It starts in line at La Bodega del Sol. I’m clutching a bottle of Ca L’Arenys Guineu IPA Amarillo. Why? Because it’s delicious and has a fox on the cap. My friend next to me has found for herself some obscure Danish artisanal microbrew, carefully chosen from a vast selection. La Bodega del Sol is a…

I had been looking forward to a trip back to Barcelona from the morning after I first left, back in February. But when the chance finally came, I never really made an itinerary for what I’d do while there. I knew I wanted to walk a lot, to spend time with friends and revisit some…

Upon landing, I marched straight through El Prat, passing the Desigual and Dehesa Santa Maria with those big yellow letters that anyone who has ever lived in Barcelona would likely recognize. Ten minutes after reaching ground, I was already on the Aerobus headed to the center, where familiar Independista flags dangled out of windows (along…

Saturday mornings in Barcelona meant l’Abaceria Market to shop for weekly groceries from our four ladies. We’d hit Chicken first, and ask for 2 breasts freshly sliced off a bird, wrapped tight in skin as bright yellow as it should always be. We’d continue to fish, where a woman wielding a massive knife would chop…

Passing through the ruby red doors of Quimet & Quimet in Poblesec means entering a culinary wonderland, a food nerd’s Eden cleverly disguised as a no-frills neighborhood tapas joint. Nobody’s ordering bravas or croquetas here. There’s no chorizo or day-old tortilla stabbed through with a toothpick, no questionable crab spread with a salty anchovy lain across, no fried…

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I visited 2 Michelin-starred Moments restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona to celebrate our anniversary. He got overexcited and ruined the surprise the night before but I didn´t mind; it allowed us to read up in advance on mother-son culinary team Carme Ruscadella and Raül Balam, and to get excited…

Best tapas in Barcelona? I’m still not quite sure. But Ciudad Condal comes pretty damn close. It’s the first place I’d think of if asked for the “best overall tapas experience,” after considering a wide range of pros and cons. I recommend it to friends visiting Barcelona as a way to prevent them from falling into the tourist potholes. Heaven forbid…