Cordera Asado en Los Caracoles, Barcelona

There is a very quaint restaurant in Barcelona called Los Caracoles (The Snails). It happens to be one of my favorite restaurants. It's probably the most well-known non-tourist restaurant in the Mediterranean. The location is frightfully close to La Rambla but very well hidden. It practically looks like a hole in the wall, like a very simple bar. But - my friends - beyond that bar lies a fabulous spanish kitchen and two or three floors of great restaurant, including a chambre de privé (not mixed up with club privé - another story) for about ten to 12 people.

I entered this holy sanctimony more than twelve years ago, when I lived in Barcelona. One of my classmates, a woman in her late 40's invited me to dine with her and some friends. She told me - in absolute confidence I might add - about this little culinary pearl of hers.

I'd like to remind everyone that Barcelona wasn't just a simple walk in the park back in 1992. The city was still preparing for the olympic games. Tourists and foreigners were recommended to stay away from certain areas like El Barrio Gotic where Los Caracoles is located. ETA - the basque separatist movement - made their entrance by letting several bombs go off in different parts of the city. What can I say, it was exciting times.

That's why this was such an adventure. It was like stepping into the unknown when we left the cab on La Rambla and took our first steps on Calle Escudellers. Locals where standing on both sides of the street, talking and pointing at the foreign crowd. Most of the locals were either homeless or criminals - or both.



Well, over to the great discovery of that evening: El Cordero Asado (The Roasted Lamb). It was the third plate we ordered and it was just fabulous. The meat feel of the bone, the potatoes and the onion was so finely roasted that they melted in my mouth. I just had to order another bottle of wine. I do recall it was a Montecillo Gran Reserva.

Since 1992 I have been a frequent guest at this great restaurant. It's been in business for close to 200 years and I hope I'll help to keep it in business for at least another 50 years. Wouldn't mind having my last supper there.

PS. Let this be a lesson to you kids: Low-carbs and South Beach Diet is nothing more than a marketing scam. The true pleasure and healthy living lies in eating great food in moderation as well as exercising.