Barcelona Tapas & Wine Bar

This past weekend, we went to Bowen Island for a weekend getaway. We decided to go to Barcelona because it was well reviewed and opened late. We tried a couple Spanish beers, a few of the tapas, and one large plate.

I had the Alhambra, which is a pale lager, and B had the Estrella Damm Barcelona, which is also a lager. Both were fine lagers and solid house beers.

The Lengua de Res (beef tongue) came first. The beef itself wasn't very flavourful but was tender and had good mouth feel. The alioli had strong onion flavour, but not in a bad way. The toast was a little burnt and very noticeably bitter.

Next came the Chipirones a la Plancha (baby squid), which was fine. The squid didn't have the crunch that fresh squid normally has and the peppers lacked flavour, but the dish as a whole worked well together and B really enjoyed it.

The last tapas we ordered was the Atún y Romesco en Pan (albacore tuna), which was pretty good. If we had to be picky, we would ask that the bread be toasted.

For the large plate, we ordered the Filete de Flanco con Mojo Verde (flank steak). I didn't research what mojo verde was, and just assumed it was some kind of green herby sauce. It was minty, which threw me off. I'm not a big fan of mint in anything except for cocktails or toothpaste, so I didn't really like the sauce, but B liked it. Once I scraped the sauce off, the steak itself was cooked to a perfect medium rare. It was tender for a flank steak and well seasoned. The accompanying brussel sprouts and potatoes were very buttery and salty, but I couldn't stop eating them.

Overall, we had a good experience. With the limited choice on the island, we would return if we're in Snug Cove again.

Bodega On Main

Easter Weekend Part 2 - Happy Hour at Bodega On Main. We passed by Bodega on our way to and from Torafuku the day before and thought - we should try that next. Conveniently enough, we had a movie to catch at 7pm, so Happy Hour until 6pm was perfect for us. The price was also appealing.

We both ordered the Bodega Lager, which was a huge disappointment. B believes that, in this city and neighbourhood, no one should be serving bad beer anymore. Plus, we would've been happy with a good brew at $2 off. But paying $5 for garbage was a turn off.

First there was the Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes). Although the sauce was pretty good, by completely submerging the potatoes in sauce, the twice fried potatoes lost their crispiness. What's the point of frying the potatoes twice if there's no crunch to the finished dish?

The Jamón Serrano (cured ham) was also completely soaked, but in olive oil. There's not much I can say about the ham itself - it kind of reminded me of the prosciutto you get at Costco. I liked how the olive oil really balances the saltiness of the ham, but it was A LOT of oil. I think a simple drizzle would have sufficed.

We were quite disappointed with the Calamares Fritos (deep fried squid). Though the squid itself was great - good texture, you can eat it in bites - the batter was bland and boring.

The Pollo Frito (fried chicken wings) was as expected. You really can't ruin chicken wings. The fried skin had great texture to it and the meat was moist and cooked well.

Lastly, there's the Albóndigas (meatballs). The sauce was rich and the meat fell apart, but it tasted good. I was glad it came with the potatoes because the fried crispy texture of the potatoes helped balance out the softness of the meatballs.

Overall, we weren't impressed with the Happy Hour at Bodega; however, since our friends think so highly of it, we will give their regular menu a try one day. We would not recommend Happy Hour though: food and service was mediocre, but the atmosphere was great.