A little bit of Spain in Prescott at Little Barcelona

• Name + address: Little Barcelona, 991 Industrial Rd., Prescott

• Type of food: Spanish

• Prices: $7-$45

• Diet: Meat, seafood, vegetarian

• Wheelchair accessibility: Yes

• Licensed: Yes

• Website: www.littlebarcelona.ca

I first spoke with owner Marc Segu Gomez last year as I was writing a profile on his import business then known as El Rebost. That business now goes by the name of European Quality Foods.

His range of products from Spain is first rate and he is also the sole importer of what has been named the world’s finest Iberico ham: Joselito.

For those who’ve not had the pleasure, enjoying this ham is a singular taste experience and many people claim that they can actually feel the ham melting on their tongues. It also has a substantial price so I was honoured upon walking in, when Marc carved a welcome slice for me to enjoy.

But now, Gomez has opened up a restaurant. I arrived on the first day of a soft opening, a period during which a restaurant takes feedback from the public and works out any kinks in operations.

The first thing that strikes you is its location: it’s just off the highway in an industrial zone making this one for the “Hidden Gems” textbook.

The space is sparkling new and smells of fresh plaster and drywall. In terms of decor it’s very much a work in progress with a bar to soon be installed where Marc currently has his carving station.

I sat down and ordered a glass of Garnatxa Blanca (Grenache Blanc) , a grape common to both Spain and the south of France. It was an excellent choice from the producer Josep Serra and a wine not available at the LCBO.

At that point Marc brought to the table an amuse bouche of tomato, red onion, avocado, blueberries and salt-cured, dry-aged tuna loin.

Interestingly the combination was entirely delicious with a contrast of textures making the experience even more exciting. The cured tuna loin itself was magnificent and a first for me.  

I was curious to work with this myself but Marc burst my balloon telling me it’s not something he sells out of his shop.

Next up were croquettes. Understandably I was expecting a deep fried treat with potato mash as a base but had forgotten that in Spain croquettes are also made with breaded, deep fried bechamel.  

The first bite had the little lava bomb running over my fingers but it was so good that I soon had it under control. It was warm and creamy with pops of cubed Iberico ham as the prize.

Before ordering, I asked Marc about the calamari and he assured me that it was fresh and that they do not use pre-battered frozen rings.

While the batter did not uniformly adhere to the thick cut rings, it was delicious and the squid itself was sublime. I’ve seldom had such tender, almost milky, calamari.

Equally fresh was the seafood on the paella. The clams themselves were uniquely sweet and the shrimp were the wild caught variety from Argentina.

Marc had used the quintessential Spanish paella rice Bomba and an organic seafood broth that he imports. The flavours were excellent although the rice proved a little more dry than I would have liked. It also could have used colour from a selection of vegetables. For $34 I was expecting just a little more.

When dessert came I noticed that Marc had a special tone of pride in his voice as he placed it before me. 

As the sole importer in Canada of certain premium Spanish goods, he has a bit of an advantage and one of these products is a roasted marcona almond paste.

He had taken this paste and turned it into a mousse, topped it with whipped cream and then finally, little pearls of Spanish honey.

This too was a first for me and it was magnificent. The mousse was still relatively dense with pieces of roasted almond scattered within every spoonful, the cream adding sweetness and the honey pearls providing a warming floral note to the experience. This will land as one of the most memorable tastes of the year by the time 2024 is through.

I grant you that Prescott is quite the distance to go for lunch, but I’d been anticipating the opening of Little Barcelona for so long, that waiting longer didn’t feel reasonable anymore.

In hindsight it was perhaps a little early to explore the menu and restaurant before all the work had been ironed out. I also knew that, given the foods Marc had to work with, there was little that I would find questionable. 

The idea of a proper Spanish restaurant in an industrial area of Prescott may seem odd but for those who love a road trip, Little Barcelona will make a welcome stop for a terrific meal.

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