Deserted Barcelona in August

[endless autumn]

I will in be in Barcelona from Sunday 22 August until Tuesday 24 August. A bad time to eat out.

I've absorbed recommendations from this board (thank you) and visited guia campsa etc but find that most (if not quite all) of the restaurants I would have liked to visit restaurants will be shut.

Does anyone know of any which will be open (eg alkimia, cinc sentits, sauc etc.)?

Sorry to rely on you as my concierges...

[vserna]

Rent a car. Can Fabes and Sant Pau are both open, and they're the best two restaurants within 25 miles of downtown Barcelona.

[endless autumn]

Thanks Victor: I'm not sure if I will be able to drag my girlfriend out of town, but I'll try. I'd love to try Can Fabes.

If she digs her heels in, however, I'd very much appreciate any options in town...

bcnchef: are you open?

[pedro]

endless autumn, keep in mind that Sant Pau is really close to the beach, so what could be better than going to the beach in the morning and lunch at Sant Pau?

Another literally next to the beach restaurant a few miles closer to BCN is Hispania, the cathedral of traditional Catalonian cooking.

Let's see if one of our friends in BCN can give you any options in the city.

[Bux]

The clean and relatively quiet electric commuter train runs right behind Sant Pau's back yard garden and the station is a block away. As I recall, there's a beach just the other side of the tracks. I don't know if there's any public place to shower and change, but it should be an easy and pleasant commute from downtown Barcelona.

From Jordi's web site it appears CincSentits is not open on Sunday and open for lunch on Monday and dinners from Tuesday through Saturday.

[bcnchef]

bcnchef: are you open?

We are closing for 9 days in August: from the 16th until the 25th. We re-open on the 26th...

We will also be closing for dinner on the 31st as I (somehow, and rather luckily) managed to snag reservations for El Bulli and I am taking my guys to check it out...

Your travel dates are unfortunately right smack in the middle....

You might try Hisop. If I remember correctly, they did not close last August. Guillem and Oriol are the two excellent chefs behind the stoves there. Interesting Catalan food with a twist. They also have an excellent wine list.

Additionally, I recently ate at Moo, which is in the Hotel Omm. Since they are in a hotel, the restaurant will likely remain open throughout August. The Roca brothers of Can Roca in Girona are directing the kitchen at Moo and many of the dishes from Can Roca are on the menu. Our meal there was interesting with some excellent wine pairings.

If you want some "non fancy" recommendations, IM or email me and I can fill you in on the tapas route I recommend to friends who come into town, and what to order in each place. Quite the opposite of the two meals I suggest above, but equally enjoyable in their own way.

Enjoy your trip to Barcelona!

J.

[Rogelio]

If you want some "non fancy" recommendations, IM or email me and I can fill you in on the tapas route I recommend to friends who come into town, and what to order in each place. Quite the opposite of the two meals I suggest above, but equally enjoyable in their own way.

Jordi, don't be enigmatic and share this recomendation with us please.

[bcnchef]

Jordi, don't be enigmatic and share this recomendation with us please.

Oido! :)

I will start a new thread this weekend and list a few recommendations.

J.

[Silly Disciple]

If you want some "non fancy" recommendations, IM or email me and I can fill you in on the tapas route I recommend to friends who come into town, and what to order in each place. Quite the opposite of the two meals I suggest above, but equally enjoyable in their own way.

Jordi, don't be enigmatic and share this recomendation with us please.

I second the request!!!!! C'mon Jordi, spit it out!

Silly.

[nerdgirl]

Waiting patiently and somewhat quietly... Don't make us come over and hurt you!!!

[francesco]

As the title says, I have an analogous problem to Endless Autumn but in Madrid, not Barcelona. I will be in Madrid from the evening of August 19th to the evening of August 23rd (included) for a conference. I do plan to attend the conference most of the time (in Leganes) and so would rather not travel with the car outside the city.

Any ideas? All of the places that I've checked so far seem to be closed in that period.

Francesco

[vserna]

Well, to begin with, you will have to commute if you're staying in Madrid and working in Leganés, which is a separate town of 200,000 about 10 miles south of downtown Madrid. Or are you staying in Leganés proper? Then, not leaving town at all would drastically curtail your possibilities of eating well...

