La Monstruosidad Continua

Plaza Navas - ayer, hoy... ¿y manaña? / Plaza Navas - yesterday, today... and tomorrow?

No tengo ni idea en que época lo construieron La Plaza Navas, pero, sí, cuando lo destruieron - hace tres años. ¿Y cuándo lo reconstruirá? Esto, no sé. Antes del principio de las obras para transformar la plaza a un parking abjado de la tierra y un rincon de traquilidad arriba, el lugar fue muy lejos de bonito. Eran cacas por todos partes, entre los bancos de jovénes compartiendo porros. Util, sí. Un oasis urbano, que no. Lo unico que lo salvaba fue dos filas de palmeras que dieron sombra a los clientes del local Brisas Do Sil.

Hoy en día, las palmeras no estan, todo la plaza es una ruina, vallada y abandonada. ¿Los motivos? Son varios. Y todos muy tipíco de España: La Guerra Civil, La Burbula Inmobiliaria, y papeleo.

El primer problema llevó el cabo en ebril 2008 cuando hallaron una pared y escalera bajos de la tierra. De echo las obras habían sacado a luz un refugio antiaereo, empiezo para proteger la poblacíon de las bombas franquistas en 1938. Pero no se acabó, según algunos historiadores, aunque hay gente que aún recuerda usando el lugar.

Pues, bueno. Después una pausa en las obras para investigar la importancía del encuentro, dicieron que fue sin valor historico. En otras palbras, una pérdida del tiempo y del dinero. Entonces, la empresa responsible por la construcción fue bancarrota. Docenas de vecinos ya había pagado a señal por reservar plazas de parking. Que yo sepa, nadie ha recibo cualquier tipo de devolución.

Las ultimas noticias dicen que las obras recomenzarán en el verano. Vamos a ver.

The Running Eyesore

I have  no idea when Plaza Navas was built, but I do know when it was destroyed  - three years ago. As to when it will rebuilt, I really don't know. Before the beginning of the works that were to transform the square into a carpark below ground and a quiet little corner above, it was far from a pretty sight. There was dog poo everywhere between the benches of youths sharing joints. Useful, yes. But an urban oasis it was not. It's only saving grace was two rows of palm trees that gave shade to the clients of the Brisas Do Sil restaurant. 

These days the palms are no longer there and the whole square is an abandoned, fenced off ruin. The reasons? Several and all quintessentially Spanish: the Civil War, the propery bubble, and red-tape. 

The first problem came about when a wall and some steps was discovered below ground. In fact the works have brought to light an air-raid shelter, begun in 1938 to protect the population from Franco's bombs, but never completed, according to some historians (although there are those in the area who still remember using the place.) 

After a stoppage in order to investigate the importance of the find, it was said to be without historical value - in other words the whole exercise was a waste of time and money. 

Then the company responsible for the construction went bust. Dozens of residents had already made a down payement to reserve a parking space. As far as I know nobody has yet received any form of recomnpense.

The latest news is that work will restart in the summer. Well, we'll see.

A Treat At Tapioles 53

Delicious pan-fried salmon, asparagus & tomato.

Tapioles 53 is a fairly expensive place to dine out - or rather is was until a few weeks ago. Up until then Sarah Sothart cooked up whatever she fancied every evening to a strictly reservation-only clientele, using ingredients from Barcelona's best markets, often supplemented by produce from her parent's farm out in the Catalan countryside. As a result of these great ingredients and enviable kitchen skills, Tapioles 53 has an excellent reputation, and given the €50-per-head-forgetting-the-wine price-tag it it has been one of many places on our nice-to-try list almost since we came to the barri.

That was until a few weeks ago when we realised that as well as offering coffee and cake, there was a menu del dia on offer. Cheapskates that we are, we've taken advantage of this golden opportunity three times now, and have been consistently impressed at the quality of the dishes. The menu is €9.90 incl. IVA, three courses and a glass of wine or beer. And there's usually a small plate of olives or other nibbles thrown in free.

Every time we've ordered white wine, which is a deliciously autumnal Mas Collet which is also available at €2 per additional glass.

