Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.~ Mark Twain Quotes
In Barcelona , on Calle Valencia, we have Cornelia and Co,
our own Dean and Deluca. This picnic store inspired by the Soho Dean and
Deluca, invites you to walk around the store in a small gastronomic trip. You
will get your different salts and oils, wines; fresh fruits; handmade fresh
pasta; a lovely inviting cheese cellar or the smell of freshly baked bread. Cornelia and Co incites you to interact like you would on the street , has different
areas to walk talk and of course eat.
They are open from 8am to 1am ( in the morning). We are
lucky to have those places nowadays where we can have a bite at anytime and not
at the standard late Spanish timings.
I have been going there for sometime now, and their
extremely friendly and efficient staff invites you to go again and again. Apart
from their lovely sandwiches- my favorite one is the goat cheese and rocket in
whole wheat bread- you have excellent salads, raviolis in sage and butter,
different dishes of rice served in their hot pan, fresh juices made at the moment, At night you can enjoy a nice drink before
going for dinner, or have dinner there or come after. It is a place you can go
and enjoy any time of the day. And if you are in a rush , they can always pack a picnic bag for you and you could enjoy it on way to work or on a bench in the sun!
Please do try their lemon meringue tart!
A big applause to Carla Tarruela, to have open this new
concept in BelleBarcelone and to always be around and supervise with a smile. My
children love this place and my elder son even wrote about it in one of his essay:
" Once you
step inside Cornelia & Co located in Calle Valencia, you feel as if you’ve
just step in a hip café in New York’s SoHo area. The ceiling are tall and
rustic and there are art deco pillars supporting it, there are bright chairs
covered in vintage pictures, there are long simple light bulbs hanging from the
wall and interesting art all over the place. The restaurant serves all types of
food. They serve the best fluffiest burrata in town covered with truffle oil;
they also have a wide range of tapas. I also suggest trying the lemon meringue
pie, it taste exactly as the ones I eat when I visit Paris. It has a tangy
bitter lemon custard and is topped of with meringue to balance the acidity of
the custard. In the restaurant they also have a corner in which you can buy
some ingredients that they use in their kitchen like their truffle oil, the
“bonilla a la vista” chips or some Voss water. The owner claimed to have gotten
inspiration for her restaurant after she visited New York’s Dean and Deluca
establishment.
Recently
they have opened a new place just opposite. The owners of Crusto, the adjacent bakery
have inaugurated TOTO restaurant. A new concept of slow food and wine bar, focused in contemporary Italian
food. The decor is striking and vintage chic. The designer Lazaro Rosa-Violan
also designed Ocaña and Chez Coco. The entrance is a bit indoor and the wine
and cocktail bar takes you back to the Belle époque. The open kitchen is
inviting with their huge basket of breads and vegetables a la vista. A team of
professionals from the cocktail barman, the pastry chef, the sommelier and the
head chef will make sure you get an incredible meal.
We just
entered as we were passing by and had some wine, a delicious burrata served
with bread topped with mint and "habitas" chutney, some interresting warm olives and herbal almonds ... Will surely go
back to have a proper meal. A bit pricey but worth it especially when you get
to meet Sandro Rosell, our Football team Barça President!
Red : Fulanito,
tinto crianza joven de Ribera de Duero
White :
Afortunado, verdejo, de Rueda - Good and intense
aromas of fresh tropical fruits on a goof herbal and floral background.