Barcelona

To capture three months In one blog post would be impossible, but it would be unfair to leave Barcelona out of the blogosphere, so I'll attempt to give justice to my favorite places. Having the fortunate opportunity to live in a city like Barcelona for three months is afforded to few and I truly feel blessed that I got to eat, drink, and walk the city every day since January. As all good things do, my time has come to an end, so in homage to the city of Barcelona, I'll leave you with this: My Top 10.

10. Pimientos al Padron

While its bold to give a whole ranking to one food, I feel that Pimientos al Padron are worthy of the praise. Of course, some are made better than others, but they are almost always delicious. These little peppers are wonderfully fried in oil, salted to perfection and will please your senses with just the slightest hint of spice. Also, when you live in Spain, don't eat ham, and give up bread for Lent, they are a saving grace. 

9. Sutton

No list of a Barcelona Top 10 would be complete without at least one club, so rather than boring you with the typical touristy clubs at Puerto Olympico like Pacha and Opium, I'll tell you why Sutton earned the #9 spot. It all comes down to the people, and at Sutton on a Thursday night after IESE’s Bar of the Week, the “people” go to Sutton (or Bling Bling, but that's not important). Anywho, the dancing is great, the drinks are strong and the vibe makes the whole place worth the steep entry fee. 

8. Park Guell

Gaudi deserves some praise as Barcelona’s native tripper. Seriously, anyone who could dream up a park like this must have been on mushrooms. Or maybe, he was besties with Dr. Seuss. Wait…was Dr. Seuss on mushrooms? Sam I Am! The Spanish would love green eggs and ham!

7. La Pepita

It's hard to pick the BEST tapas place in Barca, but in my opinion, this is it. Until dining here, I didn't even know I liked octopus! And, how I do love my pulpo. The staff is super friendly, the food is exquisite, and the atmosphere is super casual and comfortable. What more could you ask for? 

6. Paseo de Gracia

Less for the shopping and more for the scenery, Paseo de Gracia became home to my workout routine as it's the easiest place near my apartment where I could run without stopping at a light every 30 seconds. The architecture along the avenue doesn't hurt. As the “Rodeo of Barcelona” if you will, you could spend your kid’s college fund easily on this street though, so I'd advise leaving your credit card at home and only visiting with running shoes in tow.

5. Cerveseria Catalan

Closeby to Paseo de Gracia is a fabulous place for large groups. As they don't take reservations, we often went there and had a drink while waiting before a fabulous meal of tapas for a reasonable price.  My favorites are the Huevos Cabraidos (literally translated as “Angry birds”) and the Calamarcitos (little deep fried squids). For such a busy place, the staff is surprisingly attentive. 

4. Sagrada Familia

The church that has been in construction….forever. I think they started in 1887, or something. For real. When I came to Barcelona for the first time in 2007, it was completely different so it was worth visiting again to see what has changed. Maybe they are onto something…most tourists won't pay €19 to go to the same place twice. 

3. Calçotada

What a weird tradition! Calçots are essentially a glorified green onion. They are so glorified in Catalunya that they celebrate them during harvest season by hosting large meals centered around - you guessed it – calçots! The onions are charred on the grill before being served. You then take them in your (rubber gloved) hands, dip them in yummy romesco sauce, hold them high above your head and eat them as a dog would if you dangled a treat above its head. Mmmmmm.

2. La Champanyeria Can Paixano

This. Place. Is. The. Best. Okay, I guess its second best, since I didn't make it #1, but it's a close second. With €3 bottles of rose champagne, I don't really feel like I need to explain, but that would be unfair. It's the dive bar of dive bars and yet, it's not even open late. Better yet, the line outside is longest during the day. Spaniards love to enjoy life, and that they do in this locale. There are no tables or chairs, you drop your trash on the floor, and the barmen trust you upon departure to remind them what you've consumed. A-okay in my books!

1. Quilombo

For the piece de resistance, I present Quilombo. Stumbling around L’Eixample one night, we were fortuitous enough to find this little gem. There is live music every night played by a variety of guitarists, but the main event is always this little old man whose face must have frozen in a smile. You sing (songs you don't know the words to), you dance, you eat exorbitant amounts of popcorn, and you are guaranteed to have a blast. It's a toss up between this place and one of my old haunts in Venice Beach, but this might be my favorite bar in the world.