Parrufu Restaurant: The Castañé family never fails

Grandpa Juan was a confident, hard-working man with a strong character, but when he rode his motorcycle without a helmet, he couldn't help but get his hair disheveled. The speed and lack of protection left his hair in the wind. squeezed, and that's why, among the residents of Hostalric, Joan Castañé was known as "El Parrufu," although he didn't particularly appreciate the nickname. Empar, his granddaughter, remembers this. Now, along with her two siblings, Joan and Carme, she runs a restaurant that became a symbol of the town many years ago, like the castle and the medieval walls. It's been almost a century since the grandparents opened the first bar around the 1930s. Empar's children, Miquel and Trini, later managed Bar Esport, an undeniably successful bar thanks to their mother's tapas. And over time, the definitive flow of bar to restaurant took shape, with four dining rooms and a selection of fresh fish, seafood, and traditional inherited cuisine that is hard to match.

At Parrufu, there's an atmosphere steeped in family history and tradition. The three Castañé siblings are directly responsible for the restaurant's success, but Carla, Amparo's daughter, and Guillem, Carme's son, currently the head chef and responsible for perpetuating the family's culinary legacy, also play a key role. The foundation of everything is an obsession with quality products prepared with the utmost honesty. Fish and seafood feature heavily, but so do grilled meats and stews that maintain traditional recipes. The menu is extensive, and it's hard to decide without hesitation: grilled clams, squid and cod croquettes, snails with sauce, and sautéed Blanes shrimp. These are the starters we share, licking our fingers and wishing this spectacle would never end. We savor the bottle of Perelada Finca Malaveïna 2022 (DO Empordà), and await the three main courses that will complete a memorable feast: turbot and baked hake with potatoes (extraordinary) and pan-fried lobster. All of this without missing out, as almost always, on dessert: the Parrufet is a must.(Lyonnaise with homemade vanilla ice cream, cream and melted chocolate), and we also added a Valenciano (orange juice with ice cream) and an Irish coffee.

Empar and Joan are in charge of the Parrufu dining room, while Carme handles the restaurant's accounts. The three siblings know the house like no one else, having been born in the upper part of the building, where Juan still lives. They remember how their father, Miquel, traveled to Blanes every day to buy the fresh fish and seafood he wanted to offer to his customers: "People really appreciated eating fish fresh from the box, and we gradually introduced it without forgetting the traditional cuisine: snails in sauce, veal with mushrooms, soup. The much-missed Santi Santamaria, before becoming a leading figure in the kitchen, often went to Parrufu to chat with his friend Miquel and taste the fresh produce he cooked at home. "Now we can say that we are in one of the best moments," Empar acknowledges, who also reveals that they will soon begin the project to build a new kitchen and that this excites and worries them in equal measure. "I am very happy because I notice that people leave the restaurant satisfied. If I ask them how it went, they usually answer: «As always, Parrufu never fails»", she says proudly. The Castañé family never fails and does everything they can to ensure that it will always be like this.