Tickets to an Amazing Night

Considering all the wonderful experiences the Art Girls had in Barcelona, the following is a pretty bold statement: We saved the best for last. Now, this Art Girl may be particularly food-oriented, but I can back up those fight'n words. We spent our last night at the one-and-only Tickets bar. Tickets is Albert Adria's restaurant, opened after he and his brother Ferran closed down the one-and-only El Bulli. As someone who tried (multiple times) to get reservations at El Bulli and failed, Tickets was the next best thing. I will admit, I had high expectations, but Tickets met each one. Now, this is not the same experience as El Bulli - there are no white tablecloths and you can order (gasp!) a la carte. This is the highest level in food creativity served in a casual, carnival-esque atmosphere. This is "la vida tapa" where the joy of eating is translated into a way of life. We put in a few requests, but let our charming and helpful waiter choose for us. He lead us through an epically delicious, hilarious and exhilarating journey of 29 courses. These courses included, but were not limited to: a solid cocktail, liquid olives and a very tasty rock. The food by turns highlighted pristine local ingredients (Galician razor clams; a huge, fresh, naked oyster), respected Catalan food traditions (preserved sardines dressed in vinegar; jamon Iberico served with tomato bread; croquets), reinterpreted Spanish and pop culture favorites (liquid Machengo cheese served along side the traditional; gazpacho made of huge marinated tomatoes on a thin layer of gelatinous sauce; an upscale version of a fast food sandwich; a chicken lettuce wrap; a carrot cupcake with edible paper) and surprised with new delights (a "nordic journey" that brought the flavors of Scandinavia together on a cracker; a sesame sponge "rock" desert). But most of all, it was fun! The Art Girls, ate, drank, marveled, made merry, and got a photo with Albert himself to boot! Thanks, Tickets, for a great send off! Until next time...

A solid peach cocktail

One of two varieties of liquid olives

Karen samples a traditional Catalan sardine

Mini air bag with manchego cheese foam

Quail egg in nest

Tomato salad with transparent gelatin of Gazpacho

Razor clams with refried sauce and lemon air  and Japanese black garlic

A Nordic Trip

Machengo; old style and new style

Lemon dessert

Carrot cake with edible wrapper

Chocolate balls

Black sesame and white chocolate lava rock 

Albert Adria and fans.

For more food pix, videos, cool stuff, check out TICKETS website:
http://www.ticketsbar.es/web/

Big Fish & A Very Big Cat

We enjoyed a terrific lunch at Big Fish in the Born area.  (Thanks to Megan for all the great restaurant recommendations.)  We also came across a very big cat along the way.

Barcelona has some terrific outdoor art. Here are a few works we came across quite by accident.

Cat, 1987 by Fernando Botero

Wall mural by Basque sculptor, Eduardo Chillida, 1995

Head, 1992 by Roy Lichtenstein. 

Barcino (the Roman name for Barcelona) by Joan Brossa stands right in front of an ancient Roman wall.

Churches & Chocolate

Here are a few sights from our time spent exploring the churches and chocolate shops in the old town.

Las Ramblas, the pedestrian street that travels from the sea to the center of town.

At the center of the old town is the Gothic cathedral of Barcelona. Officially titled Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, it dates from the 13th - 15th Century.  The cathedral also boasts a beautiful cloister that is home to 13 white geese.  Legend states that Eulalia was a herder of geese when she was martyred at the age of 13.

           

                               

Our guide Teresa told us that going to enjoy churos and chocolate around 5pm is a Catalan tradition. And you know us Art Girls always follow local customs, so when in Barcelona...enjoy the chocolate.  We subsequently learned that it was the Spanish conquerors who brought cocoa from South American to Europe and it was the Spanish who first invented a chocolate making machine in 1780.  

You can't imagine how delicious this was.

Next stop Santa Maria del Mar, built between 1329 and 1383 and is built in a classic Catalan Gothic style. All of the local guilds collaborated on its building, and as a result it became a symbol of political power during this period.  It's lack of ornate decoration is quite the contrast to the cathedral.

For a more contemporary chocolate fix, we discovered Chök The Chocolate Kitchen where you could enjoy a brick of gin & tonic white chocolate, macarons or donuts.  All delicious!