A traditional bar serving popular Catalan cuisine in the heart of brunch culture.

Barcelona"I want it to be the place where a bricklayer working next door can come and eat," says Gerard Sans. In times when bars are becoming increasingly rare gourmetizing And therefore, prices go up even though the glasses are still Duralex; it's news that someone has taken A classic, old-fashioned bar that simply wants to serve butifarra sausage with dried beans, cod cooked in a tin, or capipota (a stew of tripe and beans) at a good price. We're at the Veracruz bar-restaurant. The previous owner was there for many years and had kept the name of an even earlier owner, so we'll never know what connection this place has with Mexico. We're on Mallorca Street in Barcelona, ​​between Gerona and Bailén. Surrounded by places to have a good time. brunchThis humble oasis opens with a Voll-Damm tap. Llach and Mishima are playing. Sans says his role model is Gelida. a place that we will never tire of recommendingAs I savor a sublime hake and prawn croquette, I sense an elderly couple behind me (if we never cross paths, dear readers, know that I'm always on the lookout): "I'll spread the word about this place, it's fantastic. If you don't dip bread, you're missing out," she exclaimed to the sea. "Listen to your wife," I think.

Gerard Sans opened this bar-restaurant a little over two months ago and is gradually building upon its already solid foundation. He embarked on this adventure with his own savings and the help of his family. He knew he wanted a "traditional bar, the kind that was passed on to the Chinese community when the family that opened it in the 70s was no longer prominent," he says. He's joined in this venture by two people he's worked with before and with whom he has a great rapport. Chef Marcos Costa, who hails from Brazil, from the beautiful region of Maranhão, makes "the best fricandó," according to Sans. Eric Bunagan is in the dining room. They had worked together at Mercader in the Eixample district. Then Sans spent some time looking after his son, who is now six. And finally, he embarked on running his own business. This is worth highlighting at a time when many establishments are part of large groups and, of course, have very different financial resources and risks. Gerard Sans studied film, and when he decided on cooking, he enrolled at Hofmann at the age of 27. He calls it a "super school."

A plate overflowing with macaroni

The graphic design was done by illustrator Juanjo Sáez, a contributor to this newspaper. Sáez always ends up in places worth visiting, as evidenced by a painting they have hanging in [location missing]. The Little Farm of RavalSans offers a short but solid menu, with the word "Veracruz" spelled out in Sáez's handwriting at the top. The dishes listed are fixed, and what changes is the daily special. More than traditional cuisine, he likes to say he makes "popular Catalan cuisine." As he explains this, he passes around a plate overflowing with macaroni. Today is Friday, and that's what's on the menu. The daily special costs 8.90 euros. Tuesdays are lentil and chorizo ​​day; Wednesdays, fideuà; Thursdays, arroz a la cazuela (a type of rice casserole). And on Saturdays, for the time being, it varies: he's looking for the perfect dish to become a permanent fixture. The menu always includes escudella mezclada (10.50 euros), which he serves directly with a ladle. He's certain that if everything goes as planned, he'll serve it year-round. The most expensive dish on the menu is the zarzuela de pescado y marisco (a seafood stew), which costs 18 euros. For meat lovers, there are also diced entrecote steaks for 15 euros. However, most options do not exceed 12 euros.

Try to stock up on good produce and rely on the stallholders at the Mercado de la Concepción, the closest market. Buy some vegetables at Can Fisas or organic eggs from Calaf, which he uses to make tortillas fresh. It's an affordable treat to serve the tortilla with bread and tomato. He offers potato tortillas and tortillas with Catalan sausage and beans.

As for the coffee, he says it's good quality but not specialty, so it might be a bit pricey. It's from Mateu, a roaster in Hostafrancs. "I buy everything I can from here," he explains. In fact, he has some brochures from Òmnium Cultural on the counter: they're for a program the bar has joined as a welcoming environment for language exchange partners and for people who want to converse and learn Catalan. Gerard Sans knows the neighborhood well, as his parents live nearby. Many of his customers are also neighbors. It's no surprise that Ramón and Pepi, the former owners, handed the bar over to him. They wanted to make sure they were leaving Veracruz in good hands. And so it was.