My Tapas Dinner at Can Travi Nou

Typically when on these jobs I sit at my computer in a room with an exceptional view and rarely get to see any of the venues that the participants enjoy. Other staff go because it falls within the auspices of their duties, but my duties preclude that I be tied to a computer checking emails and updating transportation information to ensure the participants get to and fro successfully. Tonight was different...

Dinner tonight was hosted at Can Travi Nou a beautiful restaurant converted from a rustic farmhouse on the outskirts of Barcelona.

The sign was really discreet and nothing special. Back home a place like this would have an overstated sign. Not this one. It was tucked into some bushes, painted on a piece of wood, and modestly lit. My kind of sign.

As I recount the evening I'll remind you that I was there to work, not wine and dine. Patty was kind enough to invite me and I rode over with Tracy just to check it out, help get people seated, then was supposed to head back with Tracy about 30 minutes later. After witnessing the event from a staff viewpoint and having Tracy answering my questions, I have even more respect for what these folks do for a living than I ever had before. It's astounding.



Upon arrival these músicos were playing traditional Spanish ballads while wine and aperitivos were served by incredibly attentive waiters. These musicians were great but I can't say if anyone but me was actually paying attention. My thought: they need a guy with a kilt and a bodhran up in that mess. New career option! What do you say?


Patty immediately tells me to go check out the place, take pictures, and enjoy myself... so off I went. I'll just splash the screen with some of the shots I took. It's a 3 story farmhouse but only the first 2 are used for dining as well as much of the grounds. Each of the old bedrooms is a separate dining room but for this event the participants were all seated outdoors.

So many choices of oils

          

Who needs a dining room? I'd be happy in this lobby.

Just inside the main entrance

One of the old bedrooms now a dining room

That window to the left peered into the kitchen

Everywhere in Can Travi Nou you can find old pots, jars, jugs, and vases.

The authentically rickety staircase

I took many more pictures but I won't post them all. The place was gorgeous. Around every corner and through every portal there was something new to say "Oh Wow" to. A place like this in SD County would make a killing. It's huge. Google it.

I was staged to help guests to their seats as they slowly made their way to the tables. Patty then pulls Tracy and I off of that duty and insists we go have dinner. There was a room set up for staf with a massive table which initially seemed too big... until the family style tapas began arriving... and arriving... and arriving. It arrives as the dish leaves the kitchen, not all at once. I loved it. Just as one pate was passed around and everyone is commenting on great it was, another arrives. It was like Food Christmas. Oh, and the wine kept flowing.

As a courtesy to my hosts I tried everything. I will not soon forget this meal. My favorites were the lentils (pictured upper left center with the spoon in them), the red peppers stuffed with cod and spinach cream (lower center... I ate about 4 of these), and the black rice (pictured upper center... you can see the pile of black). To be clear, nothing sucked. It was all amazing and flavorful and made me miss my friends. The tempranillo? 3 glasses tells that story.

I was worried that I might not be able to afford a real tapas dinner while here... problem solved. Thanks to Patty and the entire staff for helping me check something off my list.

Kevin, let us know when you're out of your bunk.