The rules on a terrace

I’ve written about this before but now Spring is here, I can’t help but state the obvious rules, again.

How to enter a terrace at a restaurant or bar in style and make sure to exit the terrace in style again?

It all starts with the outfit. Don’t wear flipflops, Crocs or Sandals. Probably you are wearing a summer jacket or a slightly formal jacket. If you are a frequent visitor at a local bar, you’ll probably know what to wear there. Well, in any case don’t show up with pale legs or topless. A good chino, a crisp shirt and a nice sweater will do the trick. Check out our previous posts about Spring and Summer attire.

How to find a good spot on a terrace?

Most people want to sit in the sun, for as long as possible. That means fighting for that one spot. Glance around and observe. Look at empty glasses in combination with a bill and possibly people leaving. Don’t hang around and stand next to people. If you move from one table to another, inform the staff about this.

Do you wear sunglasses on a terrace?

If you do, make sure that your company is ok with that and/or is wearing sunglasses as well. Wearing sunglasses during a conversation is considered to be extremely rude. Sunglasses do enable you to look at other people without them noticing too obviously.

What to drink?

That depends, whatever you feel like. Coffee, cold drinks, beer, wine. If you drink wine, drink it like a man. The wine to drink on a terrace is preferably a white wine, Sauvignon Blanc. Chardonnay is usually for the more colder months. Red wine might look a bit silly when consumed outside. If you drink wine, you drink water as well. You don’t get drunk on wine. By the way, beer is more refreshing. Don’t drink girly drinks.

How to eat?

Consuming food on a terrace is something you’ll have to do with elegance. Don’t gorge, gobble, mess or splash. Eat quietly and peacefully. Don’t have a feast, just order small dishes. Next to that, don’t complain too much if people are smoking in the near vicinity, it is still outside.

How to flirt?

The terrace of a bar or restaurant is the spot for flirting. Do this with style and do it subtle. Make sure there’s occasion, seduction and a solid base for the next steps. Being in possesion of a lighter helps.

The exit.

Make sure that few (or none) notice your exit if you are drunk (after paying the bill of course). Don’t sing, yell, bluster or trip. Did you only consume a cup of coffee? In that case a good exit shouldn’t be a problem. Think of the Italians who visit a bar or restaurant almost on a daily basis. It’s all about elegance.

If you visit a terrace it’s important to adapt to the environment. Blend in.

Enjoy and see you soon!

Away in Barcelona

Last week I was in Barcelona. The weather was good, not too hot or too cold, and no rain.

During the trip I have managed to stay off the ‘Rambla’, I didn’t go anywhere near it. Maybe because I have been in Barcelona many times. I’ve also lived there, but that was 9 years ago.

So, what did I do? Shopping, walking around, eating, drinking…just the fun stuff.

The best shopping experience was Vinçon on Passeig de Gràcia 96. The shop is very large, which you don’t notice until you actually enter it. It’s fantastic, there are all kinds of items for sale there, furniture, designer goods, notebooks, kitchen utensils, art, bikes etc. One of the highlights is the enormous rooftop terrace (it’s a pity that they don’t have a small bar there).

Further, I’ve seen many shops on Passeig de Gràcia. Some of them are ok, others are not. The best shopping is still in the small boutiques, for example near the Picasso Museum or in Gràcia.

In terms of food, there are tourist places, local places and semi-tourist places. I like the local places, the ones where they talk Catalan or Castellano to you. The ones where you just throw your small litter on the ground.
Most of these places have good tapas and are fairly priced. I still don’t understand why people go to tourist places?!

One of my favourite places is Maitea, it’s across my old house in Eixample. They serve pinxtos (Basque tapas) and normal fare, which is really good. Sit at the bar and indulge yourself with all the good food!

I can go on and on about Barcelona, but some places need to be kept secret. A place for a nice drink near the beach is CDLC -or Carpe Diem Lounge Club- which is a bit more upmarket and popular with tourists.

Maybe I can visit Barcelona soon again… I hope so!

Barcelona

Real men can cook

First things first, a man should be able to cook at least some dishes.

Secondly, in my opinion there are some rules to obey.

1. The kitchen and the utensils you use should be clean.
2. Preparation is key.
2.1 Read the recipe, read it again, memorise.
2.2. Cut, chop, rinse, chill etc all ingredients before actually start cooking.
3. Know who you cook for.
4. Stay light on salt and mention this to those you feed, they can add it upon taste.
5. Some things about cooking you just know. If not, try Google.
6. Cook with style.

And now a recipe all men should be able to cook. Don’t mess this one up.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Necessary:
– Fine chopped garlic
– Chopped chilipepper (Spanish)
– Fine chopped Parsil (Put the parsil in a cup and cut it with scissors, as easy as that)
– Spaghetti
– Parmesan cheese (grated)
– Extra vergin olive oil

Do:
– Have the garlic, chili and parsil chopped, the cheese grated, the plates heated etc.
– Cook the spaghetti al dente.
– Slowly fry the garlic in the olive oil, add chili peppers and almost to the end, add the parsil. You can do this during the cooking of the spaghetti.
– Add the spaghetti to the garlic, oil etc.
– Serve on hot plates with some of the parsil which is uncooked and add the grated Parmesan cheese.

La pasta non aspetta, eat it while it’s hot.