Barceloneta: Behind the Scenes

As promised, more on Barceloneta. First, I won't say too much as you can read all about it in the upcoming June issue of Hemispheres Magazine, the United/Continental In-Flight magazine - either on board or online (yay!). But I will give you all a behind the scenes look at the prep for the piece:

In addition to all of the gorgeous dishes from my previous post, my research also entailed

the chef's smoked rice paella dish - unlike anything I'd tasted before.

And while Nathan and I tucked into all things from the sea, our fellow diners, Freej and Avis,

were giddy to find there was a vegetarian version.

But we were here for work not pleasure (although combining the two in this case was effortless) and so we finished off every last gambas rojas and smoky granule and headed to the open kitchen to stalk the man behind the mission (that being to bring diners to tears with his creations), a chef named Hug.  (I'm not kidding.)

Ah yes, fresh seafood with a view of the Mediterranean and sitting down to talk food with adorable chefs, life is hard. But sometimes you just have to soldier through, you know?

Nathan and Freej yawned as Eva and I fawned over this talented cook with stunning blue eyes,

who also, turns out, gives good backrubs. To the pregnant woman. And charms her friend whose boyfriend is standing off to the side rolling his eyes. Ay dios mio. Want some of the freshest, most innovative seafood in Barcelona and a Hug? - his lovely establishment is called Kaiku. Tell him I sent you. Ask for a backrub. Enjoy.