Caravelle

I have been enjoying following the trials and tribulations of Zim, who I only really know as The Unemployable Chef , for the last few months as he has given us his humorous (for us) anecdotes about trying to find a suitable local for opening a new restaurant. Thankfully after 18 months of a bumpy ride he is now the self-employed chef rather than the unemployable one and has finally found and opened Caravelle in my favourite corner of Raval. I couldn’t wait to go along and check it out.

Five weeks ago this was a dusty old bodega with barrels on the walls, now it’s a refreshed, still “work in progress” which felt light, airy and spacious even on the grey, dank day outside.

I particularly like the fold back doors which seem to let some of the outside in and the timber bench where I took my seat.

I was pleased to see local beers from Montseny, I love this Lupulus blond beer, perfect for perusing the short but enticing lunch menu and for chatting with Zim and some familiar faces on his new team.

Zim, an Australian with many years of London behind him, brings us a menu with Italian, Mediterranean and Australian influences, especially where breakfast is concerned, and some recent London hits, such as pulled pork sandwiches which seem to be the flavour of that metropolis these days.

Lunch menu

After he told me they are making there own sausages and bacon in-house my indecision was conquered and I went for the salchichas caseras con alubias, trufa y peperonata, homemade Italian style sausages with white beans, truffle and stewed peppers. This didn’t stop me looking longingly at the vibrant heap of beetroot, feta, lentil and mint salad nor the pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw I saw being brought out to fellow diners as I waited for my order.

Home made Italian sausages, white beans, truffle and peperonata

There was no need for food envy, I’d chosen wisely and I absolutely loved this plate of food. Bulging, fennel spiced sausages burst onto the creamy, comforting white beans set against the sweet peppers and the salty parmesan just finished it brilliantly. I was smiling inside as I ate.

As I tried to eat slower to make it last longer, I saw two loaves of brioche that we’d been discussing coming out of the oven and went to take a nosy. Zim gave me a slice from a cooled loaf to try, which was delicious, slightly chewy and I didn’t hesitate to use it to mop up the remainder of my sausage and beans, feeling like a child at home again.

Not satisfied with just making charcuterie, their brioche and sourdough are being made in house with other breads coming from the brilliant bakers at Baluard although more home made doughs are sure to follow once they get settled in. I really wanted to try a dessert but the main course and the beer were pushing my stomach to its limit, but when the word alfajore was mentioned and that the maker of them was currently doing a patisserie course at Hofmann I decided I could probably find a small pocket of space. I love alfajores and this didn’t let me down. It was buttery, flaky yet not powdery like some I’ve tried, had a generous layer of dulce de leche and I liked the extra colouring it had acquired in the oven.

Caravelle is open Tuesday to Sunday with the menu changing daily, for breakfast there are offerings such as banana bread with chocolate and dulce de leche, pancakes, eggs and bacon and dinner gives us the options of ‘small’ plates and ‘big’ plates, I like when things are so simple in this complicated world. And they call a pudding a pudding.

Example of evening menu

Zim and his team have certainly got a lot on their big plate now the long search has ended but as they say, good things come to those who wait, and I urge you not to.

Caravelle, C/Pintor Fortuny 31, Raval

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Ca L’Estevet

I used to think happiness was a steaming bowl of soup, a luscious, rich ice cream or chicken slowly barbecued with lots of spices. I was wrong. Happiness is having a fully functioning, just like new laptop. So after weeks of clumsy messaging and browsing on my phone my fingers can grace the keyboard and scratch that blogging itch.

With the technological breakdown it’s time to play catch up, and several weeks have now passed since I treated my good friend Sarah to a birthday menu del día lunch at Ca L’Estevet.

Photo courtesy of Ca L’Estevet website

This hidden treasure of the Raval has been around for more than 120 years and was a popular hang out for the Barcelona left wing intellectuals and artists, not to mention other celebrities that have graced its tables during its lifetime. At 18€ a head the menu del día is at the pricier end of the city’s lunchtime offerings but the quality of the ingredients shone through and for me justified the charge. What follows is some of the most uncomplicated yet satisfying food I’ve eaten in Barcelona.

