Tête à Tête with BelleBarcelone #10 with the beautiful pastry chef and icecream expert Ale Rivas!

Everyone has heard of the Celler Can Roca, it is one of the world's best restaurants, each year it appears on the top of the list. You may have also heard of their Ice cream parlour Rocambolesc, which is also situated in Girona. You get to try the ultra famous Can Roca's desserts in the form of ice creams. Jordi Roca, the youngest brother and world's best pastry chef and his enchanting wife started this project and as we say behind every successful man there is a woman.

Tête à Tête with BelleBarcelone #9: with the bon vivant Erik Putzbach.

 This time a bit of change in our informal chat section. 
A bit of glamour, a pinch of eccentricity with the Bon Vivant Eric Putzbach. You can see him on Tv in various talks shows. 
BelleBarcelone: So Erik who are you?
Erik Putzbach: I collaborate in TV programs, I am a presenter in all types of high street events, a fashion expert. I have just finished a movie now and it will be coming out soon: Modelos. 

Tête à Tête with BelleBarcelone #8: Diversity without falling into monotony by Eduard Xatruch and Oriol Castro.

After enjoying a couple of times in Cadaques, at Compartir; I was glad when Disfrutar opened in Barcelona. 
I decided to have a chat with these chefs as I loved both their restaurants, their philosophy and the savoir faire they had. 
I met them one evening at Disfrutar for our chat. I had seen them at work the 1st time I had been at Disfrutar.

Tête à Tête #7 with BelleBarcelone: Albert Raurich, the original concept chef! Learn about his future project.

Dos Palillos was one of my first post, a unique experience where Asian cuisine meets the Spanish Tapas. You can read about it here. 
This is my 7th interview and coincidentally Dos Palillos is 7 years old. 
It was fun meeting up with Albert after all this time at Dos Palillos in the Raval. Jolly and talkative, filled with energy and enthusiastic about his future projects, it was a joy spending some time with him. 

TÊTE À TÊTE WITH BELLEBARCELONE #6 : THE ONE AND ONLY ALBERT ADRIA!

Today is a special day... And BelleBarcelone is 2! 
It has grown thanks to all of you and I have made new friends and  met very interesting people during this journey. So this interview had to be special. I have met  few chefs and some prominent characters  till now , but I have shared a special connection with Albert. He has a small empire on Parallel with his 5 restaurants, so we have been going once in a while. 

TÊTE À TÊTE WITH BELLEBARCELONE #5 WITH ORIOL BALAGUER, THE EXCEPTIONAL PASTRY CHEF!

The informal chat section is back after a long summer break. 
Having won recently the Best Croissant 2014 award in Spain, who better than Oriol Balaguer for our Autumn Section? 

Tête à Tête with BelleBarcelone #4: none other than the celebrity chef Jordi Cruz!

The section "Tête à Tête with BelleBarcelone" has had a good response with all of you and what better way to end the summer section with none other than Barcelona's young, good looking and restless chef Jordi Cruz. I had the pleasure to spend some time with him in the beautiful garden of the Abac Hotel. So what is behind this celebrity chef? Just a pretty face? The fame from television? I don't think so. I came to know of someone who loves what he is doing, passionate about food, sure of himself and great at what he does. Unlike what I had heard he is friendly and  down to earth. I have tried some of his dishes, and I can  assure you he knows what he is doing. Great dishes, superbly served with a young and chic "je ne sais quoi". During our chat he inspired confidence, freshness, innovation and perseverance. 

Tête à Tête with BelleBarcelone #3: Avant-garde Annette, always a step forward.

Annette Abstoss: citizen of the world, born and raised in the USA, she continued her studies in Salzburg and landed in Barcelona in 1992. 

Her vocation: all the ingredients used in gastronomy.  

She started making her own BBQ sauce Bonanza and her brand became quite successful. She was buying her ingredients at Mercabarna and she was the weird blonde American; she started  building a good circle of friends and started to work in Fruits Guzman. 

1992 was the year Barcelona was ready for changes, and Annette was here, she introduced many avant-garde teaching concepts and has assisted many prestigious chef with her knowledge. 

Tête à Tête with BelleBarcelone #2: Barcelona's golden girls!

Two young women, different in many ways, with the same goal: to offer the best! Sandra, the adventurous one,  loves hiking and camping; Nuria, the spiritual, does the Camino de Santiago once a year. When one disconnects while using her adrenalin the other one does it meditating. They both are similar in many ways, they both love nature; while Sandra escalates mountains and love all the adventurous sports and travelling, Nuria uses her self encounter in the nature and loves trekking. Sandra and Nuria, have a huge experience in marketing and publicity; they both worked in different big companies for long and also together at some point. They both decided it was time for them to create their own company, both different people yet they complete each other very well  and offer the perfect balance.

Tête à Tête with BelleBarcelone #1: By Pepa, the golden liquid!

BelleBarcelone is presenting a set of informal chat with people who innovate and exude inspiration. Tête à Tête with BelleBarcelone!
Our first talk is with Maria Jose Dalmau. I met her in a café near her workplace where she explained me her project with enthusiasm. You may not have heard about her but you surely have seen her beautiful oil bottles. 
MªJose  created her own company at a very young age: Complete Relocation. A successful company, helping expats to feel at home. She then worked some years in a marketing company. But for this young entrepreneur it wasn't enough. In 2011, she decided to use the family olive trees property and create something exclusive. 
And that is how By Pepa is born. We present you: Pepa el Olivar: an exclusive extra virgin olive oil, made in Catalunya, used with arbequina olives you only get in the Emporda region. The oil is wonderful, unfiltered gold with a character, bitter flavors with a fruity note. 
What does it differ from other extra virgen good quality oils? The taste is peculiar on one side and the packaging is the key!
What did MªJose wanted to offer? An illusion of life.