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ALICIA should be something special. I had the opportunity to see it just as they were starting work on it a few years ago. It was a pretty rundown old set of buildings. I didn't get to see it recently, but my friends tell me that the work has come along beautifully. I believe that there will be a hotel there as well.

The only course you mentioned was a main course. I wondered what other courses you had. Should the wines have been priced differently? Were the vintages of different quality for the wine? Did they offer an alternative? If you didn't have the cannelons you missed what may be Gaig's best dish.

Fascinating. Thanks for the report. If only their shipping costs weren't so high, I would order some.

Just out of curiosity, what night of the week did you go? Ordinarily, Spanish restaurants are just opening at that time. Surely, you had more than just one main course each?

Well done. Thanks for the link.

That is very exciting! What is the basis of the name Pazzta 920? The Pazzta is fairly intuitive (I think), but what of the 920?

This sure beats the rumor over recent years that elBulli would close.

Lunch at the Boqueria can be hectic, but is a great experience. Although Bar Pinotxo gets the most press and is excellent, any of the stalls provide excellent lunch options from Bar Quim to kiosk Universal. Also, keep an eye open for pasta near the back of the Boqueria.

I'm truly sorry you had such a negative experience. Barring the possibility of a total kitchen melt-down the night you were there, which I highly doubt, it seems that either we have very different (though not totally given some of the places you mentioned positively) palates or something else was at play. Do you care to elaborate on the issue with your friends? My understanding based on what you wrote is that they did not allow you to increase the size of your party, but other friends got a table on short notice. If this is correct, the explanation may be quite simple. They are geared for specific party sizes and were unable to increase the size of your party without disrupting table service, while your other friends got lucky with a table of the same party size from a late cancellation. While it may seem simple to increase a table size by a party of two, that would be a problem if done routinely given the number of table requests that they have and the number of people looking to dine there. If they did it for one party it would be difficult to not do it for others, creating potentially huge problems for the restaurant. On the other hand, if a last minute cancellation occurs, why not fill it with some party lucky enough (perhaps not lucky in your estimation after all) to call at the right time? I would also be curious to know what dishes you had. Some dishes certainly push psychological boundaries and others taste boundaries, but others, especially the snacks I had, were dense with flavor and textural interest. The wine story mystifies me, as it is far from my experience there, but I can see how it can happen. Do you recall the specific wine recommended? I have also had extremely disappointing meals at highly regarded and anticipated restaurants. It is a bummer and I share your pain in this regard as few meals come more highly anticipated than one at elBulli. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, it does happen even at the very best of places, which to me elBulli remains.

That is distressing to read. Let us know the details of your meal. I am curious. Depending on what you had, $250 per couple is no longer an outrageous sum for a meal though of course it isn't cheap. Most restaurants in Spain charge a "cover charge" that basically covers service. Tips of course are appreciated, but not expected.

I love frying eggs in duck fat. They are great for providing the best flavor and crisping the whites for those who, like me, like their fried eggs that way. Grimaud Farms is a great source of pure duck fat via the internet. They are also a great source for duck if you wish to render your own fat.

I would suggest focusing on the mid-day meal as your big meal and staying light with tapas for example at supper. Not too far from Girona in Vic, Can Jubany, should provide an excellent and interesting meal.

I use a sandwich griddle and put the tortilla in there for about thirty seconds on high. It heats both sides simultaneously and comes out perfectly. It's great for melting some cheese too when the cheese is placed on the heated tortilla. A wrapped tortilla burrito can be placed back on the grill for crisping if one so desires.

Hate to admit it, Ted, but I haven't been. I tried to go one time and they were closed for some reason or another.

Obviously ill kitchen or FOH staff handling food tends to raise my bile. Watching a cook or waiter hacking away onto my plate can turn off my appetite faster than just about anything. Another thing is simply knowing that someone in the kitchen handling food or a waiter either has or has just "got over" a significant communicable illness. That doesn't exactly stimulate my appetite either.

Fresh herbs. We will buy some for a specific application, but leftovers will often be forgotten and languish until unusable. Fresh parsley and cilantro is often extended by keeping it in water in the fridge, but that process is not always utilized. Sometimes, if a cheese is not finished in a timely fashion it can get lost in the shufle too. The longer it is in there, the longer it is likely to be in there

Interesting. They sell mostly via the internet at www.desertsweetshrimp.com.. In the article linked to above the company claims that their shrimp wins taste tests 95% of the time. If they are tasting against other farm-raised shrimp, I don't doubt it. I would be impressed if it was against fresh Gulf of Mexico or Florida Shrimp. I would be really impressed if it was against Mediterranean reds. The biggest hurdle they face, IMO, is the cost of shipping. I was all set to place an order to try the shrimp. Two pounds of the extra jumbos (about 21-24 count) cost about $30, but the minimum shipping outside of Arizona (FedEx 2day) effectively doubled it and FedEx overnight essentially tripled the price. I'm all for spending more for a superior product, but I'm not willing at this time to spend that much to try an unknown product. Maybe they will be at the Fancy Foods Show in NYC. If so, I'll try it there. If not, I will wish them luck.

For top-end places near Sevilla, I would choose La Alquería, a taste of elBulli in Andalucia.

I'm not sure if this was on the previous threads, but one place you may want to check out in Sanlúcar La Mayor near Sevilla is ALHUCEMAS . Miguel Palomo is a master of the fryer.

The kitchen is apparently closed, while the bar remains open. It seems that the Wayne Nish era of Varietal is over. Whether the kitchen with or without Nish will re-open is not clear.

Thanks, Owen. They were closed this past winter after their first season last summer. I expect that they will close again this winter as well though I am not certain.

Sounds wonderful, Charles. When it comes true for you, let me know as I would love to dine there. For me, the fantasy restaurant already exists. It's called elBulli and other than the possibility of dining there again, that is all it will ever be - a fantasy.

The fact is that Adria's creativity is based on technique - generally technique that he devised. Not everyone has the time, money, inclination or creativity to be an Adria. In fact very few do. That does not mean that someone can't learn the techniques by repeating what has already been done. That is, in reality, the best way of learning. True creativity that is meaningful is based on knowledge of and ability with techniques already in use such as the ones being asked about here. Besides, creativity is not necessarily the point here. Making food that is fun and good to eat is.

I think that is actually a reasonable piece as is Mario Batali's discussion on Bloggers on eater.com.

You hit the nail on the head. The key ingredient for this style of cooking is fun. If it is not fun thee is little point to it. Aside from the fact that they do it so well, that is what makes elBulli so great - it is a load of fun.