It took us a while to get into this place, if you try and go on any night, it’s packed, and it’s a small place, but doesn’t feel cramped, with the floor to ceiling windows that open up to busy Diagonal (a street that cuts across the city, for all you non-Barcelonans). You have a few options of seating arrangements: marble (or is it granite?) counter tops that wrap around the bar, or big, rotund dark wooden barrels that often serve as the tables in so many establishments in that city. On one wall wines with old tags around their bottle necks are encased in glass. The menu is displayed on a couple chalkboards hanging around the bar. Not too long, but there are sure to be plenty of things you’ll want. So we did finally get in one night, and kept going back. They even have a killer breakfast, which I made sure to have a few days before departing. Oh, did I forget to say what it’s called? Bar Mut, for those who don’t know it. I guess it’s a play on the Spanish for vermouth, vermút, because both are pronounced similarly (mut=moot).
Bar Mut is not a cheap place, but the quality is well worth the price. There’s so much more to be had than the few pictures I have here, and I only wish I had taken pictures of that breakfast (I’m sure it included a glass of cava or two, eggs, perhaps xistorra, beans stewed in pig fat, and all simply but beautifully presented). For dinner, I went with esqueixada to start. Esqueixada is a ‘salad’ of bacalao (salt cod), tomatoes, olives, and onions, all bathed in olive oil.
It’s very Catalan. I don’t normally gravitate towards a fish salad (in my mind, a salad should have greens in it), but consider it a take on tuna salad. It’s cold and refreshing, and goes back to a basic pairing of olive oil and salt that plays well off each other. I’ve had it at a variety of restaurants, and wanted to see how they did it up at Bar Mut. They served it as a timbale (a built-up cylinder), and they had a sort of tomato puree on the bottom, followed by bacalao, and then some tomatoes and sundried tomatoes. Bar Mut read my mind and surrounded it with greens and a little olive tapenade. Good stuff.
For some reason, I insisted on foie gras. I think I was still in my phase where I had to order it every time I went out if it was on the menu. Not only did I order foie gras, I ordered it with two fried eggs. Talk about greasy and heavy. I used to subsist off bread and pasta, but with food like this, you can’t fill up on bread and not order the plate of foie and eggs. What can I say? It was seared foie and eggs, and I smeared some on bread and I would do it over and over again, whenever I do go back to Bar Mut. 
The next dish is not my doing, and I can’t remember what it was…but I’m sure it was enjoyed.
Then came some steak, mushrooms, and potatoes. Delicious mushrooms, tasty, tender beef…I’m looking at the picture now and wondering if it might be beef cheeks? I was a big fan of those in Spain. They fell apart with a fork like brisket, and always were dripping with a rich brown gravy. Not a complaint here.
That ends our brief reflection on Bar Mut’s food, I’ll see what I can do about getting more photos (and food) but I think sooner than that yall will be reading about what San Francisco has to offer. I think it’s promising.
I will leave you with one final picture of, let’s call it, ‘atmosphere’. I still don’t know what those little spray bottles are, the ones with a green mesh covering, that appear in restaurants every now and then. I will say that they are dangerous. If you do decide to spray them, make sure and aim for your dining partner, rather than the person at the table next to you. You can barely catch a glimpse in the top right corner of the chalkboard menu, items written in curly letters. And a simple flower in a label-less wine bottle.
It’s like thick corn cake stuffed with cheese and meat (mine was pork) and served with pickled cabbage. It was good and greasy, but mostly corn cake and I prefer mine to be heavier on the stuffing and lighter on the tortilla-bit. 
We got a huarache, a large Mexican burrito, that strangely enough you don’t see in Austin. Also got an order of chicharrones, or fried pork with the bone on. 
These are always delicious but very fatty, and only advised for those who don’t mind biting it off the bone and getting their fingers a little messy. For dessert? Mango with lime juice and chili powder.
Would’ve been great if the mango was a little riper, but they had all kinds of fresh juices, which I like to see. My sister’s dessert was corn on the cob slathered in mayonnaise. I have it pictured here, and from that you’ll get as much as I did because I can’t stand mayonnaise, so do what you will with it. 
The down side of going out here is it’s kinda out in the middle of nowhere Brooklyn, and if you go, you’re going for the food because there’s not much else around. 
Something about the buttercream is magical, I can’t recreate it at home even with all the cookbooks. It’s not too sugary, doesn’t taste like butter, but is a perfect compliment to the small cupcake. And it looks so much cuter in those pastel Easter-egg colors. 
