Eating At Anthony Bourdain's Favorite Restaurants In Barcelona
Estimated read time: 1:20
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Summary
In this captivating culinary adventure, Michael Motamedi takes us on a journey through Barcelona, savoring dishes at Anthony Bourdain's favorite haunts. Beginning in the historic dive Bar Cordoba, Motamedi indulges in pig snout and connects with the local culture that Bourdain cherished. The exploration continues into the gritty yet authentic El Raval, where unexpected delights like pig nipples are paired with exquisite wines, offering a taste of history and adventure. The experience closes with classic churros, emphasizing a life lived through curiosity and bold flavors.
Highlights
Discover the resilient Catalan culture tucked away from tourist paths 😎.
Indulge in Bar Cordoba's popular pig snout dish, a nod to local flavors 🐷.
Experience the unique, bold adventure of trying pig nipples paired with fine wine 🍷.
Churros served with burning hot chocolate, a sweet end to the day 🍫.
Embrace the unknown and explore the world through food and new experiences 🌍.
Key Takeaways
Embrace the real, resilient Catalan culture by stepping off the beaten path into local dives 🎭.
Trying unconventional dishes like pig nipples can offer surprising culinary delights and insights 🎉.
Every meal tells a story, reflecting centuries of tradition and the vibrant heart of Barcelona 🍽️.
Immersion into local cuisines offers a genuine connection and understanding of cultural heritage 🌐.
Barcelona may be overrun with tourists, but its soul is stubbornly intact, especially in its outskirts, where authentic Catalan culture thrives. Bar Cordoba becomes a window into this vibrant world, where meals like pig snout aren't just food, but an experience that Anthony Bourdain couldn't resist. Michael Motamedi takes us through this journey, offering a slice of history and the flavors that make Barcelona unforgettable.
Venturing further into the intriguing El Raval neighborhood, Michael encounters dishes that are both intimidating and exhilarating, like pig nipples served alongside a rare Garnacha wine. This isn't just about tasting food; it's about tasting history, as even a first-century Roman dish makes an appearance, fostering an appreciation for Barcelona's rich culinary heritage.
The adventure concludes with a stop for churros, hot and fresh, demonstrating the simplicity yet rich tradition of Spanish sweets. Michael reflects on the essence of travel and gastronomy: to venture beyond the familiar, embrace the bizarre, and delight in the unique stories each dish offers. It's a tribute to Anthony Bourdain’s spirit of exploration, curiosity, and savoring life’s meaningful moments.
Eating At Anthony Bourdain's Favorite Restaurants In Barcelona Transcription
00:00 - 00:30 Barcelona is the kind of city where no matter how many tourists flood the streets the history refuses to fade the soul of this place isn't for sale and it's on the outskirts away from the crowds where you really get it so no tourists here that deep stubborn Catalan culture surviving centuries of pressure dictatorships and every other attempt to erase it looks good here the people
00:30 - 01:00 don't just preserve their culture they live it and you feel it the moment you step into bar Cordoba a dive that Anthony Bordain himself couldn't resist it's a place he came to not just to eat but to understand today I'm walking in his footsteps paying tribute to places Bourdain loved and the food that makes this city beat raw bold Unforgettable at bar Cordoba I asked for the pig snout one of their most popular dishes
01:00 - 01:30 Mor is that good good very very good okay anything else hold on for me yeah yeah yeah why do I get so excited this place is like the most local place I have been in Barcelona it's on the outskirts obviously but like the way they look at you is kind of like yo what the [ __ ] is this guy doing filming like eat your [ __ ] food and
01:30 - 02:00 get the [ __ ] out of here but they're super nice too I don't know how to explain it no frills no fuss just a place tucked away on a pedestrian street in pu AAS a gritty neighborhood that wears its working class history like a badge of honor this is a lot how the hell is I going to be able to go to three spots was your name
02:00 - 02:30 I accidentally told him I loved him in Spanish after the awkward laughter and a quick correction I found out his name is Antonio and this place has been in his family for 50 years he took it over from his father carrying on the tradition like so many do in places like this and these These are the house favorites Sano wrapped pork suckling pig pig snout and
02:30 - 03:00 sardines with crushed tomato P that some I think hairs no surprise it's mostly pork historically it's most affordable meat around and there's one thing you need to know about catalon culture is that they are resourceful they'll make Miracles out of whatever they've got [Music] wow this thing is insane I'll and wait and this one is the pig
03:00 - 03:30 boy ask it's the best thing I've ever had that's the thing about this spot you sit down soak it in and before you even realize it you're hooked coming back day after day after day because every meal has a story to tell what an experience just some fried pork many different ways on the outskirts of Barcelona and guess what for €26 on to the next place
