Cal Marçal: a must-see if you're passing through Puig-reig

Forty-one years ago, the Sayós family opened a bar on the Berga road. Their parents started it, but over time their sons, Moisés and Juan, took over. In 1990, the bar became a restaurant. Traditional Catalan cuisine based on a "chup-chup" approach, seasonal and locally sourced: legumes, cured meats, vegetables, mushrooms, lamb and beef from the area. The suppliers are mainly from Puig-reig, Casserres, Navàs, Berga, and so on. Cal Marçal also has a small pantry where you can buy some of the products they serve.

The menu is presented in various sets. We went on a Sunday, so it was a holiday (€28.95). We had eight starters and eight main courses to choose from. We started with a lettuce salad with ham shavings, broad beans in oil, fresh pineapple, and apple vinaigrette; calçots with cuttlefish tempura; cannelloni; and snails, from the list of suggestions, in the middle of the table to share.

Wine is included in the menu, but we chose one from the list. In this case, it's LaFou el Sendero from the winery of the same name. It's one of the Catalan wines with the most outstanding value for money. The wine's name refers to the path that runs through the Mas Gabrielet vineyards in Terra Alta.

For the main course, meat. We have very good reviews of Berguedà beef, and so we ordered a stewed beef stew and a braised beef dish with mushrooms. We also ordered country duck stewed with raisins and pine nuts. As you can see, we enjoyed a sample of some of our most traditional dishes from our home cooking. Dishes that require a good hand, good ingredients, and the necessary time. We left for another day—so we'd force ourselves to return—to try the famous black peas, squared corn, mountain potatoes, and the Cal Marçal grill, dishes highly regarded in the region. Montserrat Bigas and Queralt Solé are responsible for their excellent preparation.

Dessert is also ours: cream, cheesecake, cocoa cake, and a musician with a wonderful porrón of muscatel in the middle of the table, also to share. While we pay the bill and wait for Joan Sayós to arrive, we sip on ratafia: they have up to ten varieties to choose from. Remember that at Cal Marçal they have a pantry where you can buy ratafia, wine, cured meats, sweets, and legumes.

Loyal and diverse clientele

"The family's drive and ambition are what led them to transform a roadside bar into a hotel with a landmark restaurant, but all of this wouldn't have been possible without the acceptance and support of their clientele. They've pushed us to take every step forward, and without that support, we wouldn't have been able to get to where we are today." Juan and Moisés run the family business and, at the same time, are jack-of-all-trades, doing whatever is necessary at any given time. Juan usually moves between the restaurant's dining room and the bar, while Moisés, the older brother, controls more of the maintenance, human resources, and numbers.

Cal Marçal is a restaurant with excellent local produce and very reasonable prices. The Sayós family began a journey forty years ago that has been endorsed by a loyal and diverse clientele. The gastronomic and personal experience was excellent. If you pass through Puig-reig, don't hesitate; this is a must-visit place.