Below are some of the dishes we've tried - the availability of which will completely change on a daily basis. I urge you to check out this culinary treat as the restaurant seems to have very few customers in the middle of the day, and it would be a shame it Tapioles 53 went back to an evenings-only operation through a criminal lack of lunchtime interest.

Main course: Pork loin wrapped in bacon, topped with mustard mayonaise, and served with chips.
Verdict: moist pork, crispy bacon, creamy-sharp mayo and outstanding fries.












Starter: Mozzarella, maize and tomato salad. Verdict: marinaded buffalo mozzarella really raises this salad's game, whilst a great dressing ensures an instant classic.

Main course: Pork and wild mushroom stew. Verdict: Don't let the appearance put you off. This rustic combination is quintessentially Catalan and great insulation against the winter chill

Starter: Rigatoni bolognese. Verdict: How easy is this to get so wrong? Just check out my review of the Café Picornell  to find out. No problems with the Tapioles version, however.

Mellow Fruitfulness

Seed pods of Bracychiton populneus - the Árbol Botella or Kurrajong

It's well and truly Autumn now - my last sunbathing sesh was a fortnight ago, we're closing the doors to the balcony at night and sweet potatoes and chestnuts are being roasted on street corners on home-made braziers.  

And like many neighbourhoods in Barcelona we have a great collection of trees both exotic and indigenous that are now bearing some fruit - often strange. The Ajuntament de Barcelona - our town council - takes urban arbres  very seriously and even has a coffee-table style book featuring some of the most notable example of our leafy streets. There is a conscious effort by the planners to plant unusual species as streets and other urban areas are tarted up, so we have a really amazing selection.

I think I read somewhere that Poble Sec itself - excluding Montjüic - had seven trees in total about 100 years ago. Well it's done some catching up since then. Here are a few strange fruits I picked up around the barri. And I'm not talking about La Fontaine's clientele, or indeed Juan the barman .

Magnolia fruit, Montjüic

Fruit of the Naranjo de Luisiana, aka Osage-orange horseapple or Bois D'Arc

Latin binominal: Maclura pomifera.

El pebrer bord

 The Peruvian Pepper (Schinus molle, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree,peppercorn tree, Californian pepper tree, pirul and Peruvian mastic.)  

Balls To Barça

U E Poble Sec victorious for the one and only time - in 1958

Barça football fans are known for their lack of enthusiasm. The sort of hysteria one associates with British supporters gets short shrift in Camp Nou, which Catalan supporters will exit early if a match isn't going their way. Having paid a fortune for a seat so far from the action they often resort to binoculars and a radio to follow the play, you can't really blame their lack of brio, perhaps.

Distance from the pitch was certainly not a problem when Mrs HD dragged me to a match between UE Poble Sec and CD Tortosa on Saturday 10th October, however. Neither was space. With around 50 locals and three or four visiting fans, there was plenty of room to spread out and stretch your legs on the stand at the Complex Esportiu de la Bàscula. In fact, Unió Esportiva Poble Sec is such a low-key team, it took quite a bit of asking about in the barri before we came across anyone who'd even heard of them - this despite the team being founded back in 1929. 

What's more, despite being one of two soccer teams representing the sporting hopes and dreams of such a tiny geographic area,  UE Poble Sec is in a pretty impressive position, as one of the 20 teams in the Primera Catalana, and as part of what is essentially the fifth level of Spanish football, they are a mere four promotions away from playing

Barça themselves! That said, the team have been in the same division for seven seasons and as of the time of writing are languishing in 13th position.   

Last season's team - playing away by the look of the ground.

Were they to perform a series of miracles and make it to the top of four leagues on four consecutive seasons, they would need to play a damn' sight better than the first half of the match I saw. They did improve considerably in the second, however, and after one disallowed goal, another from substitute Fran gained them the match in the 80th minute, and reduced the risk of renegation. A highly physical game resulted in five yellow cards and a substitution and hospital visit for Tortosa goalie Jiménez.

Despite this victory - the second of the season - things are not looking good for UE Poble Sec. Flung out of La Satàlia, their ground since 1936 while the dirt pitch receives a toupée of astroturf, their President, Pedro Venero Rozas is looking to sell the club. Indeed, he was so desperate for cash he practically snatched the €10 entrance fee out of my hand when we attended the match. 

