Pizza Marzano Barcelona

I had the Rúcula (rocket) pizza today, and when it arrived I was rather suspicious of the green stuff on top, because it looked more like somthing you find at the bottom of the garden than Rocket.

I took some off, removed the cheese and put it in my mouth. It tasted more like common or garden grass than the salad ingredient which has become so popular these days. In fact, it didn't taste like rocket at all. I mentioned it to the Italian waiter, who admitted it was definitely NOT the unique-tasting salad leaf.

So, the big boss came over and although he wouldn't admit it wasn't rocket, he said that it was the rocket that THEY had, and that he would change my pizza if I so wished - an admission of guilt, perhaps?. He fell a little short of actually tasting it, but what can you do? I felt cheated - I can't believe an Italian-based restaurant (albeit a chain) could be so devious as to try and fobb us off with some cheap imitation of the unmistakeably, spicy-tasting Rocket.

So my advice is this - take some rocket in with you when you go, and get them to do the test. Unless of course, they've read this and made the appropriate changes. Either that, or go for the Margarita.

Gente de Pasta

Just as important as the vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Barcelona, are the vegetarian non-friendly ones.

Today I went to Gente de Pasta for the lunchtime menu del dia. Now as it is just round the corner from my house and the fact that I have visited on many occasion, I didn't expect any problems. However, as I arrived outside and quickly scanned the menu, expecting a salad for starters and a pasta dish for main course, I soon realised there was no vegetarian option for first course.

Now I have to say that even in the most non-vegetarian restaurants in Barcelona, they are nearly always more than happy to make an exception for vegetarians and if no option exists, they will quickly knock you up a green salad to start followed by the ubiquitous tortilla con patatas.

So I thought I'd better check and asked the lady. It soon became apparent that I was in for a struggle. I was informed that if I wanted to have a green salad for starters, I'd have to choose from the 'carta' (main menu).

The whole object of a menu del dia (lunchtime menu) is that they prepare a number of starters and main courses, which due to economies of scale, provide a fast and easy way to feed the masses without having to get into the minor details of a cacophony of choices from the carta. The outcome of this is a cheap lunch.

So when it was suggested that I have a salad from the main menu, I looked at the prices and found that the starter would have cost the same as the entire menu del dia price. So I tried to appeal to the waitress's good nature to make an exception out of the kindness of her heart and just knock me up a simple green salad - I'm sure it can't be that much hassle. I was wrong, and ended up eating elsewhere.

All I am saying is that if a restaurant has no veggie option, don't assume they will be as kind and giving as they often are - check first, so you don't have to sit down, get comfy, start ordering, only to either find out you'll be paying double the price of everyone else, or that you have to get up and go some place else.

So, for the price of making a simple green salad, they lost 2 peoples' business. Perhaps that's why they call it Gente de pasta.