So many photos to use as the “feature photo” for this post, but I really do like the cherry tomatoes; they’re so colorful and that sheen really makes them pop.
They were blistered (read: sauteed until their skins broke) in oil with some thyme and little slivers of garlic.
I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Located in Reston Town Center, Barcelona Wine Bar features a menu that’s heavy on tapas (small plates) and Spanish cuisine. On their menu, you’ll find all sorts of peppers and paellas. It’s a neat little place with a number of locations, many of which are located in Connecticut, which leads me to believe it may have begun there (but I don’t know for sure).
Anyway, back to the food. We actually got the tomatoes after we got our little bowl of olives:
The green olives had not been pitted, but it was no problem eating around them. In the forefront, you will see a softened garlic clove (just in case you thought it was a poisonous olive or a random crab meat lump).
But those were just the appetizers we ordered for ourselves. Next up, the main course(s):
Prawns. Shrimp. Whatever word you prefer (Barcelona used prawns, which is usually the first word that comes to mind when their heads are included), they were super delicious and very meaty. Barcelona did us the favor of peeling the shell off of the meaty bits, which in turn allowed for easy head-removal. The heads make for great presentation, though.
I’ve learned over the years and thanks to a couple of crawfish boils the value of “sucking the head.” It means exactly what you think it does. It might gross you out, but there’s a lot of flavor stashed there. Different folks, different strokes.
Grilled hanger steak with a truffle vinaigrette. Holy cow, what a tasty cut of meat. Did you know there’s only one hanger steak per cow? Anyway, the cut is really flavorful, especially when grilled.
Barcelona’s take on Eggs Benedict: Hollandaise, poached egg, blood sausage, English muffin. I didn’t know what the meat was at first. Also, in the spirit of being honest, I have to say that the egg was overcooked – just a smidge under hard-boiled, so this could have been way better. But they nailed everything else, so I’m not really complaining: well-seasoned Hollandaise, earthy blood sausage, and crispy English muffin.
Last and obviously not least, the bananas foster french toast. Breakfast and dessert all in one. Not much to say about this other than it was as delicious as it looks in the photo.
A fantastic brunch location where you can sit outside and scope out some dogs in the park across the street.
Peripheral Chew 