President Pedro Venero Rozas looking for a cash injection.

And not only is Venero attempting to sell the club, but also its position in the league - a perfectly legal transaction in Spain I think. Another demoralising fact is that the number of supporters is now at an all-time low. The 50 or so that came last Saturday was not even a shadow of the 50,000 who saw "El Sec" win it's only trophy against CE Europa at the end of the '57 - '58 season in Les Corts.

A return to La Satàlia is slated for the end of the month, according to one source, and hopefully that will also mean a return to form and popularity for the ailing club. If so, I'll certainly be there to lend my support. Visca El Sec!

Thai To Die For?

Thai yellow curry at Tivoli's Bistro, Poble Sec.

I've walked past Tivoli's Bistro many times in the last five years, and every time I glanced at the menu and wanted to walk in. Then I peered at the prices and walked on, maybe stopping at the Cervecería Jazz for one of the best burgers in Barcelona or La Tomaquera for a trad Catalan feast on the cheap. 

Maybe it was years spent living in North London where you could pick up a fantastic, eye-wateringly hot Thai curry and rice in a pub for less than a tenner, or simply a belief that Asian cuisine in Poble Sec just couldn't be THAT good to warrant the outlay. The menu itself was highly extensive, and featured non-Thai food. 

Now both the prices and the choice have been reduced, and the hours expanded so that Tivoli's Bistro now offers a menu del día for €10.95 ex IVA, but including a starter, main course, a dessert and drink. Seeing this, I made a beeline for the place at the earliest opportunity. 

Entering the inexplicably Italian-named eaterie, everything is on display, from the stripped, bare-brick walls to the windowed kitchen. The restaurant is divided into two areas, with the back enjoying plenty of natural light. Photos of Thailand hang from the walls and the place has the air of unhurried efficiency.

The menu del día undergoes regular changes, and today it featured tuna croquettes with chilli dipping sauce or filo pastry parcels stuffed with grilled vegetables with a tomato and goats cheese sauce as starters. Mains were a choice of phad thai, yellow chicken  curry or five-spice pork with eggs and fried tofu. Cheese mousse with fig and raspberry coulis or rambutan and pineapple were offered as dessert.

Feeling highly unadventurous we both went for the tuna croquettes followed by the yellow curry. The first was delicious - crunchy on the outside, moist and flavoursome inside. The sauce was a well-chosen bottled sweet chili with a decent kick to it. 

In short, our expectations of the main course were raised, only to be somewhat dashed when the yellow curry arrived. Whilst featuring high quality ingredients, this was clearly a dish designed with the cautious Catalan palate in mind, and more of a stew than a curry. Perfectly edible, yes - but it certainly left me wishing I'd tried one of the other mains instead. Disappointed, we hoped dessert would be a return to form.

I chose the rambutan and pineapple - both tinned and perfectly acceptable as part of a menu del día. Mrs HD went for the cheese mousse and fruit coulis - which was homemade, delicious and essentially a deconstructed cheesecake, minus the base.

In conclusion, we decided that the meal was well worth the price, and would definitely be returning for a menu - or even a pricier à la carte treat in the evening. As I mentioned earlier, this has been drastically cut down, and the prices appear lower than before.  Starters are around €6.50, and main courses €13.50 to €16.50. There's also a tasting menu for €25 per person plus IVA which includes a glass of wine, water or a beer. And the wine? The wine is fine.

Tivoli's Bistro

c/ Magalhäes 35

Poble Sec

08004 Barcelona

Tel: 93 44 14 01 7

Smoke-free restaurant

"I want it Indian hot, not Spanish hot!"

The above is a constant refrain if you're a guiri in search of a decent hot curry in Barcelona. Despite having pillaged the New World and come back with - among other things -  chillies (and, indeed helping to introduce them to Asia) the Spanish are roundly suspicious of anything spicy. 

