Food – Alella, Spain

Frankfurt de Maria, Plaça Antoni Pujadas i Nirell, 20

This restaurant sits on one of the corners of the Plaza Antoni Pujadas in Alella. It’s right across the local supermarket and just a ten minute walk from where I was staying. I must say I left happily each time. The service is great, with an attentive and friendly staff. Most customers are greeted like family and not just the regulars. There is patio seating with a tent and many seats to choose from on the inside as well. It’s a nice place to take the family or to enjoy a drink at the bar. Out of all of the places I went to in Alella, I think this one gives you the most bang for your buck.

This is one of their combination plates. It was only about 7 euros and comes with pork, Ensaladilla Rusa, french fries, and three chicken croquetas. I was in the process of munching on one as I took this picture. To be honest, I have had dreams with these croquetas since I left Spain. They were so much better than the ones I had in Barcelona which were dry in comparison. These were crispy, flavourful, and just delicious. The pork is seasoned simply which I considered to make a perfect balance with its other tasty co-stars. The Ensaladilla Rusa means Russian salad. It consists of peas, mayonnaise, carrots, potatoes, and tuna. Your meal comes with a basket of sliced french bread, so I suggest topping the bread with the salad. It reminded me of the party appetizers my grandma is known for making in Venezuela. The french fries were crispy as well, nothing too special but still good.

This was the dish I ordered the first time I went to Frankfurt del Maria. I hadn’t eaten anything that day except a yogurt, so by 4 PM I was looking for a big meal. The pizza is big enough to be personal or shared between two people as an appetizer. Most are priced at about 7.50 euros. I wanted the bolognese pizza, but it wasn’t available. So I went with the waiter’s recommendation of the pizza pictured above, which is a thin crust topped with diced tomatoes, basil, bacon, ham, chicken, and a drizzle of olive oil. It was tasty, but it didn’t have enough pizzaz to make me want to order it again in the future.

My take: Order a combination plate. It is almost the same price and brings more components.

Santagloria, Riera Principal, 16

This cafe is a chain, but that doesn’t take away from its quality and customer service. The first time I came in, the lady taking my order greeted me with a warm smile as if she had known me for years and called me guapa (pretty girl/sweetie). I started coming here almost every weekday to give English lessons to a local, so I got to taste a few things, though not all are pictured.


To drink, I always ordered a cafe con leche and added one sugar packet. I’m not a big coffee person, but I was in Spain. These became addicting, as they made me feel warm and cozy. Above is their chocolate croissant, which is flaky, buttery, and has the right amount of sweetness. Try dipping it in your coffee for a grand experience. Below, is their double chocolate cookie. I had this one cloudy afternoon as I took some time to read. It was a great treat for this sweet tooth. It has a nice amount of milk chocolate and white chocolate chips. It’s not super crunchy or super soft. It is strong enough to be dipped in your coffee without crumbling but soft enough that you won’t need your molars to bite into it. The top and bottom pairings were about the same price, less than 3 euros.

On my last day in Alella, for now, I used a coupon to order a cafe con leche with an empanadilla. I had tried one of these earlier in the week at another Alella bakery but was disappointed by it. However, Santagloria’s empanadilla was so good, I almost ordered another one but resisted for the sake of my waistline. It is basically a flaky, thin pastry topped with powdered sugar. I personally love the dough more than the filling of most turnovers, so this was a dream. But if you prefer the filling to the crust on pastries, I would skip out on this.

The above is a Panellet, a traditional pastry in Catalonia during the fall season as it is the traditional dessert of All Saints’ Day. They are made of marzipan, a paste made of almonds and sugar , glazed and topped with pine nuts. They are very sweet but the nuts balance it out.

Paparazzi, Plaça Antoni Pujadas, 5

With an old-school decor, Paparazzi has an essence of cool in the plaza. Tucked into a corner, I might’ve ignored it if it weren’t for the chalkboard sign they put on the main sidewalk with their menu of the day. In Spain, it is very common for restaurants to offer three to four course meals, including a drink, for about 11 euros each weekday. The price usually goes up on the weekends.

