Where to Eat in Girona When You Can’t Get into the World’s Second Best Restaurant

by David Farley on
Maybe it was the fact that there were no residents of Girona actually eating there, just a smattering of English and German couples patiently awaiting their first courses. And probably it was the Andean flute version of Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” piping through the speakers as I walked in the door. But the real moment I realized I made a huge mistake was when it was too late: the instant my food hit the table. Dry-as-a-bone rabbit, overly goopy cannelloni stuffed with a mysterious ground meat.

Its not supposed to be this way. Well, at least in my mind. I hate eating badly on the road, especially when in Spain, the place Anthony Bourdain proclaimed was the best country in which to eat in the Western world right now. He didn’t go to Pao del Call on Girona’s narrow Carrer Forca, I imagine.


Then again, maybe he didn’t make the mistake of using Chowhound, an online message board/resource that has, up until this very second, been quite valuable to me in finding great eating spots around the globe.

What I really wanted to do was eat at El Celler de Can Roca, recently rated the second best restaurant in the world by the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The description on San Pellegrino’s site calls the restaurant “possibly the least well known restaurant to have ever held the much-vaunted number two spot on the list.” All that is about to change though. With elBulli shutting down soon many traveling food lovers are starting to wonder who will take the spatula from Ferran Adria. Many people believe it’s Can Roca, a temple of avant-garde (some would say molecular) cuisine run by the three brothers Roca

But eating there during my recent stay in Girona was out of the question; it was booked up for months. I went on Chowhound and found someone had already posed the same question that had led me to the site in the first place: where can I eat in Girona if I can’t get into Can Roca? The answer guided me here, to this sub-mediocre restaurant in Girona’s historical center. So I decided to do my own research, asking locals and restaurant insiders in Girona where to eat in Girona when you can’t get into the world’s second best restaurant (and preferably one that laid off the Andean flute music).

Here’s what I found:
Nu Restaurant
Pere Massana, whose eponymous restaurant has earned a Michelin star, recently opened Nu, a great restaurant with a bad name. The menu is deceptively simple. Order “tomato, basil, vinegar, olive oil delight,” which sounds a description of Caprese salad, but at Nu it’s a golf-ball-sized sphere that, when bit into, oozes all the flavors of the ingredients described above. It’s revelatory. Almost as good are the blood sausage raviolis with pumpkin cream.

Can Roca
A friend of mine named Jack Sagel who lives in Girona and who runs this site, emailed on my second day there to ask if I wanted to eat at Can Roca. Yes! I responded. I thought he might have an in and was excited about the unexpected offer. But I soon realized there’s more than one Can Roca. There’s the famous El Celler de Can Roca and then there’s just Can Roca. Located down the street from the acclaimed restaurant, Can Roca is run by the parents of the three famous chef brothers. This is where they got their start, in this simple restaurant. Jack and I pulled up a seat for the three-course menu del dia, which consisted of pasta with beans, grilled boitifarra, a typical Catalan sausage. If you want avant-garde cuisine, this isn’t the place (despite the name). But for simple, hearty Catalan classics, Can Roca is it.
Located in the shadow of the cathedral, Mimolet serves up nicely executed Catalan-inspired fare. Service is attentive and the clean, design-y space is easy on the eyes. But the main reason to splurge here are for the inventive dishes and unusual pairings: steak tartar with curry ice cream, pork trotters with grilled scallops, and duck breast with glazed apple and a red garancha sauce.

The Twelve Tribes Cafes: are they worth it?

by Elizabeth Seward on


Visit the website representing the members of the religious group, The Twelve Tribes, and they’ll cheerily tell you all about themselves. Visit one of the cafes the group, now located in the USA, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia, owns and the workers will warmly welcome you and feed you while you uncover the details of their religious beliefs in pamphlets and papers, some of which are difficult to miss because they’re tacked on bathroom walls. Check out the Yelp reviews for the respective cafes, bakeries, and delis and you’ll find myriad mixed reviews. Some people leave before they order, scampering off scared by the uncommon religious propaganda. But other people seem to love the cafes, no matter their ideological differences.

As I write this, I’m sitting upstairs at Common Grounds–a Twelve Tribes cafe in Hyannis, Massachusetts. To follow is the breakdown of what I know so far about these people, their cafes, and whether or not you should drink their juice.