Chunks of tunneled sourdough dipped in Borges oil satiated our hunger until our steaming plates of mejillones arrived, naked and unadorned except for a wedge of lemon. It never occurs to me to eat this marine favourite of mine without a bath of wine, parsley, garlic or tomatoes, but these were simply heavenly, fresh, juicy and a wonderful hint of seawater.

Steamed mussels mejillones al vapor

The simplicity rolled on with grilled hake steaks, again naked except for a drizzle of olive oil and that wedge of lemon. I would’ve preferred some spears of seasonal asparagus or other more complimentary partner as an accompaniment rather than the uncomfortable marriage of half a tomato, but nonetheless the fish was beautiful and just flaked from the bone. Hake is such a pleasure to eat, no fiddly bones holding you back from just tucking in. The beans to botifarra ratio was probably slight skewed on Sarah’s plate and a slightly heavier handed addition of parsley probably wouldn’t have gone a miss either. However, this was a no nonsense honest plate of good ingredients again.

Tocino de cielo was something new for me. Informed by the waiter that this was not flan, we both reacted with a ”but it is” when it arrived at the table. But, appearances can be deceptive. Like non-identical twins there is a slight but noticeable difference. Tocino de cielo is made with just egg yolks, whites and sugar and not with the addtion of cream as in flan. This gave it a distinctive taste, much like the filling of our native egg custard tart and with the light caramel syrup the slurps, mmms and ahhs kept flowing.

Tocino de cielo Egg custard tart

It’s common when having a menu del día for the bottle of wine to be left on the table and you pour your own included glass. This is dangerous turf. We polished off the lot. Yet we still only got charged for the menu price. Birthday bonus.

C’al Estevet, Valdonzella 46, Raval

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Domino

Domino been an on-off Thursday night haunt for almost the entire time I’ve lived in Barcelona. It fulfills the mid-week requirements of cheap and cheerful with ease and is long overdue a mention on Moonraker Morsels. What Domino’s excels at is decent quality food and great mojitos, amongst other cocktails, at prices more attuned to Barcelona salaries. This compact drinking den with its slightly overused sofa and dark wood tables and chairs keeps us coming back again and again for those strong, sugary, mint laden mojitos and gorgeously thin and crispy pizzas. Pizzas are not the only thing on the menu, salads and empanadas are also up for grabs, but it’s the midweek (Sunday to Thursday) 6.85€ pizza offer that always gets our order. Nine pizzas are covered by the offer, at least two of which are vegetarian, and include our test driven margharita; salchicha sausage and onion; aubergine, courgette and pepper; mozzarella and serrano ham; ham and mushroom; mozzarella, onion and scamorza Italian cheese.

Mozzarella and serrano ham pizza

Do not be alarmed as we once were seeing the cook suddenly sticking a mop into the pizza oven! Had the place we had grown to love all this time been cleaning out the cooking space with the same mop to clean the floor?! Thankfully not, just a novel way of periodically cleaning out what must be a notoriously difficult, narrow, roasting hot space.

At times there can be hardly a corner to sit here, others it’s a haven of tranquility and quiet conversation, so don’t bank on either, and if going in a big group maybe give them a call ahead so as not to miss out.

Domino, C/Les Flors 16, Raval / Poble Sec

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Mam i Teca

Mam i Teca is the kind of place I fantasise of one day owning, lottery wins and some serious cookery training permitting. At tables they can seat 20 with space for a few more perched on stools at the bar, a perfect intimate location without the chaos of a big restaurant.Here you will find a true taste of Catalan cuisine, where traditional dishes are served created with produce from around this proud nation to standards loyal to the principles of the Slow Food movement which the proprietors follow.

