Follow the Snail Trail....

Barcelona is a city filled with restaurants and sometimes you just wish someone would help you to choose one. And why not a local! Fortunately for us, our aunt Tita Rose lives in Barcelona and was a very gracious host to us during our honeymoon. So on our second day in Barcelona, she recommended a restaurant that is nestled in the Gothic District just a few blocks off of Las Ramblas. To work up an appetite, Treena and I visited one of the Gaudi buildings. We toured around and eventually found our way to Las Ramblas where we took in the people, sights and window shopping that Barcelona has to offer. As we walked through the narrow streets, marveling at the rich history and architecture around us, I knew we were in a city that was centuries old. After meeting up with Tita Rose at the Palau De Musica, we started our trek to the restaurant.

Our final destination for the afternoon was Los Caracoles (Snails). Founded in 1835, it was originally named Casa Bofarull. As we followed our host to our seats we passed the kitchen/grill. It was wide open to the public and I could see and smell the foods being prepared. As soon as we sat down I ordered a wonderful bottle of Riojas and looked over the menu.

We decided to start off with some Pan y Tomate, which is a variation of bruschetta and commonly served at most Spanish restaurants. The bread is warm and toasted and rubbed with a ripe tomato. As soon as the tomato pulp is thoroughly rubbed on top, the same is done with a raw piece of garlic. The tapa is finished with drizzles of olive oil on top. Very simple and delicious.

We also ordered the dish that the restaurant was named after, the Caracoles. The snails came out in a very aromatic garlic sauce, and even though I am not a huge fan of eating garden dwellers, I dug in.

They had a nice texture that was neither too soft nor too hard. After a few chews, the flavor of the garlic sauce flavor was released and the snail evaporated in my mouth. A wonderful treat, but after popping out a few more snails out of their shells, I left my wife and Tita to finish them off.

Next came the Gambas al ajillo, which is a must for me wherever it is served. It came out sizzling hot and again the smell of the garlic teased my senses. Without hesitation, I dug into the shrimp, which were tender, juicy and cooked to perfection. The next best part of eating Gambas al ajillo for me (and something I hope everyone is fortunate enough to try), is using the garlic sauce as a dip for the remainder of the bread. Trust me, sometimes this is all you need!

Then came the Arroz Negro, or black rice, which is very popular along the Mediterranean coast of Spain. This wonderfully crafted dish is made out of various types of seafood, similar to a seafood paella, but the one main traditional ingredient is the cuttlefish (squid) and squid ink which makes it black. The Spanish rice was cooked to perfection absorbing all of the flavors of the sea and the dish itself, could have served four people easily.

Overall we had a wonderful lunch in a truly Catalan style restaurant that serves the many wonderful flavors and tastes of Spain.

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Ben's Chili Bowl

What more to say than "YUMMY"! Ben's Chili Bowl was everything that it was made out to be plus more! On a recent trip to the nations capital I wanted to try this famous eatery after seeing it on You Tube when then President Elect Barack Obama made a visit. So I had my wife, wife's best friend and husband and sister-in-law pack into the SUV on a cold rainy Sunday and trek out to this eatery that I have been day dreaming about for months.
















Once we arrived, I was like a 10 yr old at McDonald's, but knew that I was going to get something better. We were seated in the back where pictures of famous celebrities and politicians hung on every inch of the walls, but the only important thing at that point was to see what was on the menu. Debating between the Bill Cosby's Original Chili Half-Smoke which is a 1/4 lb half pork & half beef smoked sausage and the Ben's fresh 1/4 lb. 100% Beef Chili Burger I settled on the later. But first we ordered the Chili Cheese Fries (The Works) as an appetizer, and when it came out it was covered in a generous golden yellow glob of melted cheese poured over golden brown french fries that was also topped with the chili and diced white onion. The fries are as good as they can get because every fry was crispy and cheese on every bite!

Soon after my scrumptious burger was placed in front of me, and without hesitation I took a big bite and a very big smile on my face. Truthfully I have had many burgers that were bigger and better, but at this point I was very happy to see an economical sized burger that didn't seem too overwhelming. Once again the chili on the burger was a perfect addition and was finished in no time. I also stole a bite of the Half-Smoke from my wife and it was one of the tastiest dogs that I have ever tried.
















Overall I had a wonderful experience at Ben's Chili Bowl and so when I head back to Washington D.C., I will be definitely be stopping by for a bite to eat.