JoanieBlon

BTW ~ forgot to mention that we look forward to checking out SD's PAZZTA 920 stall in the Boqueria (along with all the other obviously fantastic food stalls there! ). Being in an apartment will give us the chance to do some cooking ~ IF we feel so inclined! With so many fantastic cafes, restaurants, and tapas bars in Barcelona, I doubt that we'll be spending too much time in the kitchen! I know that many people in Barcelona speak English but I will try to use Spanish to the best of my ability. Not sure just how that will turn out, as the only Spanish I've really ever been exposed to is Mexican Spanish, which has somewhat different pronunciation. I did read and translate "El Sombrero de Tres Picos" by Pedro Antonio de Alarcon years ago, but didn't retain too much traditional Spanish from that experience.

Hello ~ I'm new to this board and have spent quite awhile reading through all the postings for recommended places to eat in Barcelona. My husband and I will be there in late November 2008 for several days (pre-cruise ~ Spain, Morocco, Canary Islands, Lisbon, Gibralter & Mallorca) staying at the Regencia Colon Hotel, and then for a week (post-cruise) at a wonderful apartment on C/ Boqueria just off Las Ramblas and very near La Boqueria. We are fairly adventuresome eaters (and cooks) and are anxious to try out some of the places that have been recommended. Could anyone provide suggestions as to where we might enjoy a traditional Escudèlla i Carn d'Olla? (Cocido) My husband Mike made an Americanized version of it that he saw presented on The Food Channel that's wonderful, but we would really like to try the real thing while we are in Barcelona. Perhaps at Agut in the Barrio Gotico? Also, I've tried searching for information on this forum regarding a restaurant that's located very close to the apartment we will be staying in, but haven't had any success in locating any posts. What's the general feeling regarding food and service at Can Culleretes? I've read that it's the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Barcelona and the second oldest in Spain ~ not certain if these claims are true or not ~ but it sounded interesting. I suspect that it may be a tourist hangout, but I saw references that it's also frequented by a great number of locals. At any rate, I've REALLY enjoyed reading all the posts here and related ones as well. We can hardly wait to visit Barcelona! It will be our first trip to Spain. For what it's worth, here in Tampa, there are a great many people of Asturiano ancestry whose families immigrated here during the late 1800s and early 1900s to work in the cigar industry. We have an active Centro Asturiano here. Unfortunately, we have never been able to find any places serving traditional Asturiano dishes. Rather mediocre "Cuban" food seems to be the rule of thumb here ~ perhaps with the exception of the Columbia Restaurant that has been in business since 1905. Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions that have been provided and any additonal ones that you may come up with.