We were dining here to celebrate my friend finally passing Oposiciones, an arduous scheme for selecting civil servants in Spain which seems very bizarre and long-winded to an outsider. Salut to Irene and good luck to her with all those angst-filled teenagers she will be teaching in September.

And so to the food. This was gutsy, strong regional cooking and after deliberation we shared a Xató salad, rabbit cooked with prunes and apricots and some desserts.

Xató (pronounced like the French word for ‘castle’) is most certainly a dish you will either adore or despise. It is heavy on salt from the bacalao salt cod, canned tuna steak and plump anchovies, not to mention the briney olives. However, this is balanced with bitter endive lettuce and a creamy romesco sauce made from among other things, tomatoes, peppers and fried bread. For me this is perfect equilibrium and this was the best I have tasted thus far. Rabbit is a meat I love and do not understand why it is so out of favour in the UK. Here it combined the popular mix of meat and fruit so widespread in Spanish cuisine, and though many may deny it, also present in the food of Catalonia. This rabbit had been stewed with red wine, port, prunes and apricots along with other ingredients being kept a little closely guarded by the chef.  The rabbit was moist, fell off the bone and that sauce was loving mopped up with excellent bread.  Desserts were clearly home made and the passionfruit ice cream and creamy though not too sweet cheesecake, topped with bittersweet berry coulis, were both wonderful. This was probably not one of the cheapest meals I’ve eaten in Barcelona but having the good fortune to being treated as thanks for my exam tuition I can’t comment further there. However, it was one of the most honest meals I have eaten in the city; excellent quality, made with love, full of flavour and not at all poncey. Just how us Yorkshire folk like it.

Mam i Teca, C/Lluna 4, Raval

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Rosa del Raval

It was against my better judgement to grab something to eat at Rosa de Raval. Previous visits had been a little disappointing, lacking punch and seasoning but with fussy eater in town once again I followed the first positive food proclamation I’d heard all week “I love Mexican food”. Being late in the day this was the nearest Mexican I could think of and we darted through the door before there was something about this South American cuisine she could decide she didn’t like.Rosa del Raval and her sister branch on Via Laietana, Rosa Negra, hit you with a cacophany of bright colours, elaborate wall decorations and loud floral tablecloths.

On this particular night there was also a convivial buzz from the diners sipping on their low priced mojitos and stuffing the restaurant.

The tropical beach scene emblazoned on one wall gave me fond memories of a good friend in the UK’s former living room and the many laughter and mayhem filled nights spent hanging out there. But enough of the decor, we were here to eat and shockingly not a single complaint was uttered by fussy eater. A bowl of nachos to stave of our, or at least my, now ravenous hunger were passable but the gooey, plastic sauce masquerading as cheese has left me completely perplexed. Not for the first time in the last couple of weeks have I shared nachos at different bars and this pseudo-substance has graced the corn tortillas. Now I’ve never been to Mexico but I suspect this is not authentic and if it is then shame on them. Some real ‘has seen a cow somewhere in the process’ cheese would have been much more palatable.

Nachos with 'cheese' sauce

Fussy eater chose the vegetable burrito, but as with everything we’ve ordered this week there had to be some adjustment, this time sin sour cream.

Vegetarian burrito

The prospect of steak seduced me, the typically Mexican arrachera flank steak which came with a small pile of rice, refried beans, flavoursome guacamole and salad with an unexpected, sweet mango dressing which contrasted with the other richer, oilier ingredients perfectly.

Flank steak and sides

The steak was a pleasant surprise and I chomped through the plate enthusiastically but Rosa del Raval is just a little too hit and miss for me to love it. However, it is very reasonably priced, including cocktail offers for 3.50€ and offers various options for vegetarians including the super penickety variety I share genes with.

