With this article we finish the series of 36 gastronomic recommendationsAnd who was chosen to put the icing on the cake? It couldn't be other than Maitea TavernWhy? Because Maitea is the answer to many questions. This Basque tavern solves practically everything. I need a place where there are people who eat a lot and people who eat little. We are a large group, and I don't know where to go. I need to take some tourists somewhere so they can try many good things. In the group, there are people who are very knowledgeable about wine and people who don't drink. We are three generations for dinner. Where can we go? In all these situations, the answer is Maitea Tavern.

How lucky we are to have great restaurants scattered throughout Catalonia. Perhaps we don't realize how lucky we are, but you only have to leave your home a little to see that few places in the world have what we have: an extraordinary product and a culinary talent that draws people from all over the world to see how we work. Because the Catalan ecosystem isn't just two or three restaurants; it's many, in very diverse locations. Like the gastronomic gem we'll talk about today. It's located in Arbúcies and is called The Magnolias.

Some people are very happy in August because they have vacation time. No objection. Those of us who usually work during this month when the city of Barcelona empties out say goodbye to everyone, wishing them a good rest, and then happily welcome them back when they return or, as in today's case, when they open their doors again. The bar La Plata It's back with us, and that's cause for celebration. The other reason to be happy is that in La Plata, they don't need to introduce new things, reinvent themselves, jump on any trend, or even leave their comfort zone. It's back just the way we like it: as always.

This time of year, treading the vineyards is a true spectacle. We must take advantage of the fact that the plants are in full bloom and that we are fortunate to have a good part of the country covered in vines. The wineries are mostly very busy because they are immersed in the grape harvest, but it's a great time to visit them. The other day we echoed the impressive cabins that they have in Celler Oller del Mas (Bages) at the foot of the vineyard, and today I propose another wine tourism proposal, in this case much more informal: The Planes by Sicus (Bonastro, Baix Penedès).

Walking through the center of Barcelona is tiring. That's a fact. And there are times when you need to stop, rest, have a coffee, and continue your route. Today, we're talking about an oasis within another oasis: the La Central bookstore in the Raval district. Bookstores are inherently places of calm where (unless it's Sant Jordi) the pace slows down and you feel more relaxed. This one also has a café inside, although we could say outside, because most of its tables are outside. The café is called Decameron, and it has three spaces. A small patio, the tables inside, where the counter for ordering is, and then the larger space, where most of the tables are.

Today's recommendation is for lovers of gastronomy and architecture. It goes without saying that you have to stop by Les Cols at least once in your life. the fantastic Olot restaurant of the Puigvert-Puigdevall familyNow, the experience is the best if you can also afford to stay overnight at Les Cols Pavellons. Let's just say that. RCR Arquitectes is the Olot studio formed by the prodigious trio of Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, and Ramon Vilalta. These architects won the Pritzker Prize, the most important in their field. And it turns out that an example of their virtuosity is found in both the restaurant and the Pavilions.

It was impossible to make a series of recommendations without stopping at L'Estrella pastry shop. For two reasons: on the one hand, because it's the oldest pastry shop in Barcelona and it's necessary to strengthen the heritage we have left in the form of small businesses and artisans. On the other hand, because it allowed us to bring you good news when the We eat He learned that this historic business's continued existence was guaranteed thanks to two young and determined women. You can read more about it in the article "Two young people revive Barcelona's oldest pastry shop.".

If the word firecracker doesn't say anything to him, it must be because he isn't lucky enough to have people from Sabadell around. For the people of Sabadell, the word firecracker It means whip. So if a business is named Petador (which is the restaurant-shop we'll be talking about today), we can draw two quick conclusions. The first is that we are indeed in the Vallès region, and the second is that Nostrat cured meats are served here.

The address of La Venta restaurant doesn't have a number (Plaza del Doctor Andreu, s/n), and it doesn't need one, because it's impossible to miss. This iconic restaurant celebrates its 75th anniversary this year at the foot of Tibidabo, where the Tramvia Blau ended when it was still there. The striking yellow and blue building and the Menorcan chairs are unmistakable. Here you'll always find very reliable service and a selection of traditional Catalan cuisine executed with precision. You'll find the dishes you can imagine: salt cod, xató, escalivada, butifarra with beans, breaded hake with mayonnaise... No surprises, and no desire for them. It's precisely this reliability that keeps it a loyal and repeat clientele. It's very common to see diners greeting each other from one table to another.

