Melero was interviewed by restaurateurs from the Sagrada Família area. They complained that they had to close for the Pope's visit and now have to do it again for the cycling tour. A representative from La Piazzenza spoke, which is that place – I've had many pleasant meals there – where you can eat a pizza, a salad, or a Spanish omelette... The owner of a burger joint also spoke. They all pay very high rent, for being where they are, and a day without invoicing harms them. It's understandable.
But listening to them all, I realized how little Catalan cuisine is represented in the heart of Barcelona. The classic dishes of this cuisine, which has the oldest recipe book in Europe. How is it that in the establishments of our big cities there is no botifarra amb seques (and let them be well-made seques), that there is no "pa amb tomàquet" on the blackboards (and let it be a well-soaked bread with tomato, with good tomatoes, the hanging kind)? How is it that there is no platillo of fricandó, or meatballs with cuttlefish? How is it that in all these places there is no "surf and turf" written? The tourists aren't complete idiots and would figure out how to translate it. How is it that there isn't a glass of sparkling wine in all of them (some of the ones we mention do have a good wine list)? During the time of the "Procés," the Chinese bazaars naturally had Catalan flags. Why? Because they sold. The day that Chinese bazaars have "porrons" in souvenir format, it will mean we are halfway saved. A few days ago, with readers of ARA, we went to Sicily to follow the route of "The Godfather". In Palermo, a city that reminds you of Barcelona in many ways, we weren't looking for burger joints for lunch. We were crazy looking for eggplant. Why? Because they make eggplant there.
