The 'al dente' pasta that has triumphed abroad lands in the Gràcia neighbourhood

Imagine a good pasta al dente. A cacio e pepe, for example. With the integrated sauce. They bring it in a deep pan and put it directly on your plate with tongs. Succulent, right? Or a shapely tomato and a mozzarella so sublime that they serve it naked. When something is perfect, the only obligation is not to spoil it. Or a bresaola made of wagyu. It shines with the marbling of fat. On the side, a raviolo filled with ricotta, truffle and tuorlo (that is, egg yolk). One last example: an eggplant parmigiana with that intense tomato flavor that obligatorily makes you dip bread. All these are some of the dishes that, since Tuesday, can be tasted at La Bottega Bernacca (carrer Bonavista, 10), the Italian restaurant that lands in the Gràcia neighborhood and, curiously, contrary to what one might think, comes to us from São Paulo, Brazil. But you will see, dear readers, that everything has a reason.

We start with two proper nouns: the Catalan Gerard Barberan and the Italian Davide Bernacca (hence the name of the restaurant, of course). Davide is from Carrara. As you may know, a region famous for its marble. And indeed, marble is present in the restaurant. The imposing bar at the entrance, tables of all sizes, the bathroom, and the floor. It's a beautiful restaurant. But the most relevant thing is, as always, that the food is good. Let's get back to our protagonists. Gerard grew up in Badalona and is a chef. Many years ago, he worked in Ibiza, at the famous restaurant Cipriani. Bernacca had opened the first Bottega Bernaca in São Paulo, the country where he resides. At that time, it was different, a simple wine bar with little sophistication. And he decided to open another one in Ibiza. This is how he met Barberan, who put into practice what was to be the second Bottega. That one, which they opened in 2015 in Ibiza, no longer exists, but it laid the foundations for the restaurant model they have today in Brazil. They got along so well that Barberan left everything and went to São Paulo with Bernacca. He transformed the restaurant there and since then they have opened a few more.

When in São Paulo, at the first restaurant they opened, which is the smallest of all, everyone wants to greet the Catalan chef. The regular Paulista clientele has great affection for Barberan. The restaurant is a dynamic and very well-utilized place. I had a very good dinner there, long before I knew they would come to Catalonia. If you allow me a note before returning to Barcelona, Bernacca and Barberan are also great fans of Japanese cuisine, and they also opened another restaurant in Brazil's financial capital, Kuro. This one has a Michelin star and boasts an excellent cocktail bar. If you ever visit Brazil, now you know, it is also highly recommended.

'Pão de queijo' and Catalan product

We return to Bottega Bernacca in Catalonia. Davide and Gerard were keen to open one in Europe. And where was it to be? At Gerard's home, in Barcelona, the city where one of Davide's daughters has come to study. This is how this chef has spent months designing a menu of gastronomy that is mostly Italian but also based significantly on Catalan produce. He is excited because here he can play with ingredients that he doesn't find on the other side of the Atlantic. "Tomorrow I'll have sea urchins!", he says enthusiastically. There's also a nod to his beloved Brazil, which we see in the fact that in the bread basket, between sourdough bread rolls and grissini, they include a warm pão de queijo, freshly made. By the way, service information: the pão de queijo is gluten-free, as it is made with cassava flour and cheese.

The restaurant is diligently managed by Daphne D’Alessio, who in a few months speaks enviable Catalan. I tell her this just as she serves me a dish that also delights the rest of the diners, a version of vitello tonnato but in this case made with tongue. I taste a wine called Le Galline. It's a production within the framework of a Davide Bernacca project in which they work with children with autism and animals. It's a white sangiovese from blanc de noirs. On the menu, of course, there are also Catalan wines. The meal ends with tiramisu made on the spot and pannacotta with dulce de leche. The restaurant is open from Tuesday to Saturday at six in the afternoon, in case anyone wants to go for a cocktail, a glass, or a snack. Dinner reservations start from 7 PM. If everything goes as planned, they will soon be able to start lunch services too. But piano piano si va lontano.