[francesco]

Well, to begin with, you will have to commute if you're staying in Madrid and working in Leganés, which is a separate town of 200,000 about 10 miles south of downtown Madrid. Or are you staying in Leganés proper? Then, not leaving town at all would drastically curtail your possibilities of eating well...

Vserna,

I will be staying in Madrid and I have booked a hotel very close to Atocha station so I can comfortably commute to Leganes every morning (it's just for 5 days anyway and just about anyone I know who attends the conference will be staying in Madrid as well). However, I would be staying in Leganes until as late as 6-7 PM every evening so I would rather not go out of Madrid for the dinner (in most cases lunch will be at the conference).

[Gerry Dawes]

I don't think the following are closed in August: El Amparo, Viridiana, Europa (Hotel Villa Real), Cafe de Oriente, Lago de Sanabria, Asador Fronton (closed Sundays in summer), the new Manduca de Azagra (?), Rafa (a wonderful seafood restaurant beyond the Retiro and not far from Atocha), Casa Botin, Cuenllas, the small, charming Riojan La Algarabia, Julian de Tolosa, Asador Casa Matias (family of Julian de Tolosa), Castellana 179 (wine list). The following highly-rated restaurants are closed for two weeks in August: El Chaflan, Pedro Larumbe and Chantarella. Plus, I would be surprised if you didn't find a tapas bar or two open.

[francesco]

I don't think the following are closed in August:  El Amparo, Viridiana, Europa (Hotel Villa Real), Cafe de Oriente, Lago de Sanabria, Asador Fronton (closed Sundays in summer), the new Manduca de Azagra (?), Rafa (a wonderful seafood restaurant beyond the Retiro and not far from Atocha), Casa Botin, Cuenllas, the small, charming Riojan La Algarabia, Julian de Tolosa, Asador Casa Matias (family of Julian de Tolosa), Castellana 179 (wine list).  The following highly-rated restaurants are closed for two weeks in August:  El Chaflan, Pedro Larumbe and Chantarella.  Plus, I would be surprised if you didn't find a tapas bar or two open.

Gerry,

thank you very much for your answer, I have to admit this seems like a pretty substantial list. Can you give me some more details on some of these restaurants?

Francesco

[pedro]

francesco, I would suggest you to search for some of this restaurants in the site. You'd find a different level and depth of information about many of them. Probably after that, you'll have a better understanding of what restaurant is more likely to serve your taste and narrow down your question to focus on a "short list".

Let me, however, make a very rough clasification in two categories of the restaurants named by Gerry:

Author cooking:

El Amparo

Viridiana

Europa

Cuenllas

Castellana 179 (author wannabe, I'd say)

El Chaflán

Pedro Larumbe

Chantarella

Product / regional cooking:

Asador Fronton

Manduca de Azagra

Casa Botin

Julian de Tolosa

The ones that don't appear in any of the two categories is simply because I'm not familiar with them and even though I can imagine where they belong to, I would be taking guesses.

Please, note that this is a very rough clasification, but let me excuse myself behind my limited bandwith and connection time for that .

[MiguelCardoso]

Francesco: Madrid in August is lovely; you'll have it all to yourself. Unlike Paris (but like Lisbon) an amazing amount of the best restaurants are open but the general attitude and atmosphere is delightful. As is the food, charged with summer goodness.

In August, contrary to expectations, almost all winter vegetables are available - and at their best. It's a wonderful month - you can park, not book, waft around on the slightest whim.

As for the fish and shellfish...wow!

Enjoy!

(Thanks, fellas, for the great recommendations!)

[bcnchef]

Waiting patiently and somewhat quietly...  Don't make us come over and hurt you!!!

Sorry to keep everyone waiting... Let's see... ah yes, tapas recommendations.

Now, for those not in the know, the basic idea on a tapeo is that each place does a few things really well. The goal is not to go to one place and eat everything you want, but to just eat what they do well at that place, and then pick up and continue on to the next one.

The four places we used to go are all in the Ciutat Vella: three grouped together along Carrer Merce and the other on Princesa in the Born (near the Picasso Museum).

Sadly, the place we used to start our evenings has closed. It was a fantastic old dive called Bar La Jarra which specialized in Jamon Canario.