%Gallery-126493%Who they are:
An international confederation of religious communities. Founded by Gene Spriggs in 1972, the group’s original base was Chattanooga, Tennessee. The group attempts to recreate the First Century Church from the Book of Acts.

What they say:
(Everything below was copied directly either from their website, free paper, or menu)

  • We follow the Messiah, Yahshua, the son of the living God. He gave up His life for us so that our sins could be forgiven. This is why we love Him. Our love for Him is expressed in our daily care for each other…
  • We believe and follow the teachings of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, in a very real and practical way. We believe that God is good and just, and will judge all men according to their deeds…
  • We live together in households, clans, and tribes, sharing our possessions in common. We strongly support marriage, and we teach our children at home. We dress modestly, eat wholesome food, work hard, pray together, and celebrate our life in music and dance…
  • We hate the death, war, strife, hatred, starvation, murder, injustice, greed, and selfishness that is leading the whole world to destruction. We want to see all of this come to an end. We want many, many more people to hear the voice of hope we have heard, to come and see the life. We are thrilled to be able to invite you to come and see that it is a reality.
  • Community, as we use the term, means those who love one another so greatly that they are of one heart and mind, holding all things as common property, living together, taking their meals together, devoted to one another because they’re devoted to the One who saved them from death and misery.
  • The ones we are most concerned about are the ones who think they are fine.
  • We live in an environment that is separate from the world while remaining right in the middle of it.
  • If you worry that many catastrophes may happen soon, you’re right.
  • We regard all hardship as discipline, which will eventually cause us to be conformed into the likeness of our Master.
  • When the world sees Yahshua’s disciples dwelling together in unity, denying themselves for the good of their brothers, it proves something.
  • A woman is to desire her husband and let him rule over her. She is to bear their children in pain. A man is to toil and sweat to provide for his family, not live off the labor of others. He is to rule over his wife. Sexual relationships are to be limited to the covenant of marriage.

What others say:

  • “I was once a member of the twelve tribes and I tell you now, they are a high-control cult that twists scripture to suit their own needs. As far as you must accept Jesus, they consider him a demon. Further, when I left the cult they told me I would be dead in two years because the holy spirit cannot live outside of their community. That was three years ago. Stay away from this group and if you can organize prayer groups to disband them I recommend it. The world will be a much better place without them…for one.”—Mark.
  • “I do not plan on joining this group, however they are great people and I suggest going and finding out what they are really about. I may go back to find out more with the same people, simply because it seems they live a simple, yet fulfilling lifestyle.”—Observer.

Check out other comments on the group on these websites:

GoodMason.com
TwelveTribes-Ex.com
TheAntiTourist.com

More or less, what others say is mixed. The Twelve Tribes appears to be a polarizing group. People seem to think they’re either a manipulative cult or good people with a good message.

What they serve:
Pretty undeniably delicious food and beverages. Also, “the fruit of the spirit”.

Where they are: Check out their own list of where they are located.

So… is it worth it? I say yes. The food is good, the wifi is strong, the caffeine is even stronger, and, generally speaking, the two places I’ve dined in were nice, welcoming, and comfortable. I say go, but go with information about the people who operate the cafe in hand.

‘Thirsty Dudes’ drink up beverages from all over the world

by Libby Zay on

Tired of drinking the same old stuff? Three Thirsty Dudes are on a liquid journey to taste test the world’s refreshments, one beverage at a time. Together, the team of Buffalo natives has reviewed over 1,200 drinks, ranging from mass produced soda pop and iced tea to more obscure drinks that fall into categories such as ‘chunky drinks’ and ‘elixir.’ They’re like foodies, except they steer clear of solids.

“I love when I go into what appears to be a run down corner store and it ends up being a beverage Mecca,” writes beverage buff Jason Draper on a recent review of Jarritos Pineapple, a soft drink from Mexico. Along with friends Mike Literman and Derek Neuland, the team has tackled drinks from six continents.

Some of my favorite reads were of Wonderfarm White Fungus Bird’s Nest Drink, a strange liquid described as “what the water looks like after you spit out a loogie while brushing your teeth,” and Taiwan’s Hey Song Shaking Jelly Soda, a half liquid, half gel concoction. “It’s like someone poured a nice half glass of sparkling white grape juice, then they filled the rest with unflavored Jell-O that wasn’t completely solidified yet,” writes Draper, with Literman (who pried open his can with a pair of pliers to get to the good stuff) adding: “Now I have a cup of just amber colored sludge and I’m loving it.”

