A house, a table, a way of doing
The Torelló family transforms a 17th-century farmhouse into a benchmark restaurant for Catalan cuisine in Baix Llobregat.
- Address: Can Balasch de Baix, s/n, 08629. Torrelles de LlobregatMenu: Traditional cuisine and grillMust-try: SnailsWine: Sufficient wine list and house wines by the carafeService: Friendly and efficientVenue: 17th-century farmhouse with different areasPrice paid per person: 40 €
We are in a 17th-century farmhouse belonging to the Torelló family. In 1983, the father ceded some land he owned to the Torrelles de Llobregat Town Hall to house the leisure space Catalunya en Miniatura. They were cherry orchards, which in the past had been vineyards. High-quality cherries are one of the aspects for which this town, located in the Ordal mountain range, stands out. If you have never been there, you can take advantage of this weekend when the 46th edition of the Cherry Festival is being celebrated.
When Catalunya en Miniatura was inaugurated, Ignasi Torelló didn't want to study. His parents, with good judgment, decided that the proximity of the farmhouse to this tourist attraction should be exploited. They started with an ice cream parlor, but the first winter they turned it into a bar with a small terrace offering bread with tomato and cured meats. With the incorporation of his sisters, Quima and Carmina, the natural course of events was to adapt the farmhouse and turn it into a benchmark restaurant in the region.
Seated at the table, we begin the meal with the famous snails from Can Balasch, which alone justify a visit to this restaurant in Baix Llobregat. We accompany the snails with broad beans with black sausage and a traditional onion soup. The wine accompanying us is a Montsant from Cellers Unió called Perlat. The main courses are a tribute to grilling and quality meat: beef fillet, sausage, and lamb chops, all accompanied by good French fries and a magnificent aioli made by Quima. When something so simple is done artisanally and with a lot of love, it becomes a highly prized delicacy. The desserts are also made by them: honey and cheese, tiramisu, and crema catalana. A sip of ratafia concludes a very homemade and well-executed lunch.
We sit for a while with Ignasi to chat about cooking, life, and his circumstances. “This is an eminently family restaurant. Quima is in charge of the kitchen; Carmina and I are in the dining room and try to keep everything under control, but the truth is that we all do everything.” There are now five siblings: the three who are daily at the restaurant, plus Joan Carles, who is in charge of accounting, and Roger, a colleague from Mundo Deportivo, who dines there many days and, if necessary, “rolls up his sleeves and lends a hand,” Ignasi concludes.
Can Balasch de Baix is a Catalan cuisine restaurant with a very remarkable grill and with snails and aioli that make you return often. The Torelló family welcomes you into their home as if you were one of them. You don't need to go to Catalunya en Miniatura to have a good meal: the reason should be to enjoy Quima's cooking and the service of Carmina, Ignasi and their travel companions.