A few years ago, to our horror, one night when we went it was closed. Figuring it was their night off or something we went back a few days later. The terror escalated when we got there and they were STILL closed. Close to panic, we returned the following weekend and when they were closed et again we started to ask in the bars nearby what happened. Turns out the owner had retired and his son no longer wanted to run the business. So he closed shop and put the place up for rent. We were (and remain) heart-broken.

This place was CLASSIC. A sign on the wall said "signing is prohibited". The floors were old linoleum and the flickering lights in the ceiling were old flourescents that barely lit the place up. It was the kind of place where in the afternoon somebody would drop by with a guitar and start to play and sing (in spite of the sign) while catching up with friends and the old bar man.

All they served was little slices of Jamon Canario on boiled potatoes drizzled with olive oil and some rock salt. These little jewels were pieces of heaven, let me tell you. Simple peasant food made with pristine ingredients by someone who had done it for 50 years and no longer had any room for improvement. They were simply perfect.

Alas, Bar La Jarra is no more and I have yet to find a replacement. If anyone knows of a place that serves (good!) Jamon Canario, I impore you to spread the word!

So after some Jamon Canario and Rioja, we would head across the street to Bar Celta. Once you walk inside you are practically in Galicia. What to order:

- a bottle of Albariño (white wine)

- pimientos del padron (flash fried small pepppers with rock salt. mmm.)

- pulpo (octopus -- a must)

- calamares (squid -- another must)

- empanada (traditional meat or fish pie)

- croquetas (several varieties of these, choose one you fancy)

If you really must, you can also order some crab croquettes and some patatas bravas, which although good are not stellar here, but if you're hungry, hey, what are you going to do (the best bravas in Barcelona are at Bar Tomas, a story for another day).

The wine is served in the traditional porcelain cups, the pulpo is divine (this is really the main reason for coming here, next to the calamares that is), and the pimientos are fun as a random number of them can be spicy, and you never know which.

The next destination is just a few blocks away: Tasca el Corral. Look for the red light outside the door and the stuffed goat head on the wall inside smoking a cigarette (as well as the jamon ibérico hanging from the ceiling).

Ask Salvador for:

- Jamon Ibérico (de bellota)

- Pan con Tomate

- Chorizo al Diablo

- Manchego

- Cabrales

- a bottle of Rioja (or Sangria if it is hot)

The ham is something you would kill for. The Chorizo al Diablo is fun interactive food. The Cabrales will put hair on your chest (and if it doesn't, I guarantee you that Salvador's Sangria WILL).

At this point we trek across to the Born to have dessert at Euskal Etxea. Your actual mileage may vary, depending how much Albariño and Rioja/Sangria you have already consumed.

If we are hungry, we will make the trek and have some Basque Tapas before dessert. What you want to get for dessert is a slice of cheesecake. Yes, that's right, cheesecake. Actually, you may want to get two slices. This is like manna from heaven. First of all, they don't always have it. It is SO good that they tend to run out by the time us gluttons have finished stuffing tapas down our gullets at the two previous locations. However, if they do have it (you have to ask, it isn't set out), you are in for a treat. It might seem like the simplest thing, but this simple combination of a cookie crust, unbaked thin filling of cream cheese and sweet cream plus a topping of small blueberries is fantastic. We cornered the pastry chef one night and teased the recipe out of him. I made it for the next two weeks almost every night... :)

If anybody heads out on this trek, send photos!

Basic orientation information to get to these places -- from the Drassanes subway stop on the Ramblas, walk towards the sea. Take the last road on your left called Carrer Ample (which means Wide Street, in Catalan -- at the time the road was built WAY back in the day, it was the widest road in town I am told). Walk down Carrer Ample until you get to a big plaza with a church in front of you (Mercé church). Walk across the plaza diagonally to your right and continue down the next street. This is Merce street. About 1 block down to your right you will find Bar Celta.

Another couple of blocks down on your left is Tasca el Corral.

Euskal Etxea can be reached by walking to the end of Carrer Ample, crossing in front of the post office, continuing down the street, passing the Pla del Palau (where Estrella de Plata is located) continuing straight until you hit Cal Pep. Turn left at Cal Pep (or walk in if you can, and eat some more -- EXCELLENT shellfish tapas there). So keep walking, pass Santa Maria del Mar church and walk up Princesa street until you get to Euskal Etxea on your right. For a reference point, the Picasso museum is just up the street from here.

Enjoy your tapas!

Jordi.

