On Toros, Squirming Fish, and the Best Dinner

My father-in-law, the bullfighting expert in D.C., has some interesting insights on the connection between spectacles seen in plazas de toros and what we observed at La Boquera.

I think the bullfight fits in better in a culture where some of the food in the market is still moving. There's more an idea of where our food comes from. Here, in Safeway, you tend to get a picture on a box.

We didn't eat much meat in Spain, but what we did was phenomenal.  Hence this segue into rehashing the best meal at Comer 24 in Barcelona, where we had dinner at the counter thanks to a friend's rec and research.  It's also the closest we'll get to El Bulli (Carlos Abellan is one of many Adria disciples around town).

After the aforementioned nouveau tapas spread, the next course is "spring salad" nestled into a cup and hot mozzarella, Serrano ham, and truffle finger sandwiches.  The salad is somewhat forgettable, while the sandwich is very, very memorable.  It's one of the less inventive dishes, but no less tasty.

I skip the rawish "Kinder egg" with truffle potato mousse and dig into the cozily tucked together mini cannelloni with beef, mixed mushrooms and Gruyere.  I then have to grab onto my stool to prevent falling over from the Delicious Coma induced by the soft black sausage wrapped in carmelized green apple slices.  (One of the many times we try locally produced encased meats, like butifarra.)  Genius.

I never expected la nueva cocina to be this exacting and abundantly satisfying.  After this dinner Cinc Sentits has a hard time measuring up.

Why does the fish course follow the previous riches? Peeking around at other diners' tasting menus I figure it's because the kitchen has made some changes to accommodate my "condition" How kind. Light hake with miso mustard dressing is close to a dish you'd find in a trendy California restaurant, while serious black rice cooked to firm perfection with sepia ink and aioli feels distinctly part of this geographic niche. The true piece de resistance proves to be the flame grilled steak with roasted shallots, red wine reduction and a heavenly mixture of tiny cute-as-a-button (but not button) mixed wild Catalonian mushrooms.

Why does the fish course follow the previous riches?  Peeking around at other diners' tasting menus I figure it's because the kitchen has made some changes to accommodate my "condition."  How kind.  Light hake with miso mustard dressing is close to a dish you'd find Whoever sliced the tender as butter meat has got mad carving skillz.  Before this course I really thought we were done with the savory portion.  We now realize 48 Euros is expensive by Spanish standards, but it's a good deal for all this creativity, gustatory joy and accessible glamour compared to what you'd pay in a major American city.   

And yet, there's more!  Time for me to enjoy desserts now -- soon I won't be able to fit as much food in my system because of competition for shrinking stomach space. 

I can still devour almost all of the foamy crema catalana with the magically crisp top, light mini peach "milkshake," plus silky smooth oval scoops of Comer 24's special creams: the "pink panther" white chocolate/strawberry/vanilla flavor and what I call the Catalonian Trifecta (dark chocolate, olive oil and salt).  Oily cracker toasts inserted into the chocolate adds welcome texture.

However way they make these sweets, it's a marvelous visual display and triumphant finish.  Just like La Boquera and corrida rolled into one moment. 

C/Comer, 24 Barcelona 08003 (El Born) 93.319.21.02

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