This is a most estimable establishment--one that serves up the entire repertoire of Catalonian…read morecomfort with a kind of unceremonious brilliance. Albóndigas con sepia that flirt with the sea while clinging dearly to the farm, pie de cerdo that reminds one why decadence is always best served braised, and canelones de setas y pularda that might have been penned by a poet in béchamel. And then, of course, the escalivada--like all great dishes, it pretends simplicity while staging quiet revolution on the plate.
The kitchen performs with astonishing velocity--so swift, one wonders whether the food was summoned by incantation rather than stove. As for the service: it is not precisely warm, but neither is it offensive. The staff, much like certain uncles at family gatherings, may seem indifferent to one's presence, but do, in fact, keep everything from falling apart.
The setting is curious. Granollers is not, I must confess, the Paris of the Vallès Oriental. But its pedestrian heart is charming, and if you squint slightly, some of the modernist façades will reward your imagination. The interior of the restaurant itself is--well--adequate. Some recent decisions in decor suggest a battle between good taste and enthusiasm, the outcome of which is inconclusive. Still, it holds together, like a suit that no longer fits but still flatters.
If you are driving to Barcelona and require sustenance before confronting the metropolis, this place makes for a splendid interlude. One leaves satisfied, mildly amused, and faintly unsure whether the entire experience was designed with affection or irony. But then--what worthwhile experience isn't?