Rosa del Raval C/dels Angels, 6, Raval and Rosa Negra, Via Laietana, 46, Born

(Entrance photo courtesy of Gabi López on gowalla.com)

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Parami

For those of us who like whipping up an airy sponge cake, a comforting, rich tea loaf, gingery biscuits, an elaborate birthday gateaux,  gooey brownies or any number of other sweet baked treats, finding baking ingredients in this city can be somewhat of a chore. The variety of sugars, flours, syrups and decorations which are standard stock in even the smallest UK store take a little tracking down here. Home baking, experiencing a revival in Britain in recent years, may be more engrained in our culture and have been practised by many more people than we think. Here, with a patisserie on every block it seems creating something at home may be something of a rarity as these items are like trying to find gold dust.

With this in mind, Moonraker Morsels this week shines the spotlight on the first of two shops which are a godsend for those of us who prefer our goodies out of the oven rather than out of the packet. One of these is Parami, a wholesaler of a wide selection of ingredients to enliven many a cake or biscuit.

Perched on the corner of the car park at the rear of the Boquería market, their shelves are stacked high with bag after bag of nuts, dried fruit and quality chocolate pieces for cake covering.

Whilst you won’t find the self-raising flour (for this try Chinese supermarkets where I’ve found it at reasonable prices) or the soft, dark brown sugars you may seek here, they stock a range of flavoured sugars, syrups, gelatine and additivies such as xanthan gum. After taking these photographs I left with a small bag of cream of tartar which has eluded me up to now.

A selection of flavourings (both natural and artificial), essences, extracts, colours and crystallized fruit are also stocked along with a range of honeys, jams and spices.

As a wholesaler you won’t find any 100g bags here, however, the larger quantities (usually 500g or 1kg bags of nuts for example) work out at much better value than the smaller quantities found in the supermarket, especially if you bake a lot. Just make sure you seal the bags tightly and they’ll stay fresh. I can think of few recipes that couldn’t be achieved after a stop here.

Parami, C/Jerusalen 30 (Boqueria) and C/Diputació 202-204 (Universitat)

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Sesamo

Passing from the street you could be mistaken for thinking that Sesamo is just a narrow, whitewashed bar, and indeed it is, offering a sanctuary from running the gauntlet of Raval’s streets and amongst many other drinks an array of premium gin and tonics.

However, if you enter and walk through an Aladdin’s cave of vegetarian delights opens up and invites you in. Sesamo is one of few venues in Barcelona offering a ‘restaurant’ experience of meat free meals.I’ve enjoyed eating here once before but earlier last month I was lucky to be able to attend one of owner Alfredo’s tasting evenings where he was showcasing some items off their weekly changing menu. Arriving late, rushed, flustered and laiden with bags it was heavenly to walk in and find a glass of red waiting for me and some freshly cooked offerings my friends had sampled an hour or so earlier.

My first mouthful was a seeded crostini with a slice of brie topped with a rich, black olive mousse that had a super smooth texture reminiscent of a good chicken liver pâté. I make that reference because it’s what I associated it with, not that this food was in anyway trying to replace meat dishes. The crostini and all bread here is supplied by favourite of mine Baluard.

Seeded crostini with brie and black olive mousse

This was followed by a salad of slivers of carrot, sweetcorn kernals, radicchio and seeds in a light dressing which provided a tasty, clean crunch.

Salad of carrot, sweetcorn, radicchio and seeds

Next came the tortellini with gorgonzole in a sage butter, the said butter was very moreish if ever so slightly too overpowering for the cheese inside the pasta.

Tortellini with gorgonzole in sage butter

These were then followed by a couple of different risottos. The first of the two was with radicchio,  toasted almonds and roquefort which was packed with loads of flavour and was really set off by the toasted almonds and the rice which had that required bit of bite.

Risotto with radicchio, toasted almonds and roquefort

However the dish of the evening for me was the second risotto with green apple and taleggio. Of course cheese and apple are a perfect match but it wouldn’t have occurred to me to combine them in risotto, however it worked wonderfully, I shall definitely be trying to produce something similar at home.