I am a chocolate lover hands down, but I can’t peel myself away from the white cupcake with vanilla buttercream. That will make you smile.
There are two rooms, one is the dining room and you get a choice of tasting menues, and the other is off the tavern room which is more casual and from an a la carte menu; my family did this for our last night. To sum it up before I tell you what we had, the space was warm and classic, it was busy enough to have a nice low buzz on a Sunday night but not too loud. The upper walls were painted with bright images of fruit and vegetables, somewhat abstract. It was very comfortable while still fancy. None of us were very hungry, which worked out fine since we weren’t doing the tasting menu. I had Jerusalem artichoke soup, which was just enough for me (I would show you, but it did not photograph well, as it was a light yellow/cream color served in a white bowl).
My sister had a beet salad with mixed greens, Grana Padano and lemon vinaigrette, and my mom had some sort of fish (I do love online menus, but I can't find a dish that resembles hers on the menus) with corn. 
Everyone liked what they got, but the real kicker was the dessert. 
We all split this chocolate pudding with salted caramel, vanilla bean whipped cream, and brioche croutons. It slightly reminded me of a dish I learned about in Spain that was a simple bread with chocolate, olive oil, and salt. This was delicious, especially with the salted caramel. 
It was simple but nicely presented. 
Although there’s no shortage of meat and it’s delicious, the sandwich depends on the dressing which adds so much flavor, without which you’d have a big hunk of meat and some bread. Be sure and get extra dressing, because it brings everything together and it really does make it live up to the New York deli experience. 
Lastly I have our meal that I insisted on, after having eaten the best of Spain at Mugaritz, I wanted to see what New York had to offer because I had yet to try a tasting menu in the States. After researching and already having some restaurants knocked off the list (my family had already been to a few like Le Bernardin), I decided on Jean Georges. I put on my pretty shoes and shiny dress and into the cab we hopped for our night on the town. Luckily, they had a couple different tasting menus, one of Jean Georges specialties, or what he’s known for, and the other of seasonal dishes that change. So with four people, we did half and half. There was wine involved, and I always intend to leave with a copy of the menu, but in a haze of lobster, chocolate, legs, and eggs, it must have slipped my mind. But I think I might’ve gotten lucky because on their website they have both the menus of Jean Georges signature dishes and the autumn menu, so I’m taking their word for it and gonna give you the photos and the accompanying menu. I’ll make my opinions known now: if you have the money and are up for a lot of food, try Jean Georges. I can’t compare it to other New York fine-dining, but we were impressed with all kind of tasty, well-thought out dishes, and not overly-bothered by the waiters. There was a plethora of food, so go hungry, and if nothing else, it was an experience. We all got an amuse bouche. 
And now I'll start the Autumn Menu:
Egg Toast, Caviar and Dill. 
Kanpachi Sashimi, Sherry Vinaigrette and Toasted Pecans. 
Nishiki Risotto with Porcini Marmelade and Five Herbs. 
Crispy Black Bass, Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Spiced Apple Jus. 
Maine Lobster and Potato Gnocchi, Smoked Butter and Pickled Chilies. 
Roasted Venison, Quince-Madeira Condiment, Broccoli Raab and Cabrales Foam (although looking at the picture now, the broccoli raab and cabrales foam seem to be noticeably absent. I'm not sure what the substitute was). Signature Dish Menu. 
Egg Caviar. 
Sea Scallops, Caramelized Cauliflower, Caper-Raisin Emulsion. 
Young Garlic Soup with Thyme, Sauteed Frog Legs. 
Turbot with Chateau Chalon Sauce. 
Lobster Tartine, Lemongrass and Fenugreek Broth, Pea Shoots. 
Broiled Squab, Onion Compote, Corn Pancake with Foie Gras. I will add that the desserts were themed, for example you could pick caramel, or chocolate, or bread or some flavor or ingredient and you would get a large platter divided, with four desserts all a different take on the theme. I got chocolate, and this included:
Jean Georges Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Aerated Chocolate Sponge, Gooseberries, Whiskey, Walnuts. Warm Chocolate Gnocchi, Grapefruit, Gianduja, Basil. Old Fashioned Chocolate Egg Cream. We also got caramel. 