[docsconz]

Alkimia was open last august when I was there and was quite good. I was surprised at how many restaurants were open.

[asola]

I've been to Bar Celta for tapas twice this year and I wasn't quite happy. Maybe quality has dropped since bcnchef used to go, but besides being horribly hot, everything was quite sub-par, including octopus which they did so well years ago.

I tend to think it is nearly impossible to find good, authentic, cheap tapas bars any more in the centre of Barcelona. You have to go to the outskirts to find outstanding places. My favorite spot right now is a small street in Hospitalet, c. Aigues del Llobregat, near Plaça Eivissa (underground stop Pubilla Cases), where several tapas bars compete with each other for incredibly good tapas at incredibly good prices. Of course it's out of your way and there are no sights -understatement-, but as a tourist I'm sure I'd find it great. That is, if you don't mind no English spoken and very little in way of menus. Just ask for media ración (half-ration) of jamón, calamares, chipirones, pulpo, patatas bravas, pimientos del padrón, cazón and cochinillo, or put yourself in the waiter's hands or point to other tables, which won't seem rude here. My friend says rations are the same size as half-rations so that only tourists pay the full price -here people from Barcelona, that is, not from Hospitalet, are considered tourists!. You could go with a local and impress him with your e-gullet-enhanced knowledge.

A better known great tapas bar is La Esquinica in Horta (Passeig Fabra i Puig, 296). Always packed, some guide-led tourists, a little more expensive and you also have to go outside the center, but a greater variety and very good quality. No half-rations gimmicks here.

I don't agree that tapas must be had hopping from bar to bar, especially in summer. At least in Catalunya I'd say it's just as likely to stay in one place all night. Our usual tapas night might include getting to the bar at about 9 and drink some beer. At about 10 we might order a first round of tapas, then a second one, without any rush, then maybe a third one. We could drink beer, sangria or vino turbio -drink beer if you're a wine enthusiast- . You must understand tapas is a social kind of eating different than your usual restaurant in that the food is less thought upon than having a good time telling jokes, etc. This doesn't mean it's not good, in fact this Hospitalet spot is way better than Bar Celta at half the price, it's just that you don't talk about it. I guess having the same tapas repeatedly at the same place has that effect. After that we would sometimes order dessert, but the times I've been there nobody was up to the task, since portions are huge. So we'd order orujo de hierbas or Pacharan. And then it's one o'clock and time to decide what to do.

[francesco]

Francesco: Madrid in August is lovely; you'll have it all to yourself.  Unlike Paris (but like Lisbon) an amazing amount of the best restaurants are open but the general attitude and atmosphere is delightful.  As is the food, charged with summer goodness.

In August, contrary to expectations, almost all winter vegetables are available - and at their best.  It's a wonderful month - you can park, not book, waft around on the slightest whim.

As for the fish and shellfish...wow!

Enjoy!

(Thanks, fellas, for the great recommendations!)

I just wanted to report on my trip in Madrid. I did manage to follow some of the forum's recommendations, which were much appreciated. I was always with collegues so I didn't get a chance to write down exactly what I had on each occasion.

Anyway, on the first night I went to Julian de Tolosa. We had an appetizer of Jamon and Lomo iberico and another of white asparagus with majonaise. Both were excellent, with a special mention for the asparagi, which, out of season, were a really pleasant surprise (the jamon was fantastic but this is not a surprise). The highlight of the meal was obviously the chuleton served with some fantastic red peppers which was one of the best steaks I have ever had. With a bottle of wine, and some good but not more than that, dessert, the final bill came at 70 euros per person which was, I thought was a bit too expensive for what we had, but maybe my expectations for food prices in Spain were out of sync with reality.

The second night, I tried to book Asador Fronton but could not get through so we headed for "La Vaca Veronica". We had a starter of home made pasta with squid in its own ink which I thought was good and a dish of various meat cuts (including chorizo and a blood sausage) cooked on coals which I found OK but nowhere near the previous night's beef. Still, at half the price, not bad at all.

The third night was dedicated to Botin, which does feel a bit too touristy. We had again several starters which included Jamon and Lomo, white asparagi, a kind of blood sausage/black pudding, and Riojan salad. The ham was not of the same quality as at Julian's and the highlight was the blood sausage which was really good. For mains, we went for Chocinillo asado (roasted suckiling pig), the house specialty which was good but not as good as I would have thought. Service was fine and they have a decent wine list.

