At Barcelona Wine Bar, Mangalica is the only ham sliced by hand - which, in this case, produced thick, chewy evidence that properly slicing a ham paper-thin is a skill that takes years to master. I’d read about jamon Mangalica, made from a curly-haired Hungarian breed of pig thought by some to produce hams even more special than the famous serranos. So were crisp, golden jamon and manchego croquetas, floating on a cloud of garlic aioli and dusted with smoked paprika and swordfish a la plancha, an expertly grilled mini-steak topped with a Spanish salsa verde and spiced beef empanadas, fat and fragrant in their blistery crust. A small plate of charred broccoli rabe, spangled with whole cloves of confit garlic, was a treat. The rest of the meal lived up to that standard, with just a couple of minor exceptions. Nothing like a Mexican tortilla, the Spanish version is a sort of quiche layered with thinly sliced potatoes. The feast began with an exemplary rendition of the Spanish tortilla that set a very high bar for the tapas to follow. By the end of the evening, we had sampled our way through nearly half the list. But tonight we were here to explore some of the nearly 30 tapas that are the featured attraction. The offering includes an impressive charcuterie and cheese selection, as well as a handful of larger dishes equally suitable for sharing or as a main course. We settled in with a bottle of Rioja as we looked over the menu. I didn’t think we’d really need it at such an early hour, even on a weekend night, but I had booked it then, just be safe.
reservation on a Saturday for our party of four. It’s clearly a winning formula, as I discovered the first time I visited. And, according to the restaurant’s website, it boasts one of the largest Spanish wine programs in the United States. Barcelona Wine Bar, a rapidly growing chain with 17 locations scattered across the country from Denver to Boston, offers a Spanish-inspired tapas menu. You’ll find Barcelona Wine Bar at the white hot intersection of those two trends. At the same time, the downtown Raleigh renaissance continues to accelerate, with the Warehouse District - particularly the fashionable restaurants and bars in and around the new Dillon multi-use complex - recently staking a claim as its de facto hub. After more than a decade of sustained growth that shows no sign of letting up, I think it’s safe to say that the small plates trend is here to stay.
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