Imagine a few meters from the sea, under a blanket of pines and wrapped in sea breeze , where the smells of saltpeter and resin mix, where the sun filters through the shadows of the branches. A small (or not so small) paradise with its own name in which environment and product are blended so that you immerse yourself in a product kitchen with a lot of ember and little paraphernalia.
Oscar Manresa and his daughter Nicole baptize this farm Gavà (Barcelona) as Catalina in homage to the matriarch of the family. “We have always lived in front of the sea, we grew up listening to the waves, smelling of salt... And when we imagined what kind of restaurant we would make, we only had to think of What would my grandmother have liked? The rest was shot”, says Nicole.
Catalina, a gastronomic paradise a few meters from the sea.
the one chosen for dress the space it was Star Salietti , and what a challenge ahead considering that the farm adds 24,000 square meters ! After the reform, the interior designer proposed a mediterranean style place, with a colonial touch and equipped with an outdoor area with a chill out mood to achieve different environments within the same space. “There is a small column with a light and a kentia , it is not a very colorful corner or that I am passing through, but when I see that corner I see my grandmother adds her granddaughter.
GIVE ME THE EMBAR
Like any family the Manresas They do not always coincide in tastes. And as the saying goes, in the difference lies the taste and wealth. Well, investigating, we discovered that grandmother Catalina was crazy about the croquettes of ham , that Oscar dives headfirst into the steak tartare and that Nicole can't live without some good papardelle with fruit of the sea.
King crab salad.
To avoid discussions, they decided to create a restaurant that would bring together what united them. It is because of that in Katherine flames reign , because at family gatherings they are always present: any lunch or dinner at home involves embers.
In addition to Oscar and Nicole, behind the stove we have the chef Andrés Conde (former head of Tickets and Enjoy) and in front of the room Sergio Codina With Victor Juarez. A team of professionals who give form, substance and flavor, and who propose a letter designed to share. His proposal is a reflection of the environment with dishes in which the product rules: grilled meat and fish , some men rice and a snack with a privileged corner reserved for the vegetables.
Yes, we want rice, Catalina.
Like someone who receives a friend at home, the welcome includes an appetizer, in our case two very cold pieces of watermelon impregnated in white vermouth and lime. Taste buds in position. This promises!
Other dishes followed with which Oscar pays tribute to his mother: knives to the meuniereking crab salad , cockles and anchovies “homemade”, jalapeno gazpacho and, finally, the protagonist of the party, the king of the track: Getaria-style turbot.
Razor clams a la meunière.
done at oak and marabou firewood , they serve you the whole piece (perfectly cooked) accompanied by potatoes and washed down with a wonderful oil, chilli, vinegar and lemon vinaigrette. A dish made, thought and served so that you get dirty, herd and suck your fingers , the gelatin and even the thorns. A festival that will leave you glued to the chair.
to lovers of homemade desserts , I dare you to finish the Comté and Idiazabal cheese cake Y coulis red fruit , or with a lighter version, a refreshing fruit salad prepared at the moment with more than 20 kinds of fruits.
For those of you who don't like to go home and always lengthen your farewells, the after-meals are in charge of Catalino, the alter ego of Katherine. The ideal space to close and elevate the end of any lunch or dinner. A landscaped outdoor area where have coffee or finish with a drink surrounded by nature and with background music.
Nice desserts...
And now that I'm home, after listening to how Grandma Catalina's family speaks, once I've enjoyed this wonderful meal and one of those after-meals that I want to remember, the work of Hector Abad, The oblivion that we will be, and I think: "How lucky you are Catalina, that you are not forgotten, but memory".
The place invites you to extend the after-meal conversation.