Risotto with green apple and taleggio

With a self-confessed cheese adoring owner it’s hardly surprising that the menu is heavily cheese influenced, although some would argue you can never have too much cheese. That said there are vegan options so there should be something for everyone, such as the dish of coconut curry with basmati rice, a picante coconut curry of courgette and green beans with a hint of madras about it served with perfectly cooked, fluffy rice. Oh if only I could master the same with rice at home.

Coconut curry with courgette and green beans

 My flusteredness on my first visit meant I left without adequate photos and a few lingering questions, as such I was invited back a second time. What a treat! So on Tuesday night I sat down to round two. This time we started with an appetiser of  healthy baked tortilla topped with gorgonzola, roasted vegetables and pistachio oil.

Baked tortilla with gorgonzola, roasted courgette, fennel, carrot and pistachio oil

Next came a plate of papas arrugadas, a Canary Island dish of wrinkled potatoes with dual sauces of red pepper and surprisingly tasty and complimentary mango.

Papas arrugadas with mango and red pepper sauces

Another appetiser of tofu and miso paste topped with olive tapenade was too salty and lacked a bit of alternative texture to the two pastes so wasn’t quite to my personal taste.

Tofu and miso mousse with olive tapenade

Now beetroot is one of my ‘most hated’ ingredients but from time to time someone succeeds in getting me to enjoy it, and that’s what happened here with gorgonzola filled gnocchi in beetroot sauce. I’m not sure the addition of mozzarella was needed to but the dish was delicious nonetheless.

Gorgonzola filled gnocchi with beetroot sauce, mozzarella and toasted almonds

I’ve often wondered what to do with an abundance of mint as those plants can grow crazily at times but inspiration was provided with rigatoni in mint pesto, just subtle and not overpowering for the other ingredients.

Rigatoni with mint pesto, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and pecorino

Wild green asparagus, which I’ve seen many people foraging in the small town outside Barcelona where I work, made an appearance in the risotto that came next, served with goat’s cheese.

Goat's cheese and wild green asparagus risotto

The risotto, however, was completely outshone by the asparagus salad with basil, toasted pistachios and lime and ginger dressing which was the outstanding star of the evening’s show.

Asparagus salad with toasted pistachios, lime and ginger dressing with basil

A mushroom lasagne with smoked mozzarella was next, maybe slightly more suited for the preceeding months but still a winner.

Mushroom lasagne with smoked mozzarella

Sadly we turned down a couple of curries waiting in the kitchen for us to satisfy our sweet cravings and chose three desserts to share. The brownie with strong Bailey’s sauce had us all reaching to wipe the plate.

Chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and Bailey's sauce

The peanut butter cheesecake was overbaked and crumbly but was tasty and didn’t stop us fighting with our forks for the last mouthful.

Peanut butter cheesecake

And finally, a rich, sticky triple chocolate cake layered with mascarpone cream and that favourite of Alfredo’s native Argentina, dulce de leche.

Triple chocolate cake layered with mascarpone cream and dulce de leche

Sesamo leaves you satisified and meat eaters confessing that they didn’t miss the carne. It’s also easy on the wallet, starters start at around 3€ and no main course is more than 12€, desserts are about 5€.

Many thanks to Alfredo and staff for the invitation and hospitality.

Sesamo, C/Sant Antoni Abat 52, Raval

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Fish and chips in Raval

There is probaby no food discussion amongst Brits more contentious than which is their favourite fish and chip shop. One that one person enthuses about another hates and we all seem to have our preferred place to go for that weekend ‘chippy tea’.  In Barcelona such a discussion is futile and comparisons impossible as there is only one fish and chip shop in the city.

The self-titled Fish and Chips sits on Rambla de Raval which cuts through this neighbourhood, a melting pot of nationalities. In an area where kebab shops, curry restaurants and north African cuisines are plentiful it seems only right that our national dish should be represented here too as this would be the set up in any UK town or city. Fish and chips, wherever I am in the world, are generally a deflating experience for me. The hypnotic waft that lures me in to the fish fryers more often than not pushes my pleasure buttons far more than the battered cod and malt vinegar soaked chips I leave with ever do. But on a dash from work to meet some friends in a nearby bar I popped in for a bag of chips to line the stomach.