I went on a Thursday for one reason alone and that is…Paella was on the menu. The menu was set up so that your appetizer is the same all around but you get three options to choose from for your first and second full meals and dessert.

Above is a thinly sliced eggplant, battered and fried with a sweet honey and date based glaze on top. I’m a big fan of combining sweet with salty ingredients, so this was great. The dates kept the sweetness of the honey in check. The eggplant had the right amount of crisp without being too oily.

Next, I ordered the lentil soup. It had short ribs, chicken, sausage, and potatoes in a deliciously seasoned broth. I felt it was a soup that could’ve easily come from my mom’s or grandmother’s kitchen.

Finally, it was time for Paella. It was made with Spanish yellow rice, chopped vegetables (tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers), chicken and chopped calamari. Although delicious, I felt it might’ve been a little salty for my liking, but I’m not sure if that’s just how most traditional paella is. I still enjoyed it very much though. You are given a large amount, so come hungry. It is also made to order which is something you should watch out for as a tourist. Never order paella for dinner as it is meant to be eaten in the afternoon since t’s usually prepared early. If you decided to order some for dinner, be warned it was probably made that morning and just waiting for you all day.

For dessert, I decided to go with the Tiramisu. At the risk of exaggerating, I will say this was the best tiramisu I’ve ever eaten. The cake itself was light and topped with lots of cinnamon. Careful when biting into it as if you breathe it in you might partake in the cinnamon challenge you never wanted to be a part of. Despite almost choking on the spice, it was a delicious addition to the creamy filling. Oh, I wish I had some right now as I write this.

La Petita Mallorquina, Rambla d´Àngel Guimerà, 40

I stumbled upon this bakery on one of my many walks through Alella. It is a family business and an extension of La Mallorquina which was started in Badalona in 1982. I asked the woman I ordered from how long it’s been in Alella, and she told me ten years and that her boss is the granddaughter of the owners of the original bakery. She showed me an old, black and white picture of a young girl with a couple standing in front of the Badalona bakery during its opening.

With so many options, I was lost in what I should get, so I asked her for help. She asked if I liked chocolate. I nodded excitedly. She recommended the Napolitana (pictured below). A long flaky pastry with chocolate frosted ends and a nice dollop of chocolate on the inside, it was perfect and only 1.55 euros. La Petita Mallorquina is a can’t miss if only for its family roots.

 

A picture I took on my way to have a night of wine and tapas despite the drizzle.

Celler Jordana, Rambla Àngel Guimerà, 60

Celler Jordana doesn’t look like much on the outside, but the food and the ambience is of the upmost quality. Tables are wine barrels already accompanied by wine glasses. The lighting is dimmed, making it a great place for a date night. There is wine for sale in most areas of the restaurant and a chalkboard with cocktail and wine prices.

I ordered a glass of white wine made in Alella. I will note here that most wines in Spain left me tipsy after one or two glasses. I think my tolerance is pretty high, especially if I’ve had a nice meal, so I’m blaming it on the alcohol content of the wine. So be careful, drink water and get some food in your system, before, during, or right after.

The tapas I ordered made me feel extremely fancy. The first was a toasted slice of french bread, topped with foie gras and a caramelised glaze. This was the second time I had foie gras, not knowing what it was but loving it each time. Well, it is duck liver that has been fattened. Take this as a lesson that you should try things first. The second was raw salmon topped with garlic bits, over a long cracker with a cream cheese spread. It was very fresh and the softness of the salmon made an excellent team with the crunchiness of the cracker.

And last but not least, for dessert I had a slice of bread topped with melted chocolate, drizzled with olive oil and sea salt. This might sound strange, but it was a great mix. The salt brought out the sweetness of the chocolate, as did the olive oil. I will definitely try to make this at home.

My meal in total was 11 euros. Tips are included in the price, so it is not necessary to leave anything else in addition to your bill. But my waiter was very helpful, friendly and patient with all of my questions, so I left him an extra euro. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Alella.

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