As Oprah Winfrey once said, “I love bread.” Oprah has never been more right about the carbohydrate food category. So, when I go to a restaurant and they slap a bowl of bread and a plate of oil in my face, I know some bangin’ food is about to be served. This weekend I ventured off campus to the Barcelona Wine Bar restaurant at 1200 Villa Place. I knew it was going to be good, because of the piping hot and buttery bread, but trust me, you’re going to want to keep reading, because it gets even better. Now, before y’all start with the, “Zoe, you’re under 21! Why are you at a wine bar!?”, just know that it is actually a restaurant alongside a bar, with its own dining area.
My close friend Emilio wanted to show me his native Spanish cuisine, and I was touched to say the least. It meant a lot to me that he wanted to share his home cuisine with my ignorant American cuisine self. Yet, I was also hesitant because my food palate is limited to chicken tenders, fries, and GoGo Squeez applesauce packets. I said yes, and saw the excitement in his eyes as he listed off dishes that included moldy sausage, along with squid, and fish. I was scared, and you would be too if your diet consisted of the safe and bland foods of chicken and rice.
The design of the restaurant itself is very easy on the eyes. The restaurant had an elegant yet gritty vibe, with beautiful hanging fixtures, golden wood floors, and metal décor to offset the glowing light coming in from the large windows. The menu was entirely in Spanish, so thank goodness Emilio was fluent and guided me through what to order. We ended up sharing five plates of tapas, which consisted of Jamón Serrano, bread and oil (my favorite!), calamari, Torrijas with Crème Catalan, Jamón & Monchego Croquetas, and Potato Tortilla. When I say run, don’t walk, to try to the Croquetas, I am not being dramatic. It’s basically a fried dough ball of cheese, ham, and potatoes blended together into a mouthwatering mixture. The Jamón is basically Spanish ham that you can put on breads, and dip into a buttery oil. Emilio says that his family usually buys Jamón by the pounds, and he could usually eat all of it one sitting. The Torrijas reminded me of French toast, and its flaky insides with notes of cinnamon were deserving of happy tears.
I was so glad I ended up going with Emilio because I tried so many new foods I wouldn’t have tried by myself. I was also so excited to try cuisine from a different culture, and get out of my comfort zone of the usual chicken tenders. But, the pinnacle of my Barcelona Wine Bar experience was seeing the excitement in Emilio to share his Spanish culture. As we ate and chatted over the tapas, he discussed his childhood memories of eating food and showed me pictures of his hometown, and photos of his hometown were actually featured in the restaurant! I was touched that he wanted to share that with me and so happy that he got to be reminded of his home which is so far away seeming even farther sometimes during this pandemic. I love that Vanderbilt gives me the opportunity to interact with students from all over the world, and gives us a space to share our culture and experiences. I urge you to try the Barcelona Wine Bar not only for its great Spanish cuisine and moderate prices, but because you might just learn something new about yourself and your peers.