Egg-cellent Eating in Spain

I must admit that I am by no means an expert in food. But perhaps because I am walking for hours and hours every day, or perhaps it’s the smells and the views, or the invitation of the sun drenched patio, but whatever the reason: I find that I am hungry all. the. time. I reluctantly report that Spain has failed to satiate my hunger.
              We started out spoiled in Madrid, as one of my top destinations was the restaurant Botin’s, which is the (Guiness certified) oldest restaurant in the world, and more importantly, a favourite of my beloved Hemingway. The ambiance of this restaurant is incomparable. We were luckily seated in the basement, which literally looked like a hole in the ground with stairs stacked beneath it, and even further, in a wine cellar that fit only two tables for two. I was too struck with awe to even investigate the menu, so I had a salad, which was what I pointed at frantically when the waiter told me I had to decide right that minute because the kitchen was closing, while my more composed better half chose the suckled pig, which was incredible. After this experience however, our perceptions of Spanish cuisine had nowhere to go but downhill.
             In Madrid, I started to notice the trend of eggs in every meal. For example, hard boiled eggs in a chicken salad wrap, which did not seem entirely out of place, and did not taste awful. But here in Barcelona, after a night of wandering around looking for a place to have a good meal that was not tapas for once, my boyfriend and I realized the true extent of Spaniards love for eggs. Namely, a fried egg on my hamburger, and a fried egg as a side (along with French fries) on my boyfriends steak. I am sure that this was listed explicitly in the menu, but as the menu was in Catalan, and we both feel so rude waltzing into another country and expecting everyone around us cater to our English needs, we just thought we would go with a sense of adventure and point to anything on the menu. Have you ever tried eating a hamburger with an egg on it? I don’t recommend it.
             Aside from this general love of eggs, which is amusing more than anything, after looking through menu after menu, I am finding a particular lack in vegetables. I don’t know why, but I was expecting a diet more rich in vegetables in Southern Europe, but I have not found it here in Spain. I am holding out hope for France, Italy and Greece.
             Luckily, my conspirator is a phenomenal chef, who actually does know his way around the kitchen, to put it tamely. He makes sure that I never starve, and that I always have the right wine paired with the right meal. In Barcelona, we are staying in an apartment that features a nice kitchen and a supermarket right next door, so we have been able to cut the cost of living quite substantially by skirting the overpriced tourist traps along La Rambla. Some basic staples from the store, and some fresh produce from one of Barcelona’s two great open air markets and we are eating better than we would at restaurants for much less of a price.
             Today, however, we decided to actually do our research and find a reputable restaurant that would save our perceptions of the Spanish dining experience. Our search turned up Cinc Sentits, whose owner/chef, Jordi Artal is Canadian and Catalan, which provides us with a sense of home and a taste of Spain. The organization of the dinner was by a tasting menu, so we had a choice of either 8 smaller courses, or 6 slightly larger ones, all small enough to have room to experience each course, but large enough to provide the feeling of satiation that I have been missing for a week now.
             The chef wasted no time in flaunting his Canadian heritage: the apperatif was a shot of 100% Canadian Maple syrup, covered with a thin layer of frothy cream and a few shards of salt on the bottom of the shot glass. This mixture of salty and sweet was a theme through out the dinner. Did I mention the Michelin star? I have to say that it was one of the better dining experiences of my life, and considering all aspects (the ambiance, the service, the presentation, the taste, the quantity) the meal was reasonably priced.
             The Cinc Sentits menu states that the dishes are each inspired by local flavours, trends, and the changing seasons. Each component of every dish was sourced from around the country, (in a few cases, around the globe) and was the very best of its kind. However, I also the think that the creator was the best of his kind, and while I was looking for a redemption of Spanish cuisine, I think I am going to chalk this point up to Canada.