I think food blogging is a bit like being a member of parliament. First, you have the liberty of being able to say whatever you want but with the knowledge that somebody is going to publicly disagree with your opinion. In fact, some of them will just be nasty about it. I remember writing a rather negative review of Hudson Kitchen shortly after all the TIFF sightings a couple of years back only to have a reader tell me how wrong I was (for the record I need to point out that Hudson Kitchen is now closed so I wasn’t that far off) and suggesting that I was not a blog to follow. Second, like politics, there is an element of responsibility with any kind of blogging. I’m not saying what I write is going to make or break a restaurant, but what I say is very public and readily accessible so I try to be extremely careful even if I don’t like a place. It is never my intention to shit on a chef or their restaurant because it’s like shitting on their character. At the same time, however, I shouldn’t be crapped on as a patron either. Third, I have to consider not only my opinion but also the opinions of friends and colleagues I respect much like a politician has to respect his or her constituents.
For these reasons, I think Justin Trudeau would be a good food reviewer. Consider the following:
- He has a sizable following on social media . For example, he has 1.2 million twitter followers which means his omnipotent opinion would be read (and maybe even retweeted) by the masses.
- Many of those who read food blogs are his target audience…the entitled generation. His election win was driven by, among others, those who believe that social injustices of the world can be solved by T-shirts, tattoos and that eating ethnic food is a symbol of global solidarity.
- He can post his pretty profile pic along with his reviews because that face can’t lie, right?
- Since both yelp and zomato use a 5 point Likert scale to rank restaurants, he can rate everything 4. That way we could count on his nauseating neutrality knowing he doesn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings or show favouritism, even if they deserve it.
- He can change his opinion whenever it’s convenient. Even if his initial review makes absolutely no sense and sounds like it came out his ass, he can always revisit things under different circumstances and use reasons beyond his control to justify changing his mind…again and again.
So how does all of this relate to Bar Raval? I have two colleagues who I respect as good judges of restaurants. That said, they differ on a few and Bar Raval is one of them. One found it charming and delightful and other thought it was crowded, over hyped and served marginal food. Keeping in mind that one experience doesn’t necessarily reflect the overall quality of a place, I felt like I was going to be the tie breaker.
One of the early criticisms I heard about Bar Raval was its tiny size and no reservation policy which obviously makes it difficult to ensure a spot upon arrival. A few months ago, when patio season was still feasible, I decided to go in the mid afternoon to grab a drink and an early dinner. I wasn’t sure what to expect because viewing their menu online is more difficult than playing Myst.
Having secured a corner patio seat, I did a quick survey of my surrounding and realized I was in hipster haven. In fact, one of the many hipsters ended up being my waitress for the afternoon. Drink wise, I was drawn to the Gothic quarter ($13). I was a bit excited because, although I’m far from a world traveler, I HAVE been to the Gothic quarter in Barcelona and thought I was REALLY cool to have this namesake drink. As scripted, however, it was pink ( I have this habit of ordering pink drinks regardless of what the description is). I can swallow my manhood and say it was a decent and despite its appearance, even a little bit manly.
Since I was solo that afternoon and most of the came in pairs, I spent a good amount of time wondering how I was going to spend my finite gut capacity yet still get a good flavour of the place. The problem was solved when the waitress indicated I could order singles of any of the pintxos on the menu. As I was deciding, I ordered some delicious aged Mahon cheese ($8) with some bread ($2) which I easily consumed while deciding on the rest.
I ordered singles of the tuna pickle gilda, the stracciatella with boquerones, the morcilla with egg and the cojunado. As an afterthought, I’ll admit they were not the most diverse choices but I love tuna, lovingly remember the boquerones from Bar Isabel and can’t turn down an egg on anything. Plus, I wasn’t about to crack a can or sardines without somebody else helping me. Ranging from about $3.50 to $4.50 per piece, each dish was representative of what I remember from both Barcelona and other Spanish tribute restaurants such as Coqueta in San Francisco and Amada in Philadelphia. My favorite had to be the morcilla. Flavourwise, it was balanced and seasoned nicely and had an enjoyable, crumbly texture which complimented the perfectly cooked quail egg.
My Take
Many factors dictate a good or bad experience and n=1 is not always indicative of a restaurant’s overall semblance which is a big reason that the opinions of others are important. My experience was in between bad and terrific. In other words, it was good. On one hand, I’m keen to come back and admire the Gaudiesque interior while sipping coffees or signature cocktails while eating pastries, pintxos, the raw bar or some other type of tapas I didn’t get to try this time. On the other hand, the thought of being crammed shoulder to shoulder with hipsters in close quarters like the sardines I’m eating is far from appealing. However, in the end, I will side with optimistic neutrality give Bar Raval a very Justinesque “4”. This wishy-washy, indecisive and up the middle denouement leads me to conclude that not only do I sound like a politician…I also sound like a liberal.
Fare..Eat..Ales 