Silly Disciple

the hotel's website actually quotes 175/245EUR as their price range. Casa Camper was designed by Fernando Amat, of Vinçon fame, a respected designer and a great store. I haven't been in Casa Camper, but I think of Camper as a clever, innovative and stylish brand with has had great success, given they started as a small shoe company in Majorca and now they are a household name in Spain and quite possibly Europe. So while it might not be the best value, I think its definitely worth the visit. Silly.

Frank, not sure about US import regulations, but you can arrange with any of the good wine shops in Buenos Aires for them to send you a case. I asked several if they would do this on request (I was living in NY then) and they had no problem with it. Let me know if you want a few names/addresses of stores. some favorite argies: Ruca Malen Grand Cru 1999/2001 (not sure about the year) Alto Las Hormigas Malbec 2002 Silly.

1: yes 2: not a 100% food-themed film, but I liked Bella Martha (a.k.a. Mostly Martha, see here) a lot. Silly

As tjd says, this is the "upper" Raval which is much nicer than the lower part, and the hotel seems to se around the corner from the Macba and CCCB museums. The area in general is quite safe and very close to other main tourist points, i.e. 4 blocks from Plaza Catalunya. However the whole area, as Victor points out, is going through a gentrification process, blending together hot and trendy new restaurants and bars, halal butcher shops, pakistani restaurants, prostitution zones, etc. You'll find pickpockets in the Rambla de Raval, but nothing to worry about if you use some common sense and keep an eye on your belongings (as you would anywhere you travel, I guess). If you're familiar with New York I would say it is more Lower East Side than it is Soho. Will you feel safe/unsafe? I guess it's a personal matter. I've walked through the neighborhood at night many times without ever feeling threatened, but I know my wife feels quite uneasy, and I've had "odd" encounters every now and then with drunks and such. Would I stay at the hotel? Definitely (I'm a huge Camper fan!). But it boils down to how comfortable you feel in these situations. Hope it helps, Silly.

been there a couple of times, not a big fan where, would you know? yup. I visit the one on C/ Vidrieria often (close to Cal Pep). I didn't know they had a restaurant as well. I remember the mention of his studio in an earlier thread, but haven't had the chance to visit. This one definitely makes it to my must-visit list. mmmm yummy. This one is actually fairly close to my place. Thanks for the info. Silly.

Victor, as usual you have great tips! And of course after flattery comes abuse. Taking advantage of your knowledge, can you point out similar places in Barcelona? Thanks, Silly.

I second Robert's idea, hopefully I'll learn something and maybe get a reservation in 2006. Silly.

Interesting story Russ. I too found the Misono and the Hattori to be the best, but unlike you I ended up sticking to the Hattori. However, I'd like to point out that the prices at world knives are much higher than elsewhere. For instance, I got mine through http://www.japanesechefsknife.com. I got the 9 1/2 (240mm) instead of the 8 1/4 (210mm) and paid $164 against the $249 at world knives. The 210mm you got is $199 at world knives, but only $135 at japanesechef!! More than the $60 difference you took into account for choosing the Misono. Regards, Silly.

That's fine Bux, so we locals can demand "kickbacks" later Silly.

Not sure if it's still there, but otherwise Arturo Franco-Camacho's Roomba in New Haven, CT. Ate there a few years ago, fairly inventive high-end (for CT standards) Latino Cuisine. I believe he's both chef and owner. Roomba Restaurant. 1044 Chapel St. New Haven, CT 06511 203-562-7666 Hope it helps, Silly.

John, I would think making a reservation at Las Golondrinas as late as a week in advance should be enough. I'll try to get you his number. And, as Louisa said, you need to call Rafa the day before or the same day you're planning on visiting. Silly.

My mind is trying to put things together and reach some understanding because the "El Bulli's greatest dishes" and SnackMar/Las Golondrinas seem a paradox. Perhaps my mermory is failing here, but if I remember well what I saw across Rafa's, that place doesn't look like the best place to open a restaurant including elBulli's dishes. Can you tell us a bit more, Louisa? Now that I think of it, perhaps elBulli doesn't look like the place to serve elBulli's dishes either . . . ← There are actually two places across from Rafa. One is the one you're probably referring to, Pedro, which is a big, typical touristy, restaurant offering paella, etc. with a little hotel above it, and then there's Las Golondrinas to its right, a small place with just 4 tables inside, a big screen above the counter with "webcam" images of the kitchen and sliding doors. Silly.

