Barcelona: Xemei
Xemei – Baby petoncle scallops, polenta (extra!!!!!!!!!!) & baby calamar …… my God. So, so, so good. Team behind Bar Brutal. Neighborhood much like a quiet street on Montmartre that is on a private lagoon in Venice. I am in love. Delicious rainbow. Gracias Max & Stefano from team Bar Brutal at their fantastic Venetian resto in Barcelona. If you need a long lunch on a terrasse & wine sourced as well as the products, this is where you want to be. Stefano is my hero at Xemei – turning me on to a dozen natural wine producers I did know. When he ran a few doors down to find this bottle to share, it was fun, but left alone with it , it became a transformative moment like drinking my first L’Anglore so many years ago. This GMS Vagamonde 2016 by Jose Carvalho & Paulina Srzednicka (La Cave des Nomades in Banyuls) really moved my emotions & is just beautiful. A sunny terrace high up in the hills, Xemei is the sister restaurant to Bar Brutal – Venetian ideals with Spanish products & natural wines. So “perfect” I went twice in two days because I craved it. Gorgeous pastas, seasonal seafood & vegetables, carnevore dishes like braised baby goat shoulder, fresh air, gentle breezes, sunny skies, friendly professional service… it checks all the boxes. Take my word for it please, just go. Merci to @rhumrhino for sharing the love.
