I am one of those people who, when in a restaurant, often ends up choosing at the last minute. Yeah… “Can you come to me last?” That’s me.
I know it’s annoying to others, but I can’t help it. There are always so many things on the menu I want to taste! When I was a vegetarian for a year, I was briefly relieved of this issue: there are seldom many vegetarian choices on most menus. However, when I came back to the dark (read: meat-eating) side, it was even worse. I am famous for always picking the best thing on the menu, but it often takes me a while to get there.
Not a problem at Txapela. This (difficult to pronounce) restaurant in Barcelona serves one thing: tapas.
As with most restaurants that specialize in one particular area, Txapela does tapas very well. You are presented with a menu of assorted tapas with both pictures and descriptions in order to make your decisions. Much in the vein of a sushi bar, you can order as much as you want to start, slowly ordering more and more if you are still hungry.
Alex and I visited Txapela in Plaça Catalunya when we were visiting Barcelona a few weeks ago. So as not to embarass him, I only took a few pictures.
This was one of my favorites. It was foie gras on applesauce served with fresh chives sprinkled over the top. I loved the combination of sweet and rich, and it was the perfect size for such a bite.
I try patatas bravas whenever they are offered, so I had to see how Txapela’s version measured up. The potatoes themselves were perfect: perfectly fried and hot, with just enough salt. To me, the sauce was a little bit too mayonnaise-y and didn’t pack the heat I usually love, but Alex loved the sauce and dipped his bread in it.
This was a cold, marinated octopus popsicle, of sorts. It was served with a mix of vegetables also marinated in the same acidic sauce. This one was delicious: the octopus perfectly tender and the veggie and marinade mix a perfect complement.
Other tapas that we sampled included melted brie with a spicy tomato sauce, a bite of filet mignon steak and spanish tortilla with baccala, or salted cod. Dessert was tapas-style as well, and though Alex was surprised to see that the ice cream he ordered could be finished in two or three bites, I was happy with my “cheesecake,” a slice of cheesy custard the consistancy of Jell-o with blueberry compote on top. I could get used to a restaurant where everything is bite-sized: no more decision making!