John, Rafa is open every day except Monday if I'm not mistaken, and he will close if the day's catch is not worth opening the restaurant. Regarding August, I'll try calling him tomorrow and will let you know. Silly. ← Thanks, Silly. I appreciate it. ← John, you can start dreaming about grilled San Pedro (John Dory) fresh from the boat, bright red tuna, mouth-watering espardenyes, cigalas and percebes. Rafa is indeed open throughout August, given it is high season in Roses and the Costa Brava (didn't think of it before, fairly common sense once you think about it ). I recommend you call early the day you want to visit to make sure he is indeed open (as I said in my previous post, he won't if the day's catch is no good) and let him know you're coming. Enjoy! Silly.

John, Rafa is open every day except Monday if I'm not mistaken, and he will close if the day's catch is not worth opening the restaurant. Regarding August, I'll try calling him tomorrow and will let you know. Silly.

Miguel, this is hands down one of the best posts I've read in quite a while.... thank you and keep the rambling coming. Silly.

Doug Psaltis left the French Laundry about 3-4 weeks ago. He is back in NYC with plans to open his own place in the near future. ← Didn't he join like 5 months ago? Who is taking his place at TFL? Silly.

Ok, here it goes: 3 stars: El Bulli - Roses, Girona Can Fabes - Sant Celoni, Girona 2 stars: Sant Pau - Sant Pol del Mar, Girona El Celler de Can Roca - Girona 1 star: Drolma - Barcelona Àbac - Barcelona Jean Luc Figueras - Barcelona El Racó d'en Freixa - Barcelona Via Veneto - Barcelona Neichel - Barcelona Gaig - Barcelona L'Esguard - Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, Barcelona Hispania - Barcelona Alkimia - Barcelona Hofmann - Barcelona Estany Clar - Cercs, Barcelona El Cingle - Vacarisses, Barcelona Can Bosch - Cambrils de Mar, Tarragona Mas Pau - Avinyonet de Puigventós, Girona La Cuina de Can Pipes - Mont-ras, Girona La Cuina de Can Simon - Tossa del mar, Girona La Llar - Roses, Girona Cal l'Enric - La Vall de Bianya, Girona Can Jubani - Calldetenes, Girona Jordi Parramon - Vic, Girona Malena - Lleida Carballeira - Butsenit, Lleida I would still be interested to know if there are other cooking schools with restaurants that hold michelin stars. Silly.

It'll take you some time, but all you have to do is to find at their site for starred restaurants in the four Catalonian provinces, Lleida, Girona, Barcelona and Tarragona. That means to perform four searches. Since you know which restaurants have lost their star and which have gained a new one, that'll do it. ← Thanks, I'll try it, although it seems like for some reason not all of them are listed. do you think it's ok to post the list here? Silly.

Pedro, I'm curious, is this list available somewhere on the internet? Thanks, Silly. ← Nowhere I know of. That's why I didn't post it . I assume you already know Michelin online, but its search capabilities are limited. Or better said, you don't have an easy way to know which are the restaurants in the country for each category. You have to go city by city... The site doesn't seem to be updated with 2005 ratings (yet). ← Right, it is not updated yet. Would you mind telling me (as long as you think its ok) which other restaurants in Catalunya have one star? thanks, Silly.

Pedro, I'm curious, is this list available somewhere on the internet? Thanks, Silly.

John, Hofmann is the cooking school I'm attending (See this thread), which also has a restaurant. What I think is interesting, and I'd like others to expand if possible, is that this is a kitchen that is mainly manned by 2nd and 3rd year cooking students. Are there other Michelin-starred restaurants that belong to cooking schools? Silly.

How far is Michel Bras from Catalunya, specifically Roses? ← 454 km. according to european map website mappy.com (not sure if the link will work later on. If not, use Laguiole in France as your destination and recalculate). Silly

Not familiar with Marais, but the neighborhood you're looking for is Palermo Viejo, now also known as "Palermo Hollywood". Lots and lots of new hip restaurants and bars. I particularly recommend Olsen as a new interesting place with good food. If on the other side what you're looking for are places where you can have excellent meat you can go to either "La Costanera", a restaurant zone facing the river (not what it used to be but still good) or "Puerto Madero", an area of recycled docks and wards. (fancier and more touristy). There are also a few good areas outside the capital, to the north. hope it helps, let me know if you need more info. Silly.

Indeed Quilez tends to be crowded, but I've found that if you just ignore everyone else and browse no one will be offended or bothered. Also, since you're going to Cinc Sentis there's a somewhat new shop almost next to the restaurant that's a bit expensive but worth visiting. They have an interesting selection of cheese, fresh pasta I think, some charcuterie and a few other deli items. They also sell a pretty good italian green tomato confiture, but as I said its a bit expensive. Can't remember then name though. Silly.

Orangeblossom, A good place for olives and canned stuff is La Ribera, and for other preserves you can visit Murria or Quilez. Please look at the groceries thread for addresses and more tips on shopping places. Silly.