Finally, the highlight of my stay was a visit to Viridiana on the last night. There were quite a few items off the menu and given that there were three of us and some of the dishes we chose were off the menu, I am not sure I can remember the fine details of everyone's meal (also, I can barely make myself understood in Spanish so I am certain I missed some of details).

Anyway, we all had a couple of pre starters offered by the restaurant. A gaspacho made with strawberries and a pickled anchovie was brought before a selection of pickled vegetables with some sweet honey based sauce. Both were unusual for me but excellent. For starters I had one of the house specialties: two eggs cooked in a pan with a mousee of mushrooms and a generous shaving of black truffles. I love eggs, mushroom and truffles and this dish I could eat every day of my life without getting tired. The other starters were a tortilla filled with mushrooms, goats cheese and a mole poblano sauce which I tasted and was excellent and a ceviche of bonito tuna with other ingredients that I don't recall. I didn't try this but it was described as excellent.

For seconds, two of us had a most delicious tataki with bonito tuna on the one hand and steak on the other which came with a soy-based sauce which I couldn't quite identify and sauteed ginger. The quality of both meat and tuna was staggering. My wife had a beef dish where stew-sized cubes of beed came in a sauce with mushrooms and spring onions which was also excellent but I preferred my dish.

Finally, for dessert I had a dish with 3 chocolate (white, milk and dark) mousses, my wife had a papaya stuffed with fruit and a fruit sauce and there was another dessert which I don't remember. Service was kind and attentive and we had a very good Ribera del Duero from bodegas Moro with our meal. On the basis of this one meal alone, it is really puzzling that Michelin has not thought more of the place.

I had a great time in Madrid and the food was always good. We also found a tapas bar on a small square which looks on the Paseo del Prado, almost across from the museum, which served the most delicious (green) asparagous dish.

Anyway, great eating and thank you to all of those (Gerry, Pedro, vserna) who helped with suggestions.

Francesco

[Bux]

Finally, the highlight of my stay was a visit to Viridiana on the last night.

...

I had one of the house specialties: two eggs cooked in a pan with a mousee of mushrooms and a generous shaving of black truffles. I love eggs, mushroom and truffles and this dish I could eat every day of my life without getting tired.

...

On the basis of this one meal alone, it is really puzzling that Michelin has not thought more of the place

There is plenty of good food to be had in Madrid, but it's not surprising to hear anyone say the gastronomic highlight of their trip was a visit to Viridiana. There are few dishes more comforting than those with eggs, mushrooms or truffles. No suprise again that you cuould eat a combination every day, but I think it also illustrates something I noticed about Garcia's food. In spite of the fact that he can be very creative and go off in odd directions, and in spite of his longstanding reputation as a "fusion" chef, most of his food is deep down satisfying comfort food in the "wipe your plate clean with a piece of bread" manner. Our menu from May of this year.

If more familiar one is with Michelin ratings all over Spain, the less puzzling Michelin's undervalue of any particular restaurant will seem. Campsa rates Viridiana 2 "suns" out of 3. The best of Spain's chefs are outpacing their French counterparts and yet there's a greater discrepency among the stars in Spain than in France. It seems far tougher to get the first star and tougher again to advance. It becomes hard to argue with those who suggest the evidence points to a conspiracy or quota system.

[pedro]

Anyway, on the first night I went to Julian de Tolosa. We had an appetizer of Jamon and Lomo iberico and another of white asparagus with majonaise. Both were excellent, with a special mention for the asparagi, which, out of season, were a really pleasant surprise (the jamon was fantastic but this is not a surprise).

Weren't the asparagus canned? That would explain their excellence. You can find a good deal on asparagus on this thread covering piquillos

a kind of blood sausage/black pudding

the highlight was the blood sausage which was really good

I'd say you're talking about morcilla. Did they have rice? If they had, you were probably served morcilla de Burgosos.

The other starters were a tortilla filled with mushrooms, goats cheese and a mole poblano sauce which I tasted and was excellent and a ceviche of bonito tuna with other ingredients that I don't recall

The mushroom was likely huitlacoche, the black Mexican mushroom which grows in corncobs.

For seconds, two of us had a most delicious tataki with bonito tuna on the one hand and steak on the other which came with a soy-based sauce which I couldn't quite identify and sauteed ginger.