Whether they are gagging on vinegar drinks or sipping down a refreshing workout drink, reviews by the Thirsty Dudes are written with humor and honesty. Check their website to see if they’ve reviewed your favorite regional drink – and if not, send the boys a care package and they’ll be more than happy to give it a go. The only think these Thirsty Dudes don’t throw down the hatch is alcohol; this trio of daring, drink devouring fellas is completely straight edge.

[Photo courtesy the Thirsty Dudes]

Manhattan hot doggery Gray’s Papaya set to raise prices (again)

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It’s murder, I say! Murder!

Well, I don’t say it … Gray’s Papaya does. The Manhattan hot dog institution is about to raise its prices once again. This will be the third price increase since I moved to the Upper West Side in 2004.

There’s a rather dramatic sign hanging in the window at Gray’s Papaya screaming, “MURDER!” It continues:

WE ARE GETTING KILLED BY THE GALLOPING INFLATION IN FOOD COSTS
UNLIKE POLITICIANS WE CANNOT RAISE OUR DEBT CEILING AND ARE FORCED TO RAISE OUR VERY REASONABLE PRICES
PLEASE DON’T HATE US

Okay, it’s hard to hate the folks who sell two hot dogs and a drink for a modest $4.50, though I was much happier when it was a dollar cheaper, back in 2008. Seven years ago, one hot dog cost only 85 cents. Then it skyrocketed, on a relative basis, to $1.25 in 2005, inching up to $1.50 three years ago.

%Gallery-126040%The deal, which still returns change for a $5 bill, is called the “Recession Special,” which took real meaning in 2008, as New York City suffered the shock of the financial crisis. Since then, as we have struggled toward a recovery that never really seems to come, the Gray’s Papaya Recession Special has been a fantastic alternative to … well, just about everything.

But, where will the prices go next?

It’s hard to say. The notice has been up for a few weeks, but I have yet to see any indication of price change. The guy working behind the counter said he didn’t know where prices were headed and that they would probably take effect in early June. I walked by a few days ago and didn’t see anything different.

There is a lesson in all this: buy hot dogs.

If you bought hot dogs from Grays’ Papaya in 2004 at 85 cents each, they would have nearly doubled in value by 2008. With all the gripes were hearing about food inflation, it’s pretty safe to say that we’ll see another big spike in 2011.

Hot dogs are the new gold.

I guess the only problem would be storing them. I do suspect, though, that hot dogs are like Twinkies – they last forever.

If you find yourself in New York, definitely hit Gray’s Papaya. If the prices are higher than you expect, try not to complain. It still really is the best deal in town!

Note: The space in the window at Gray’s Papaya seems to be reserved for political messages, as it once endorsed Barack Obama for president. Now, the company is sending a message about government spending and deficit management. Who ever knew that a dog from Gray’s Papaya came with a free civics lesson?

Another note: when prices were raised in 2008, I stopped at Gray’s Papaya on my way to work for a hot dog for breakfast (it’s sick, I know). There were television cameras set up out front. I didn’t know why. Well, it turns out that MSNBC was doing a story on the price increase. And, a good friend of mine, now my roommate, wound up being interviewed about it. He’s in this clip.

Harlem: neighborhood revitalization paves way for a new Renaissance

by Laurel Miller on

Harlem. The very name of this former Dutch settlement conjures up a contrast in images: the cultural Renaissance years of the 1920’s and ’30’s, when the “New Negro Movement” attracted writers and other literary types from all over the world. The rise of a middle and upper middle class of black Americans. The Golden Age of Jazz, when legends like Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Jelly Roll Morton could be found playing at iconic venues such as the Savoy Ballroom, Cotton Club, Apollo Theater, and Lenox Lounge.

After the Great Depression and WWII, Harlem experienced hard times. Once glorious buildings grew neglected; crime and poverty soared in the wake of an increasingly disenfranchised community and the social unrest of the civil rights movement. Then, in the late 20th century, Harlem began to get her groove back, and the neighborhood—which stretches north to south from 155th Street to 96th Street–began to gentrify. It’s still a predominantly black community, which is fueling a growing revivalist movement that’s an homage to the historic neighborhood’s cultural past.

