near the crowds. I do want to say the majority of the places seemed clean, but there were enough questionable establishments to give me pause. There are also no health scores posted to make you feel better. The food was much fresher so that probably kept some parasites at bay, but one does have to be vigilant when eating in a foreign country.
The Verdict 9 out 10: I’m rating the whole city of Barcelona here and its one of the best in the world. Charlotte isn’t in the same league as a city such as Barcelona, which is a true food paradise. There is a true food culture in Barcelona. Its not a commercialized copy of other cuisines. The people of Spain have a real love of food and it shows. Meals are taken seriously and that comes through in a way not seen in the queen city.