It's one thing to receive news and read of the economic crisis in Spain through the Financial Times…read moreor The Economist. Everything seems very distant and removed as it is distilled into facts and statistics; you know that the situation is bad, but just how bad is something more difficult to fathom. My most recent visit to La Barrica del Secreto was unnerving and left me saddened.
For as long as I have been going to Galicia, my friends and I have always met at La Barrica del Secreto for their excellent wine selection and all of the homemade Galician and Spanish comfort food classics (ternera gallega, octopus, and "lacon con grelos" are just a few) and churrasco-style meats and vegetables - it's like a Spanish hot pot brought to your table. All of that calorie-dense food that Galicia is known for truly helps when you have a big night ahead of you. The octopus has always been one of my favorites - it's served grilled with mushrooms and zamburinas (little scallops). The merluza al pil pil, hake in an emulsion sauce of olive oil, garlic, and peppers, always leaves me amazed at how the Spanish can take a few basic ingredients and create a meal that is fresh, satisfying, and full of flavor.
Whenever we had gone to the restaurant, it was always packed - everyone has the same idea as us: get some food and wine in you before it's time to dance the night away. In fact, because the wait for a table had gotten so long on the weekends, La Barrica del Secreto expanded into the space next door and created a much larger dining area where you could have a full dinner or just a few beers before heading to your next destination. Was it fancy? No. But it was perfect for catching up with friends and having a good meal. On our last visit, the restaurant was back to its small size and was surprisingly empty for a Thursday night. The buzz and energy of all the restaurant patrons was nowhere to be found; the venue had an abandoned feel. When we asked our waitress why the restaurant was back to its small size, she responded that the crisis had forced the owners to downsize because they could hardly pay the bills. It's such a pity because a place like La Barrica del Secreto, where you can have a few glasses of wine from the well-respected bodegas of Rias Baixas and Ribeira Sacra (there are also wines from the larger bodegas in Rioja, Somontano, and Ribera del Duero as well) and a decently priced dinner in a no-frills, very casual environment should be a recession-proof business concept.
I do hope that Spain weathers the current economic state and businesses like La Barrica del Secreto will return to their once prosperous state.
