Barcelona Cuisine | Poble Espanyol

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blogging to dedicate an entire week to the food consumed while on vacation in Barcelona! This first meal coincides with an afternoon spent at Poble Espanyol, an open-air architectural museum village constructed in 1929 for the International Exhibition.

Inside the walled community lies a full scale reproduction of Spain's symbolic buildings and places fused with artisan workshops and boutiques, restaurants and tapas bars.

El Poble is a fantastic attraction. There is a a €9,50 entrance fee and audio guided tours are offered for an additional €3.

I had a feeling the restaurants "inside" would be slightly more touristy than traditional, but it was later in the afternoon and we were starving.

The spacious patio at Albi which offered reasonably priced Catalan fare felt like the perfect fit. 

We started the lunch festivities with a pitcher of Sangria.No matter how much Sangria we consumed on an almost daily basis (lots!) I never seemed to tire of this luscious fruit infused red wine libation. After a basket of bread and bowl of potato chips the starter courses were delivered. I ordered a Queso Fresco y Chorizo. A pottery ramekin full of delicately torched melted queso contained rolled slices of ham. While the thick melted cheese was tasty, it became overwhelming after about 5 bites. 

My entree of Tortilla de Patatas was Spanish comfort food at its very finest. A thick wedge of fluffy eggs is loaded with fried potatoes, onions, and topped with a spicy chili pepper. Alongside was a substantial salad of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and shredded carrots and a serving of white rice. This dish was very satisfying. 
For dessert there was no going wrong with the Crema Catalana, essentially the Spanish/Catalan version of crème brulee. The base of a rich egg yolk custard is super creamy with a substantial layer of burnt caramelized sugar on top. This was an awesome finale.We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon on the airy Albi terrace and exploring the narrow winding streets of Poble Espanyol. Warm weather and sangria pitchers at lunch seems a distant memory; so it's nice to reminisce on those intensely hot and sunny, blue skied, carefree days in Barcelona. Stay tuned this week for more of what we ate. The food only gets better!!

P.S. Happy Halloween!