As you might have gathered, I’m staying 30 miles up the coast from Barcelona, in a small town called Calella. The coastline running north to the Costa Brava and France is almost non stop towns and villages, which are top summer holiday destinations. On Saturday we went for lunch at Domèstic, in the next town along, Pineda de Mar – a ten minute walk from the center of Calella.
Domèstic is a popular Saturday lunch time destination for local Catalans. We booked in advance, to make ensure we got a table and sat on the outside (completely enclosed for winter) terrace, which has a sea view.
The Saturday menú includes 3 courses, bread and half a bottle of wine per person for €23.50.
While we perused the menu, our waitress brought us a little plate of olives and fuet (a popular Catalan cured sausage).
Both Nookie and I ordered the Sopa de Peix i Marisc (seafood soup).
I knew this was going to be delicious and was not disappointed. Below the surface, I found mussels, calamari and pieces of hake. The calamari was particularly tender.
Oli ordered Trinxat de la Cerdanya amb Ou Fregit (trinxat is fried potato and cabbage, cooked with smoked pork fat and bacon). This originally comes from Cerdanya, but has become popular throughout Cataluña. It’s somewhat like bubble and squeak, served with a fried egg on top here.
As a main course, Nookie had Amanida de Formatge de Cabra amb Vinagreta de Friuts Vermells (goats cheese salad with red fruit vinaigrette). I tried this and aside from the beautiful presentation, the goats cheese was sublime.
Oli ordered Botifarra Escarracada amb Rovellons i Reducció de Ratafia (crumbled botifarra sausages, with saffron milk cap mushrooms and a reduction on ratafia).
I had Secret Ibèric de Gla a la Brasa amb Patata Pobre (secreto is a hidden cut of pork between the shoulder and the belly – this one was Iberico pork de bellota [acorn fed] with poor people’s potatoes [boiled]). The pork was crispy on the outside and beautifully tender inside.
For pudding we all had the Catalan classic – Mel i Mató (fresh whey cheese with honey).
I drank Ermita de Sant Gil, a popular house rosat here (also severed in Tic-Tac). When we asked for an additional bottle of wine, the charge was €6, which is outstanding value!
After pudding I drank the usual carajillo de cognac (for courage).
As we left, I made sure I took a picture of the fish display, including hake, monkfish, rascasse, salmon and turbot
We had an outstanding lunch here – I thoroughly recommend Domèstic!
Domèstic Restaurant Marisqueria is at: Passeig Europa, 208397 Pineda de Mar.
Hmmm! A more modern part of a town to which,if what I have read about Oli correctly, methinks it won’t be your last visit 🙂 ! More modern: more expensive too . . . Love the look of the seafood soup and the goat’s cheese salad . . . . and I think I know of this cut of pork tho’ our pigs certainly don’t have their meat acorn enriched ! Am having great fun looking at the Spanish names of the dishes first to see whether I would know how to order for myself: well, would ‘do’ alright it seems ! Lovely visit – just as well I had just finished lunch !
Thanks Eha – you are correct. Oli’s been to Domèstic a few times and I can see why – the food here is excellent!
Secret iberico…my favourite! All the best to you and Oli 😀
Thanks Tanya – it was very good and we’ve just been back for Saturday lunch again today!
Mad, I’d dine there any day. The seafood soup could have been a meal in itself, but the pork dish of yours looked mighty tasty too. A bottle of wine in a restaurant for 6 euro, wow we can’t even buy a bottle of bad wine in the liquor store for that amount.
Thanks Ron – we went back yesterday and I tried some other dishes on the menu. Everything was delicious – this may be our new local posh lunch venue.
I like your new local posh lunch venue, everything looks great…I can see why you have been back.
Thanks Karen – it’s definitely one to keep going back to!
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