This is one of Barcelona's new restaurants that has been around for barely two months—and to put it colloquially—has been a huge success. It's the Fry House burger bar. What do they make? They describe them as Japanese burgers. To put it more simply, I'd say Japanese-style fried chicken sandwiches. The person cooking them is Ken Umehara, a Japanese chef, graphic artist, and social media personality known as Fucking KenAble to create a menu ranging from haute cuisine to simple but perfect fried chicken. He won't share with me the secret of his plaster or what he puts in a home-style room that serves the restaurant because it cost him a lot to acquire it. The charm of Fry House is that they make popular food (the sandwich costs 10 euros) with a commitment to excellence. What we do know is that the chicken comes from Girona, that they use only the thigh, and that it marinates for 24 hours with thirty spices before going through the fryer. The result? A finger-licking, tender chicken.

The title of this piece isn't misleading at all. I called a Mallorcan friend of ours, the writer Sebastià Alzamora, and asked him where he would take me to eat if I were in Mallorca and felt like eating Mallorcan frita, arroz sucio, or roast porcella. And he didn't hesitate for a moment to make me a succulent list to dip bread in. So we're making it public in case you visit Mallorca, go often, or, even better, are Mallorcan.

It has been five years and during this five-year period the current establishment has achieved two feats: building a good restaurant and maintaining the level throughout that time. This is the Rude, located on Manso Street in Barcelona, in the Sant Antoni neighborhood. The concept has always been the same. The menu is divided into small individual appetizers and then a set of hot dishes designed to be shared.

Sometimes you walk into a restaurant and they give you several table options. You can sit at this one here or that one there... In the case of today's establishment, Toc al Mar, on Aiguablava beach in Begur, where sitting is almost a matter of status. The fact is that they have several dining rooms, and most people want to be as close to the water as possible. But what shouldn't distract us is that here, of course, where you sit is important, but what you eat is also important, and at Toc al Mar, they have the freshest produce.

Today we're going for a fresh recommendation, and we're stopping at an ice cream shop in Barcelona. It's an old favorite, but if you haven't been during the move, you might have lost track of it: it's Casa Sanzano. As we mentioned, we used to find the ice cream shop in the Gothic Quarter (on Anselm Clavé Street) and now it's in the Eixample district, on Lepant Street, on the corner of Mallorca Street. They've changed their location, but not the quality of what they serve; we'll go next. At Casa Sanzano. There has always been a commitment to daring tastes, such as salty ice creams, as well as to offer other products that may interest their customers, such as churros, baclavas, cookies, milkshakes, cold coffees or a good affogato (coffee with vanilla ice cream).

Today's recommendation has been one of the discoveries of the year. For me, of course. In Valencia, the value of this restaurant is no secret. I'll give you the context. I was visiting La Terreta and asked a friend who's from there to take me to a 100% Valencian place where they served good food. And he was so right that it could become one of my regular spots if I were just a monkey closer. It's Ca Pepico, located in l'Horta Nord.

Now, I wouldn't want to start a war. There's no need to start the bloody battle of "which is the best ensaimada in Menorca." The supposedly "best" will always be a subjective title. So what I intend today is simply to recommend a place where they make it very, very (three very, very good ones, eh?). I'll put it another way. I wouldn't forgive myself for going to Menorca and not stopping in Mercadal to go to Sugar Case to eat a good ensaimada. I'm already planning it: I'd be covered in powdered sugar, and I wouldn't care. And obviously, I'd reach the pinnacle of happiness by sucking the remaining sugar off my fingers.

This season we have rediscovered this historic space (and ventilated!) and is worth considering if you're in Barcelona. After closing during the pandemic, we've recovered The Cat FountainBeautiful gardens, magnificent views, and the architecture of Puig i Cadafalch.

Today's proposal takes us five kilometers out to sea. It starts on dry land, of course. At the Almendra de Mar. From there, the catamaran departs to take us up close to the bluefin tuna. Wow, so close that you'll swim alongside these two-meter-long fish. And afterward, you can do a tasting. But let's get down to business. We're talking about an activity that's been going on for years and that leaves no one who participates in it indifferent. It's the Tuna Tour of Balfegó, the fish farmers who have brought bluefin tuna to the world's finest restaurants. In fact, you'll have seen on many restaurant menus that the tuna they serve is supplied by Balfegó.

It's already a summer classic for those who spend their summers on the Costa Brava (or rather, those lucky enough to live there). This is La Santa, the market that for the ninth consecutive year is being held by the Santa Cristina Equestrian Club in Santa Cristina d'Aro. There you can eat a bikini from Jordi Roca's Rocambolesco Bikinería, enjoy ice cream, or stop by the sweets stall of the world's best chocolatier: Osona-based Lluc Crusellas.

This is one of those discoveries that, despite being a small space, it would not be fair not to share: it is theBeautiful, the fish bar inside the Mercado de la Libertad from the Gracia neighborhood of Barcelona. It's an extension of a fishmonger that already exists in the market itself, and the creator is the chef and owner of a restaurant located a few meters away when you leave the market: La Pubilla. We know the restaurant La Pubilla for its spectacular all-you-can-eat breakfasts, its competitive lunch menu, and its successful à la carte dinners.