The soy-based sauce probably was tataki sauce, which if my memory doesn't fail me, has sesame seeds and leek besides the soy.

My wife had a beef dish where stew-sized cubes of beed came in a sauce with mushrooms and spring onions which was also excellent but I preferred my dish.

Another classic dish from Viridiana, using boletus edulis.

On the basis of this one meal alone, it is really puzzling that Michelin has not thought more of the place.

Let's say that Abraham's relationship with some critics is not an easy one, and he doesn't adopt a quiet position about what he considers the defects of a given type of critic in the country, which favors a very specific style of cooking. See RGS's guide to expand on this.

In spite of the fact that he can be very creative and go off in odd directions, and in spite of his longstanding reputation as a "fusion" chef, most of his food is deep down satisfying comfort food in the "wipe your plate clean with a piece of bread" manner

I'd say that this is the description that would please the most to Abraham.

[francesco]

Anyway, on the first night I went to Julian de Tolosa. We had an appetizer of Jamon and Lomo iberico and another of white asparagus with majonaise. Both were excellent, with a special mention for the asparagi, which, out of season, were a really pleasant surprise (the jamon was fantastic but this is not a surprise).

Weren't the asparagus canned? That would explain their excellence. You can find a good deal on asparagus on this thread covering piquillos

yes, they might have been now that I think about it.

a kind of blood sausage/black pudding

the highlight was the blood sausage which was really good

I'd say you're talking about morcilla. Did they have rice? If they had, you were probably served morcilla de Burgosos.

the sausage in Botin did have rice and it was much better than the one I had at the vaca which was a straightforward blood sausage.

The other starters were a tortilla filled with mushrooms, goats cheese and a mole poblano sauce which I tasted and was excellent and a ceviche of bonito tuna with other ingredients that I don't recall

The mushroom was likely huitlacoche, the black Mexican mushroom which grows in corncobs.

Now that you mention it, I do recall the chef himself (who listed the off-the-menu options) citing Mexican mushrooms at some point: it must have been them.

For seconds, two of us had a most delicious tataki with bonito tuna on the one hand and steak on the other which came with a soy-based sauce which I couldn't quite identify and sauteed ginger.

The soy-based sauce probably was tataki sauce, which if my memory doesn't fail me, has sesame seeds and leek besides the soy.

Ah, I have to hold my head in shame: the sauce was the actual name of the dish and I didn't figure it out.

My wife had a beef dish where stew-sized cubes of beed came in a sauce with mushrooms and spring onions which was also excellent but I preferred my dish.

Another classic dish from Viridiana, using boletus edulis.

yes, it would have been the best part of the meal if it hadn't been for the formidable quality of the beef and tuna in the tataki.

On the basis of this one meal alone, it is really puzzling that Michelin has not thought more of the place.

Let's say that Abraham's relationship with some critics is not an easy one, and he doesn't adopt a quiet position about what he considers the defects of a given type of critic in the country, which favors a very specific style of cooking. See RGS's guide to expand on this.

yes, I did follow the thread but I still think that if the standard is the one I had witnessed (and given the other comments on this forum, I have little reason to doubt it), it is ridiculous that the restaurant doesn't have one star (at the very least).

In spite of the fact that he can be very creative and go off in odd directions, and in spite of his longstanding reputation as a "fusion" chef, most of his food is deep down satisfying comfort food in the "wipe your plate clean with a piece of bread" manner

I'd say that this is the description that would please the most to Abraham.

Well, then if you get a chance to go back tell him that it's exactly what one of his customers (me) did with his egg, mushrooms and truffles dish. I should add that the "fusion" aspect of the cuisine fooled our guest who is brasilian and could have sweared that the chef was from Argentina, given the choic of dishes: I had a hard time to convince him that it wasn't so. I certainly agree with the comfort food aspect that Bux has pointed out: there were at least 4-5 options for each course which tempted us and it was a very difficult choice indeed, I only wish I would get a chance to go again soon.

Francesco

[vserna]

With a bottle of wine, and some good but not more than that, dessert, the final bill came at 70 euros per person which was, I thought was a bit too expensive for what we had, but maybe my expectations for food prices in Spain were out of sync with reality.

Very surprising, this. We paid under €50 per person only last month. Did you have a very expensive wine?