Wilfrid

I wonder why they call it a pithivier rather than a coulibiac? (Kind of thing I wonder.) A "neighborhood' restaurant and bar says the website. I guess neighborhood as in Park Avenue.

Off topic, I saw Engelbert Humperdinck at Radio City Music Hall circa 1990.

I have no real comment except, yes that was all great. It hadn't occurred to me he was the last one standing, but indeed.

Folk Revival chai almond oatmeal. Low carb, with zero carb Nutpods creamer. Good choice when it's very cold and you are confused by a time change.

I remember the Ferry Building location but never got around to it. Too young.

There are plenty of low carb scones baking mixes out there. Maybe this weekend.

One of the best trips ever. Sad to leave and will certainly go back this year. Always good to see Harlem again, but my joy will be greater when it climbs out of the feels-like single digits.

Sounds like a plan.

No it is not. But it is circular and the size is determined by the dish.

I've been to more than conference at the Gaylord in Denver, which is certainly large and has the Rockies in the background. But I always stayed in an airport hotel nearby and at restaurants outside the resort.

I tried an egg circle once but the egg leaked out the bottom. I sometimes bake them in little Spanish cazuelas. But if the egg hangs out of a bun I don't really care.

And the last of Barcelona. Tomorrow home to Harlem.

Relaxing at Zona D'Ombra, peaceful wine bar behind my hotel. A rosado and a tinto from Emporda and a fancy Ribera del Duero. Really delicious sobresada drizzled with honey. Moist duck and port pate very like dog food by look, smell and texture but of the best kind. Santa Maria cheese.

Felt already home today at MOCO, Basquiat reflected in Haring. Also an artist new to me, Robbie Williams, who is certainly funny. ETA: I assumed it was not that Robbie Williams, but it is. Good for him.

What a last night. Boadas, quiet all week, was packed. I was offered the last seat by the door, but how long was a crafted cocktail going to take? I retired to the bar at the Meriden where the drinks are well made. My only companion at the bar, a stunning young African woman keen to click glasses with me. We had really good conversation and when I got up to leave she offered to buy me a drink. Mm. Retreated to wine bar behind my hotel.

DiPalo's believes firmly in slow shopping. When I worked in midtown I would take an early or late lunch, zip down there and find it almost empty. That was years ago.

That's why this has been such a great trip. Everyone knows I love Barcelona anyway but this time it came with Hinds as the cherry on top. Sprinkled with Ana sugar.

Dinner at Hisop, of course. In the almost 20 years I've been eating here, nothing has changed and nothing needs to change (except arguably the availability of wines BTG although there are pairings if you do the tasting menu). I ordered from the carte, but happily one of the dishes calling to me from the tasting menu showed up as the second amuse: artichokes with pig's feet and sea snails. The first amuse consisted of the tiniest tail of some fish, full of flavor, and a soup made from the same fish with trout eggs. Then "calçotada" de trufa; small leeks with truffles shaved at the table. That came with a terrific truffled romesco sauce. Porgy with beans and a kind of wild mint (poleo). The glorious pigeon which comes with a firm and intense pâté of innards. Cheeses. Dry sherry to star, a half-bottle of Embruix red, sweet sherry with cheese, cognac and coffee. Mignardises. 168 Euros for everything.

I can't remember why it happened, but his personal phone number was once accidentally published. Whatever the context, it must have been something interesting so I called and he picked up. He was not happy; I was not the first. I ate at Lutece once I think.

I looked back on my post from last September and yay, they switched to coupes at Ideal Cocktail Bar.

Last night, La Sosenga, this gem in an alley near Els 4 Gats. My third time. You must reserve (or risk a solo walk-in for the one or two bar seats). You must be on time because she will come to the door and call out your name. The two women front-of-house are so charming (especially because I am remembered) but they run this place uncompromisingly tightly. Tasting menu only at the table. Eight courses, nine if you count the terrific bread course: country bread with butter whipped with white mushrooms; traditional Catalan coca flatbread with girolles, butifarra and tomato. Then croquette of roast beef with mint and leek. A vegetable millefeuille with pickled onion and onion juice. Black turnip with chickpea puree, local truffles optional. Basque-ish bacalao in pil pil sauce, olive and spinach, raisins too. Quail with potato, glazed shallots and sweet-sour sauce. Local cheeses. A choice of rather sweet and squidgy cheesecake or delicious flan flavored with mushrooms. Again, all the above for 32 euros, tax included, gratuity optional (we left one). Unless you are expert in local Catalunyan organic wines, leave it to your server. The prices are within a narrow range, 25 to 35 euros. She presented us with a funky, cool bottle of red (a Marselan from the nearby Garraf Massif mountains), then rich glasses of cloudy dessert wine. Meager remnant of bread course pictured and I guess the croquettes went fast. Also Casa Carot, cheese source near Placa Jaume, which I had not previously known.

Afternoon beers in Bar Leo. No tourists. I don't count.

Barceloneta. Feels like 60 and surf's up.

It was certainly the last.

Ooh no, there's a history. Hinds encore with "Davy Crockett," a furious blast from a British all-woman band called Thee Headcoatees. That song quotes the Ramones' "Pinhead," which in turn quotes a scene from a 1930s movie "Freaks" which has so much contemporary relevance I could cry. @small h If you knew all that please remember it's late here...