Showcasing the endangered places of my city
I know this title might be a little alarming and frightening. But it’s something that I take seriously and that I take into account when I have to tell somebody why I’m a Google Local Guide. I’ve been and LG from Barcelona since 2016 and I’ve joined the program because I always loved to recommend places to my friends, colleagues and people in general. I’m a foodie and I have a great time tasting new food, discovering new restaurants and, most important, I like to share what I love and enjoy, with others.
Authentic Catalan and Spanish food
When I recommend a place to someone I try to think about a place that not only offers nice food and good service but also an experience that tells something about the city, its history, its gastronomy, therefore about its identity. Barcelona is a well-known city nowadays, with millions of tourist visiting it everyday not only because of the weather and its museums, but also because of its food. That has its pros and cons, as always. The good part is that restaurants try to do their best in order to have clients because the competition is fierce. The bad part is that a lot of the new restaurants try only to satisfy these clients that are only staying for a few days in the city. And that has its consequences in the gastronomic offer, not only quality wise but in the variety and authenticity of this offer.
Vermouth at the ‘bodega’
And that’s why I try to showcase and give a thumbs up to places that keep on doing what they do best, trying to give anyone who goes there the most authentic experience on Spanish and Catalan food. Some of those places might not be trendy, some of them even not fancy, but they have a story to tell and, what is more, they tell it through their dishes. Take the list that I created for this Connect Live application, which is dedicated to vermouth, a drink also famous in Italy and France, but that in Barcelona means something more. It takes place before lunch and it consist on drinking this sweet wine mixed with spices and and having some snacks, normally little dishes (tapas) but not too much, because you are going to have lunch afterwards. Traditionally this vermut is better to enjoy it in bodegas, bulk-wine shops. The ones that I love the most or that I went to several times are the ones that are on my list. And some of them might be in danger if we don’t highlight them. Some of them might be just a memory in a year if we don’t cherish them.
Recently I organized a vermouth walk meet-up around my neighbourhood. The idea was to put in value other bodegas that are not that famous but that they have nice vermouth and delicious food. It was not my first experience hosting a meet-up, actually it was the fourth I organized (cafe walk, ice cream walk, and also Paramount Oakland Theatre). As you can see, food is my thing! I also participated in other Barcelona meet-ups hosted by other Local Guides. We are a little but strong community of Local Guides here, and we take turns to organize the next meet-up in our city.
Where the locals eat
It’s not that I don’t love eating other countries’ food. It’s the opposite! I really love tasting new flavours and trying to learn new dishes as well (I’m a foodie and I also love cooking). But when I go abroad on a trip I appreciate knowing what and where the locals eat. So, that’s what I do in my city! Do not hesitate to ask for advice if you come to Barcelona