The Tale of the Tapas

I discovered Barcelona restaurant by way of a story on tapas. Tapas are Spanish appetizers served on small dishes, usually at a bar with drinks. The custom in Spain is to eat tapas while standing at a bar, which is covered from end to end with tapas. At Barcelona in Santa Monica, the tapas are served from the kitchen, a concession to state health and safety codes governing displayed foods, no doubt. The code stipulates that foods that are displayed must be covered or otherwise protected, and tapas would not be the same under glass or sneeze guard.

Barcelona had been doing tapas since opening almost a year ago, catering to afternoon and early evening drinkers. The hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are considered “dead” hours for a restaurant, so Barcelona’s solution to fill in the blank with traditional tapas was a wise one, which is now catching on around town at other restaurants, including at some of the older Spanish restaurants such as La Masia in Beverly Hills. The tapas served at Barcelona are very fresh and typical of the tapa bar food you would find in Spain-- boquerones (fried smelts), mejillones a la marineras (mussels with tomato sauce), tortilla (potato omelet), asturiana (beans), calamares fritas (fried squid), among others.

Served as Appetizers

Since our story appeared about a month ago, Barcelona has been serving tapas as appetizers during lunch and dinner hour; a good idea for people who would like to make a meal of them.

Then I heard that a Barcelona-style paella served at the restaurant was excellent. Would it compare to the fabulous paella we had at a vineyard outside Barcelona, Spain? So we trudged off to the other side of town on a rainy Sunday night and tried paella, which was, indeed, very good. This Barcelona-style paella is nicely served at tableside, priced at $25.90 for two. (Every region in Spain boasts its own style paella, although paellas served inland, in such places as Madrid, are considered impostors).

Topping the mound of very good saffron rice are tidbits of chicken, pork, Spanish sausage, good-sized shrimp, clams and other shellfish.

Owner Roberto Hernandez laments that many people in Los Angeles think Spanish and Mexican cuisines are one and the same. “They don’t realize that there is no resemblance at all,” said Hernandez, a native of Northern Spain. Confusion may be blamed on use of the word Spanish instead of Mexican by restaurants wishing to avoid prejudice decades ago. So if you are curious about Spanish cuisine you will have a good range of regional specialties to choose from at Barcelona at reasonably decent prices--around $9 per entree, which, except for paella, comes with soup, salad and two fresh vegetables.

White Gazpacho

You have at Barcelona a white gazpacho made with grapes as it’s done in Malaga, as well as the traditional red Andalusian gazpacho. There is whole fish prepared Basque-style, pork chops Aragon style, Catalonian-style lotte imported from Mediterranean waters, plus several salads typical of Catalonia, Seville and Andalusia.

What’s good from Madrid? Callos a la Madrilena, a tripe dish, is the chef Juan Rodriquez’s choice.

My favorite dessert, and one I have yet to find anywhere else in Los Angeles, is served at Barcelona. Crema Catalana, a fried cream much like creme brulee , is thick and wonderful with a crackly burnt sugar crust on top. It’s a must for anyone who loves custard. It will not be the same crema Catalana found in Southern Spain, because of the differences in taste of milk and eggs, but it comes close enough to assuage flickers of nostalgia, if any.

Barcelona, 3316 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. (213) 450-3232. Open for lunch Tuesday to Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; tapas are served at lunch and dinner and from 3 p.m. to 6:30; dinner from 5:30 p.m. 10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday to 11 p.m.; Sunday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Visa, MasterCard, American Express accepted. Parking in rear. Spanish wines available. Average check with beverage $15.