Casa Fiero: the new safe bet in the form of macaroni, grilled meat, or noodles in a casserole dish.

BarcelonaAt a table are two men. They look like father and son. Let's say the father is around sixty, and the son, tall as a saint, is around thirty. They talk animatedly until their plates are brought. In a small pan, macaroni with a roast of three meats, gratinated with cheese, arrives. It will be for the son. And in a shiny casserole dish, some cheeks and tendons braised with chickpeas and mushrooms. They uncover the casserole. The man is ecstatic. He lets out an onomatopoeia he couldn't reproduce. The young man looks at the macaroni, his eyes shining. They stop talking. They bury their heads in their containers. They dip bread with relish as if eating against the clock. When there's nothing left in the pan and casserole, they pick up the conversation where they left off.

This scene, which I have tried to narrate exactly as it happened, happened at Casa Fiero, one of this season's most anticipated openings. This restaurant located on Londres Street is "the not-so-big-and-not-little brother of Maleducat." This is how the owners of the restaurant present their second restaurant. Maleducat, a restaurant in the Sant Antoni neighborhood that has been operating for five yearsThe partners, Víctor Ródenas, Marc García, Ignasi Garcia, and Xavi Moragas, have embarked on a second venture together. The reason? Maleducat already has a very well-defined menu and now they wanted to open a second restaurant to expand from another perspective. In this case, they're setting up shop in a different neighborhood and targeting a different audience. Here, they've built a fire, and you'll find fantastic meat and fish dishes.

They wanted to make a classic restaurant, but I would say it's more of a nostalgic restaurant. We found a photo of the Bodega Monferry, temple of the Sants neighborhood that greed made them change location. That's where they used to meet on Fridays to make beer when they were (younger). There's also a picture of Los Caracoles. Ródenas's great-grandfather came to Barcelona to chat, exiled from Aragon because of the Civil War. And where he found work was in the legendary restaurant in the Gothic QuarterA tribute to him couldn't be missed. Also to his father, who loved Pepe Rubianes. Where do we find the Galician-Catalan? In the bathroom. There you can hear a monologue from him and jokes from Eugenio. I think either of them would have loved the idea.

The establishment, designed by Cristina Carulla, is very pleasant and does remind you of a diner of yesteryear. A bit sophisticated, yes. A retro feel done with good taste. As for the menu, Casa Fiero's offerings are very versatile and designed to please a wide audience. Ródenas emphasizes that they were able to create a custom kitchen, which I suppose is any chef's dream. This, along with Maleducat's background, also allows them to offer a very solid offering from the start. As we mentioned, there's grilled meat, but there's also the sizzle of noodle casserole with sausage and cod, or a hearty pig's ear with roast beef juice, mustard, and Ibarra chili. We also find fried eggs with shrimp and bacon, tomato salad, or roasted leeks: there are dishes for everyone on a menu that's just the right size. The average bill at this establishment is around €55 per person.

As for drinks, there's a very good selection of Catalan wines and interesting cocktails. Incidentally, the first thing we find on the menu are the non-alcoholic mixed drinks. Fortunately, there are decent options here that aren't relegated to the bottom of the menu under ridiculous Anglicisms. We appreciate that.

"We wanted to try something new," says Víctor Ródenas. Casa Fiero, with its own identity, also inspires us, as it seems likely to be a sure bet, as its (neither older nor younger) sister brand has been for five years.