So wary are they that their language clearly distinguishes between the heat of excited atoms - calor (n) , caliente (adj) and that of chillies - picante (adj). When ordering a curry, for example at Moti Mahal - my favourite Barcelonese Indian and dining place of the stars - you will be asked if you want the food picante, medio or suave, for each dish, irrespective of whether that dish would normally be hot or mild. One must also remember that picante is very different for a Spaniard, and so I often explain that I'm British and I want my Chili Chicken superpicante.

Nice Rice

Paella marisco, according to Elche. Note the high seafood-to-rice ratio, & the fantastic colour.

After a rather depressing last post, here's another restaurant review.

This was to be the third time in a week that we were to eat paella, so it had to be good, and as soon as we walked through the door to be greeted by a smart, friendly besuited waiter and had a quick look around, Mrs HD, her mum and I had high hopes that it would be.

Elche was established in 1959 on this site, and now has another branch, which you can explore at your leisure if you follow the link to their website, below. The Poble Sec HQ is certainly a cut above most restaurants we'd dined at in the barri, with attentive service to match, extending to an English-speaking wine waiter. We arrived at about 1.30 on Sunday afternoon, and obtained one of the last available tables, so it's probably best not to chance it as we did, and book. 

The interior is welcoming and even a little snug - ideal for the colder months, which are fast approaching. The menu specialises in rice dishes of various content and consistencies, and we were very tempted by the paella with bacalao and ceps (around €13), as well as fideu (€12-ish) which substitutes rice for inch-long pasta noodles.

For starters we enjoyed a selection of escalivada - roasted vegetables - with tiny broad beans, chipirones - baby squid, fried; and fried vegetables, as shown. All three dishes were excellent, flavourful examples of local classics. 

Most starters are available as a full-size dish, half-size or as a tapa, depending on the size of your appetite, with prices to match. Those pictured are half-sized portions - media raciones.

In the end, we decided to plump for the seafood paella as a main course - and were not disappointed. There was a good mixture of shellfish, including Dublin Bay prawns (cigallas), squid (sepia) cockles (berberchos) prawns (gambas) and muscles (mejiones) - and plenty of it, as you can see from the main picture in this post. 

The colour was a good rich saffron, and the flavour had a lot of depth. Although not completely dry, the dish was far from sloppy, with a thick, rich, liquor-like stock. In short it was one of the best paellas - of many - I'd tasted for a long time. There was a good selection of wines, ranging from a €9 house white to €20-plus vintages. We went for a decently priced, safe supermarket favourite, Viña Sol.

In summary, I'd say this is a great place to bring parents on a Sunday - a cut above most restaurants in the area, friendly, great food and service and reasonably priced.

Elche Restaurant 

c. Vila Vilà 71

Tel 934 413 089

3 Covers - €3.90

Viña Sol Torres - €12.30

Litre water - €2.80

Escalivada w. beans - €4.50

Fried baby squid - €7.00

Fried artichokes, aubergines, courgettes - €6.00

3 Paella marisco - €48.30

Total, incl. IVA - €84.80

How to pronounce paella

It's a problem that bedevils all non-Spanish speakers. The double 'l' sounds quite similar to an English 'y', making the the word a little like 'pie-YE-yah'. For a much more amusing explanation - plus an interesting recipe to boot, take a look at the video. Bon profit!

How NOT to pronounce "paella", according to Richard E. Grant and Arabella Weir.

Bienvenguts al Barri!

Or welcome to the neighbourhood for those non-Catalan speakers out there. It seems like a fitting time to start blogging about Poble Sec - in my opinion the best spot to live in Barcelona - right slap bang in the middle of our Festa Major. 

The two figures  - gegants - pictured above represent Poble Sec on street parades and are duly dusted off for the Festa Major, too. They represent the Barri's past as a centre for gaudy theatre extravaganzas and saucier entertainment. The showgirl always goes first in any parade, followed by her older, greying (and presumably  married) admirer, who carries a huge string of pearls as a symbol of his - er - esteem.

They're very relevant to the area still, as a lot of naughtiness still goes on in Poble Sec, and this blog is where it might just get a mention. 

One spot in the barri that will definitely get name-checked is La Fontaine, my (or should I say 'our', as my wife insists on checking up on me all the time) second home. Run by our great mate Stuart McKenna, it is a focus for many of the more interesting characters that haunt Poble Sec.