You could easily forget where you were for a moment as you enter the café, the premises being so reminiscent of a chippy back home that it’s almost like being transported 1500 miles just by stepping over the threshold. Well done to them for creating such an authentic environment.

Like many chip shops in the UK, there was the pie cabinet with its sorry looking pasties that had seen better times. I was grateful to see that my chips went freshly into the fryer and weren’t going to be served to me soggy after sitting for hours. To make you feel even more at home there’s mushy peas, curry sauce, baked beans or as we northerners love, gravy, to moisten your fish and chips. I think a request for ‘scraps’ might be pushing it a bit though.

For those truly homesick souls Fish and Chips also sells a selection of products from Taste of Home, the overpriced English supermarket here which is packed floor to ceiling with those packet foods British people strangely seem to be so fond of.The shop proudly displays a certificate of training from the Federation of Fish Fryers although I’m not sure if this extended to draining them of oil as mine needed a few more shakes before being wrapped in their paper, the server also didn’t have a clue how to wrap the paper so they could be eaten on the move. Surely a pre-requisite for any fish and chip shop? I had to rip away billowing  sheets to get at my chips and douse them in a bit of salt and a good slosh of malt vinegar.Too much grease and a few too many chips that should’ve had a few more minutes in the fryer spoilt the moment somewhat and would’ve been cause for complaint in a British chippie. However, on the street, on a cold February night, heading to a bar and over a year since this potato and vinegar combination had hit my tongue, I chose to overlook their errors.

Fish and Chips, Rambla de Raval 26, Raval

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Bar Cañete

Dinner at Bar Cañete was going to be followed by some cubatas and dancing so, because of the constant Barcelona worry of being robbed, I prefer not to take my camera out with me on a night out. Therefore, in the spirit of the Sunday newspaper supplements I hope my words alone will convey my experience at Bar Cañete.

Bar Cañete is a shiny gem on a shabby looking street which links the Rambla with the lower end of Rambla de Raval, its royal blue canopy struts out to mark the entrance. Inside, the brightly lit, almost fluorescent tinged bar opens out, lined either side with bar stools and the open kitchen to the left at the rear half of the premises.

Catching up with friends’ post-Christmas visits home required my concentration as I was distracted watching the preparation in the kitchen which is encircled by diners seated on the stools. The fact they were packed out with clientele didn’t manifest itself in any stress in the kitchen, the team of chefs and serving staff, reminiscent of waiters from an ocean liner, worked calmly and quietly, only the chatter of customers and clanging of plates filled the atmosphere.

No meal in Barcelona is complete without Pa amb tomàquet, in this case the crusty bread was rubbed with Penjar tomatoes, a variety from near Valencia, they are tied together and hung after harvest and last longer than most other varieities. I have to admit I couldn’t really taste a huge difference but then again this is the tomato rubbed on the bread not pieces of the whole fruit which would make it much easier to compare the flavour.

Alcachofas del Prat fritas were wafer thin slices of artichokes from El Prat, piled high on the plate, it was almost a Jenga game to pull some out without the tower tumbling down. El Prat is the area outside of Barcelona in the region of the airport, it is one of the most famous areas in Spain for artichoke cultivation as the soil is supposedly perfectly suited to this crop. The artichokes were delicious but perhaps the most enjoyable part were the thin slices of lemon that had been fried in and amongst the vegetable. These were a revelation and absolutely beautiful, I found myself hunting them out in the pile, the frying having softened the sharpness of the citrus, I could happily eat just a plate of those again.

The Carpaccio de magret de pato, thin slices of duck breast drizzled with a mustard dressing filled our mouths with rich ducky flavour and the grains of mustard burst andperfectly partnered the meat. Shared between three the eight slivers were tortuously too few though.

