Sweet Home Barcelona

Human Highlighter Suit Tally: 5

Without really planning to, I continued my sweet tour of Barcelona today.  First, as I walked downtown from the trainstation to the bookstore, I came across another horxateria that looked too good to pass up---stainless steel, white tile, bright green uniforms and writing on the cups and menus.  And the horxata?  Top notch.  Really, really cold, which is as it should be, milky and with a nutty richness.  Horxateria Parlament at Balmes, 130.  They also sell ice cream that looks pretty darn good.

As I continued my walk, I recognized a pasteleria, Casa Vives, that’s in the Sweet Barcelona book, and I realized that I need to bring something to two meals we’ve been invited to this weekend—what better present than chocolate?  I couldn’t resist a tiny macaroon—more French than what we call a macaroon in the States.  A small round, moon pie shaped lovely.  Crispy and almondy on the outside and flecked with fleur de sel, creamy chocolate on the inside.  Yum.  www.casavives.com

And then… well, the kids and I have been talking about making a “Churro Chart.”  Churros and chocolate is a traditional snack in Spain.  Churros are like long skinny donuts, fried and sprinkled with sugar.  They are often served alongside a thick, pudding-like cup of chocolate, into which you dip them.  Anyway, we decided that we should devise our own churro rating system, and try several churrerias to figure out which are the best.  So we had our first tasting to day, at a little place in Gracia.  We decided to use a 1 – 4 rating system, and Milo said he’d give these churros a 2, while C.C. thought they rated a 3.  Me?  1 at best. The churros were already made, and sitting on a counter, so they were cold and kind of chewy.  The chocolate was not bad, but made with powder.  I just don’t think these kids have had enough churros.  We can do better.  And we will.  Stay tuned for the churro chart…