Barcelona Steakhouse & Bar

My mother is in town for the weekend and her, my grandma and I went out for dinner tonight. As we were seated I mentioned A Food Year to the waitress and how I'm documenting my dinners and if she could please ask the kitchen if it would be possible to get the recipes for the dishes we decide on. She said sure, not a problem, and left to ask. When she returned, she explained that she could not give me the actual recipes, but that a complete list of the ingredients would be possible. I'd be a bit shocked if the ingredients weren't possible, since I think it's required by law to do so because of food allergies and such. I figured that would be good enough and I could determine how the ingredients were used based on the foods we were eating.

We received some bread to start, but I thought it tasted as though it were microwaved in a plastic bag and it wasn't very appealing. I couldn't even finish a slice. I had a seafood strudel as an appetizer, which was comparatively better. It was scallops, prawns and crab in a puff pastry shell. It was large enough for an entree for 1, so I was feeling pretty full after eating it. The seafood was cooked very well, but the dough was overly buttered or oiled and somewhat burnt.

My actual entree was crisped duck with blueberry demi. There were a couple pieces of boiled cauliflower with dried dill, some carrots, a strip of red pepper, some pearl onions and mashed potatoes on the side. For the price of the meal I was surprised that dried herbs were used for everything and the only fresh one was a rosemary garnish that seemed completely out of place since, as far as I could tell, no rosemary was used in the preparation whatsoever. The duck was not crispy and not cooked as well as my liking, and the blueberry demi-glaze tasted more like salty beef bouillon with blueberries in it. Definitely not an outstanding dinner.

For dessert, mom and I shared an entirely too massive plate of "tiramisu". However, this was so much unlike any tiramisu I've ever eaten that I'm not going to consider it a duplicate when I make my own for Shannon's birthday. It tasted like a mascarpone cheesecake mixed with basic white cake, dusted with cocoa powder. I did not taste even a hint of coffee or liqueur or anything that I equate with tiramisu whatsoever. Even the worst tiramisu is still good, but it was sort of like getting a fast food cheesecake on a plate instead of in a cup.

When the bill came around and I asked for the ingredients, I was also disappointed. I was told that the duck was just, "A seared duck breast with a demi glaze and blueberries. I don't know what that means, do you?" and that the strudel was, "A puff pastry, but I can't tell you what was in it because it's a secret Barcelona sauce." Barcelona being the name of the restaurant that continually disappoints me with their food and service, but I eventually end up at again in hopes that it has changed. So, no recipes tonight, just bad pictures. I'm very sorry.