Always the one to want to order all the fish options, the Pescado día con verduras, fish of the day with vegetables, was squid with baby spinach. Soft, fanned out strips of fried calamars sat alongside small bunches of baby spinach, neatly tied together in bouquets which had a superbly fresh, earthy, iodine taste but were sadly let down with a small smount of grit in one of them.

Huevo estrellado con chorizo ahumado gallego a ‘Paradanta’, eggs fried with potatoes and smoked chorizo from the Galicia region of Paradanta was good but obviously nothing memorable as it escapes me what to write about it here.

The crowning glory of our meal, however, was the Filete ‘Rossiñi’ con foie, a piece of soft, melt in the mouth beef fillet sat on two thin slices of toasted bread, topped with a generous slice of foie gras and a small pool of rich, unctuous jus that was just calling out to be dived into with another piece of bread when the fillet had vanished. Our plate had a neat puddle, others being served up seemed to be more of a lake.  At 15.50€ this was an indulgent dish but a regal moment of eating.

The moral dilemma of eating foie gras doesn’t escape me and it’s something I often ponder. It is only since being in Barcelona that I have tasted this delicacy and it has an utterly marvellous flavour, one that’s very difficult to not sample more of. For the time being I justify my eating it because in the grand scheme of food crimes (see Hugh’s Fish Fight that I’ve been evangelising about on Facebook this week as just one example) its production is small scale and limited compared to the broad spectrum of animal, ethical, human and environmental cost our food production system causes on a daily basis. If you are interested in learning more about what I referring to here then a good place to start would be Felicity Lawrence’s book ‘Not on the label’.

Anyway, I digress. Bar Cañete was an enjoyable Friday night experience, though still not reaching the dizzy heights of Lolita Tapería which has set the benchmark for me in terms of high quality tapas in the city, as their menus are of similar price I  feel it’s fair to make a comparison of the two. I brushed off the flecks of artichoke from my dress (I really must learn to sit and eat elegantly on a bar stool, no mean feat in my opinion) and we took our dancing shoes off into the night.

Bar Cañete, C/ de le unió 17, Raval

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Burequitos

To continue the theme of salvation for vegetarians on the go in the city, I’d also like to give praise to ‘Burequitos’. Only 8 months since it’s inception, stallholder Shani begins baking sweet and savoury tartes and rustling up sandwiches at 6.30am every morning. How she manages this is in such a tiny space and trying to do everything before she opens two hours later is a wonder in itself.The first treats to catch my eye were the gorgeously appetising sweet tartes topped with raspberries, strawberries, currently abundant figs and the ‘peach crisp pie’. Shani assured me that everything is made without any preservatives or anything artificial. She only uses fresh ingredients which, with the exception of flour and fresh yeast, she procures from the stallholders that sit on the perifery of the Boquería market. These vendors sell their own produce grown around the Barcelona metropolitan area rather than those inside the cities markets which generally visit the wholesale Mercabarna market for their stock. To relieve our slightly sore heads and sustain us for the short walk back to my flat my visitor and I sampled a spinach, cheese and pine nut tart and one filled with broccoli and blue cheese. The pastry was still crisp after being reheated, my blue cheese was punchy but not overpowering to the broccoli. Pastry and formatge, what better pick me up for the morning after the night before?For such a small stall there is quite a selection: Apple and walnuts; leek, goat’s cheese and apple; aubergine, red pepper and mozzarella; tomato and feta; potato and onion; mushrooms; mushroom and parmesan; mixed vegetable and emmental; spinach and cheese, the latter three also offered inside puff pastry. Decisions, decisions. If you want to avoid the pastry and those calorific sins then never fear as there are also a range of these fillings available in sandwiches. Those fresh ingredients determine the price here, fluctuating between 1.50 – 2.50€ for tartes and 3.50€ for generously sized sandwiches. Shani and her young business shine, I urge you to pass by and help her nurture it.

Burequitos, stall 134 at La Boquería, Barri Gotic.

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