Kind of Lucky

I have gained about 15 pounds in the last year and a half

That's a lot for a scrawny little kid like me
I have no exercise
I huff and I puff when I climb the stairs
My shirt buttons are poppin' with every breath I take
My belt has run out of holes
I dread a photo op
My wardrobe has required a size upgrade ...

It can be very depressing
I don't feel good about myself
Despite it all - I try to keep my chin up ...
... (both of them)

Perhaps I have been eating too much ?

Hahaha ...
Perhaps
I will think about it
















In the meantime - there is the newly opened Barcino in Fort Bonifacio
Barcino has had a strong following for tapas and wine in its Pasig location
Strong word of mouth , a wine warehouse ambiance, and some of the best tapas in town have resulted in almost a cultish following for this hidden treasure

Those of us from Makati and southward have long been looking forward to its second location closer to us ...

Now - a reality

Located in a new building development in the sprawling Fort Bonifacio area, Barcino retains its cozy, warm and intimate feel

Wine bottles and faux barrels

Little dining nooks

A small neighborhood tavern feel

And the characteristically great tapas

This is a corner in the concrete jungle that I could definitely gravitate to for that after office chill particularly on Fridays at five-thirsty ...

A bottle of Spanish wine - is gleefully and easily consumed to start me off
Tapas Gourmet platter - a mix of jamon serrano, various chorizos and manchego cheese
Tapita sobresada de Mallorca
Tortilla Espanola
Angulas al ajillo
And mucho much more to choose from
"Absolutamente deliciosa"

It is a great way to start that weekend fiesta
Watch the cavorting senoritas
Zonk my way into a restful siesta
Or if I get really really lucky (as in hitting the lotto kind of lucky) -
I might even end up stirring the "sleeping cow" and engaging her in a passionate conjugal bullfight.

"Ole"

























































Barcino - Spanish Wine Cellar and Tapas Bar
Rizal Drive
Forbeswood Heights
Fort Bonifacio Global City
(63-2) 4685942

Ambiance Galore

"Tienes hambre? " - asks the wifey
"Uh ohhhhh" ... says my son .
He looks at me in a panicked way knowing like I do that tonight is not gonna' be adobo night

It is Spanish food night


We jump into the car while debating where to go.
Manila is chock full of Spanish influenced eating spots.
My subconscious takes over, and the car starts heading for the motel-rich Pasig area -as if it had a memory to relive.
"Hoyyyyyyy lalake - bakit ka papuntang Pasig?? " - my suspicious wifey asks
My son sinks into the depths of the backseat whispering ... "ngekkk, sabit si dad".
But I, unfazed by the blue ribbon committee interrogation , answer back -" uhmmmmmmmmm , kasi one of the best tapas bars in Metro Manila is located in Pasig"

Barcino is a small warehouse cum tapas bar located on the Valle Verde hill that is home to the City Golf complex.
Up the steep driveway
Into ample parking space
Then into one of the coziest (perhaps then- authentic) tapas bars in the metro
It is small - all of maybe 12-15 tables

Its like walking into a small warehouse or storage room
Crates, barrels,boxes, bottles, and baskets double as decor
Small table nooks are mixed into wherever they fit
We gravitated towards a tabletop on two barrels and sat on bar stools
Ambiance galore ....


























Wifey is amazed
Eyes examining every corner
Her head nods in approval
A smile across her lips
She likes it
Her "Pasig" suspicions are forgotten
A smile across my lips ....

Barcino owners Dani Aliaga and Sergi Rostoll were schoolmates in Barcelona who saw in Barcino a chance to put into practice what they had learned.
They wanted small, casual, authentic
And they did it ...

The business concept is simple
A little over twenty types of tapas, plus paella, fabada,and ensalada.
Affordable, good quality Spanish wines
Tiny homelike 2 burner kitchen behind a curtain
Quick personal service
Strains of Hispanic music in the background

The people mix is encompassing
Makati's "oye como va" crowd sipping wine with their little pinkie fingers in the air fits right in with the more comfortable flip flop, jeans and t-shirt fashionistas of surrounding universities offices, and subdivisions.
There is a common thread that binds.
Good food and wine will do that ...















So if (ehemmmmmmmm) you just happen to be in the Pasig area
And you wanna have a gastronomic orgasm as well,
And you are looking for an unpretentious place for good tapas and wine
This has to be it

Seeya - I will be the guy eating paella , drinking wine and throwing furtive glances at the senoritas.
Join me - I will gladly share my chorizo with you .....

Spanish teacher: Class use 'fuera' in a sentence.
Student: Miss maestras son bonitas (my teachers are beautiful).
Teacher: Oh, that's very flattering but where's 'fuera'?
Student: Fuera ka!

Barcino
Spanish Wines and Tapas
2/F City Golf Complex, Ortigas Town Center
Julia Vargas Ave., Pasig
(63-2) 636-2963
** reservations recommended