03:30 - 04:00 and here's our greeting good Jesus that was stressful okay the cab driver just said this part of Barcelona which I believe is called elal going to watch your [ __ ] cuz you said if it's here it'll disappear this neighborhood's got a bad rep but if you're here for the food you'll find what matters take those peos on the surface attack joint dig deeper
04:00 - 04:30 it's doing things you won't find anywhere else this place is a lot more fancy I have a secret sure I don't speak Spanish wor I don't know how long your fault I know it's my fault what was your name by the way Billy Billy you can call me Billy Billy nice to meet you Billy sets me up at the bar perfect no distractions just chefs cooking their asses off right right in front of me I asked Billy what I should
04:30 - 05:00 order and he hits me with something I didn't see coming uh Buel is good let's do uh that one and let's do the the pig nipples and whatever wine you recommend of course Billy thank you oh let's try with some red one okay I'm usually excited about any sort of meal I see that Bourdain eats pig nipples and ham water
05:00 - 05:30 that's right Pig nipples he pairs it with garnacha but not just any gacha this stuffs from a tiny plot of land in priorat 250 m above sea level I mean this is like butter it smells like butter too oh my God okay thank you this is the one this is the one yeah wine that seen some [ __ ] just like this next dish this is one recipe up in one of the
05:30 - 06:00 considerated the first Mediterranean food recipe book which makes this a recipe from the first century you're not just eating you're eating history a is this m flavor in Insight made it from uh Roman Empire that's AEK I've never heard of it either it's ancient Roman made from fish guts and salt AEK is actually the thick gnarly stuff that rises to the top not for the faint of heart but if you're here you're not looking for safe
06:00 - 06:30 and that's your meal first century pine nut omelette no [ __ ] just food that's been around longer than most of us can even comprehend wow the sweetness from that Rosemary honey no salt no pepper that fish sauce oh my god I've never been this excited to have it on this is definitely a must have I'm coming up Barcelona my God now on to the
06:30 - 07:00 big nipples another Roman delicacy and somehow do pebro figured out a way to serve this thing so I feel like I'm Roman royalty coolest things I've seen in a while and I eat all over the world every day of my life it's interesting something strange something entric Centric doesn't do it justice let's be real this isn't your typical fine dining it's bold it's weird and it's Unapologetic
07:00 - 07:30 the Romans have three special uh flow dishes first of all we have the nipples also the second is the pork mask and the third was the pork vagina also was really specific with a virion pork vagina it gets better though this is ham juice in a champagne glass just straight up pig Essence okay so basically the pig nipples are cooked and when it's rendering down the there's so much fat there they actually collect C it and
07:30 - 08:00 place it into a glass so that you can savor it like wine while you're eating the nipples it doesn't get cooler than that I've had Pig snout pig brain even pig feet before but Pig nipples that's a new territory the texture is pure gelatin soft sounds strange but paired with the ham juice it just works I'm going to cry and the reason why I'm about to cry is
08:00 - 08:30 because when you taste something so good and you're not expecting it and you discover a new part of the world a new Cuisine a new food and out of everything it had to be a pig when's the last time you walked out of a place after eating pig nipples and ham juice smiling about the check like six Pig nipples
08:30 - 09:00 I'm very immature as that I realized that I can't be taking out I can't go places I swear to God this is the kind of place that hits you in a way that you don't expect making you rethink everything you thought you knew about food wow what a meal it's not every day you eat so many Pig nipples but it's fantastic our next stop is just a few blocks away Chia B knows this spot has been cranking out churos for over for 50 years and they
09:00 - 09:30 haven't changed a damn thing oh wait do you dip it in here yeah this is burning hot like it's hot hot no fancy Renovations no Instagram gimmicks just a hole in the wall you don't sit you don't linger you grab your churros you go what a perfect end to a perfect day churos and hot chocolate but before before we call it let me leave you with
09:30 - 10:00 this we're not on this planet long enough to sit on the sidelines to stick to the familiar or to live by someone else's script I've always believed that the best way to really understand the world is to dive head first into it eat the foods you can't pronounce drink the wines that leave you speechless and hug new friends in places you never imagined you find yourself in so join me as we go where the wind takes us eat what's put in front of us and raise a glass to the moments that make this life worth living