Vanilla Soda, Liquid Caramel Sphere. Chocolate Pop, Coffee-Cardamom Ice Cream. Caramel Curd, Dehydrated Sponge, Roasted Pineapple Sorbet. Warm Caramel Tart, Crispy Olive-Hazelnut Praline, Caramelized Bacon.
Lastly came the petit fours, and then we were sent home with a little bag of chocolate truffles.
Mix together ricotta, powdered sugar, orange zest, and a touch of vanilla extract to your liking. You’ll probably need to pipe this into the shells, otherwise it could get messy trying to fill them. So get your pastry bag and when the chocolate’s dry, fill your cannoli shell. 
The final step is to dip the ricotta edges in the pistachio pieces and then you’re ready to eat.
Mangia!
When it comes to the food though, I know what I want. They do the ever-popular menú del día, but I think the best part is their a la carte menu because it’s another one of those miniature-dish places (think San Sebastian) where you can try a variety of foods, and find something to please everyone at the table. 
Living in Barcelona, you don’t come to expect service as a standout at eating and drinking establishments. You more get the feeling they’re looking at you going, “what are you doing here?” This is not the case at Terrabacus, and it could be attributed to my frequent visits, but I’m willing to take it either way. We became friends with a few waiters in particular, who always spent a little extra time talking to us, seeing how things were going, discussing food. What really convinced me that they paid more attention than your average bear was when I was walking down a busy Barcelona street and a man smiled, waved enthusiastically and said hi to me. I turned my head, confused, and then realized it was my waiter, and he was acknowledging me outside the restaurant. In other places, you barely get that inside a restaurant. 
Little rolls of bacon and cheese. The bacon’s crispy and fatty (naturally) and the cheese oozes as you bite into it. Once again, this one’s not rocket science, but there’s a reason people keep ordering it. And although these some of their dishes might not be new, it’s the presentation that gives it personality, and the little dabs of sauces, some sweet and mango based, some vinegar and sour, all coming together in the end. 
The reason I don’t call these tapas is because they’re not typical tortilla de patatas or jamon or something like that. It’s all real food, just in miniature. So instead of getting a big bowl of pasta and being done with the night, you get a little plate of four purses of pear filled pasta in a creamy goat cheese sauce, plus all the other little plates you want. These purses are reminiscent of I Quattro Leoni in Florence, who has a very similar, equally as rich pasta. These have been a staple since the first trip to Terrabacus. 
So after you have your little dish of pasta, you then get a little plate of my favorite salad of life. And I’m not faking it saying “I love salad” because you’re supposed to because they’re good for you. This really is the best salad there is. There’s foie in it. And carpaccio. And little crunchy bits of puffed rice. And of course greens. Yall, it don’t get any better than that. If this is being healthy, I’m all for it. 
And because you’re so healthy with your salads and smaller-than-normal rations, you might then get a dish of a late-discovered gem: won-ton pasta ravioli, stuffed with mushrooms and served in sauce of foie and truffle oil. You’re probably getting a heart attack just reading this, but there are only three little ravioli, and don’t be turned off but the ‘won-ton’ description. I think that was my problem and the reason for the delayed ordering, which was a mistake. I was picturing something like a mixture between an egg-roll and ravioli, or some sort of deep-fried pasta concoction, which this was not. Instead, it was rich, decadent, amazing pasta. 
Then, you might get a surprise from the kitchen (if you’re as friendly with the staff as we are). I can’t take credit for this one, but one of my friends had talked to them on a prior visit, urging them to make their own take on patatas bravas (inspired by 
There are plenty more tiny delights at Terrabacus, but I’m going to move onto desserts, because they deserver a bit of space too. They have a chocolate coulant, which, unless you cook it too long, is at the top of my list. And they don’t cook it too long here. It’s cakey on the outside and runny batter on the inside. It pairs nicely with a glass of Pedro Ximenez, or another dessert wine offered on the menu. 
One dessert that really surprised me was Kingston cocoa ice cream with confit of orange. I didn’t order it, but tried someone else’s and it was really intense chocolate. I wasn’t expecting that, but I really liked it. I normally reserve my ice cream for my few choice gelaterias, but this was delicious, as rich as a truffle. The pink peppercorns made a tiny appearance in this dessert too. 
If you get a menú del día, there’s the option of cheese for dessert. And after having been in Spain, and now back in America, you really appreciate the Europeans for their cheese. Like I said, I knew what I had, and now I don’t have it (although I can get some of that cheese here, but not all, and definitely not Terrabacus).