Today, you’re just as likely to see beautifully restored brownstones (at newly jacked-up prices), eclectic boutiques, bars, and clubs, and destination restaurants. But some things are still the same. The inevitable downtown hipsters making the trek to soul food institutions such as Amy Ruth’s and Sylvia’s Restaurant. Street vendors hawking everything from incense to dodgy electronics from blankets spread on the sidewalk. Walking up the subway steps, you’re assaulted by a cacophony of sights, sounds, smells–not all of them pleasant. Welcome to Harlem, 2011. A work in progress, but definitely a destination in its own right.

[Photo credit: Flickr user i am drexel]

%Gallery-125753%

Sleeping

One of the biggest changes to take place is the December, 2010 opening of the Aloft, Harlem’s first hotel in nearly a century. The goal of the property has been to work with the community, and enrich the neighborhood by partnering with local businesses, which supply everything from grab-and-go food at the hotel’s 24/7 re:fuel, to floral arrangements.

The Aloft, a division of W Hotels, is a contemporary, more affordable sibling to the swanky, upscale chain, with locations all over North America and a growing number of properties throughout Asia, Europe, and Central and South America. The Harlem outpost is centrally-located on Frederick Douglass Blvd. It’s across the street from the 125th Street subway station, which makes getting downtown a snap.

My room was clean, comfortable, and stylish (with free Bliss Spa Products: yay!), with modern, functioning amenities (read: Wifi is free and actually works). If a view is important to you, best to request a room facing the front of the hotel. On the other hand, if you’re a voyeur or exhibitionist, I highly recommend Room 625. One other note: the ground floor xyz bar is seriously popping on the weekend, and not just with tourists, either. Expect loud music and dancing to go into the wee hours; if you’re sound-sensitive, also best to request a room away from the acoustic zone. Or just join the party.

To See and Do

The Aloft is literally steps away from a number of Harlem’s top cultural attractions. Modern art fans will enjoy The Studio Museum on W. 125th, which showcases local, national and international work by artists of African descent. Also nearby is the Apollo Theater, and the Hip Hop Culture Center, which offers everything from youth activities to historical artifacts, exhibitions, and educational programs. The Jazz Museum is another don’t-miss, over on E. 126th.

Eating and Drinking

Considered some of NY’s best, Patsy’s Pizza in East Harlem has been dishing out coal oven-fired pies since 1933. But a flock of new dining and drinking establishments have opened within the last year or so (all within stumbling distance of the Aloft).

Acclaimed Ethiopian-Swedish chef/Harlem resident Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster, named after an infamous Harlem speakeasy, is a homey contemporary restaurant specializing in comfort food that “celebrates the diverse culinary traditions of the neighborhood.” Think dinner or brunch dishes like dirty rice and shrimp; fried yard bird with white mace gravy, hot sauce, and shake; cow peas; and sweet potato doughnuts. Don’t forget to loosen up with a Gin and Juice or The Spicy Lady (Plymouth gin, jalapeno/rosemary syrup, lemon juice, and creole bitters), first. P.S. If the name of the restaurant sounds familiar, it may be because Obama hosted a $30,800-a-plate fundraiser dinner there in March. He liked the corn bread.

Harlem’s first beer garden, Bier International, sloshes up domestic and international offerings. It also serves brunch and lunch, and is family-friendly (how is mom and dad tying one on while the kids eat bratwurst not a family activity?). And yes, Virginia, there is fine dining in Harlem. The 5 and Diamond, which opened last year, is a popular spot offering contemporary American fare. It’s located on Frederick Douglass Blvd., which has been declared by no less than Frank Bruni–former restaurant critic of the New York Times– as the new “Restaurant Row.”

If serious mixology–with a laidback vibe and sexy, Prohibition-era style–is your thing, head to 67 Orange Street. I adore any place with craft-distilled and house-infused spirits, made-to-order juices, seasonal, intelligent, well-made libations, and a lack of attitude. Bar snacks run the gamut from oysters to deviled eggs, orange-roasted duck leg, and stuffed olives (at hard-to-beat prices). The name, by the way, is a tribute to the long-gone Almack’s, one of the first black-owned-and-operated bars in New York City.

Harlem is evolving at a fast pace; best to visit now, while it’s still an affordable, uncrowded, diamond in the rough.

Want to learn how to shake up a refreshing Moscow Mule or other classic cocktail? 67 Orange gives you recipes, right here.

[Photo credits: pizza, Flickr user Pabo76; soul food, Flickr user fiat luxe; brownstone, Flickr user gsz]