A long bar much more modern and functional than it was, the same hustle and bustle as always and the Asín family at the front. Things have changed, although not that much, at the Pinotxo Bar, relocated a couple of weeks ago to a spectacular stop in the Sant Antoni Market.
Don't expect to find solo photos of Juan Bayén, owner of the historic Boqueria establishment, because his nephew Jordi Asín, who runs the new establishment, has been legally prohibited from doing so. The walls are now presided over by María Bayén and Catalina Pérez, sister and mother respectively of the real Pinotxo, who died last April, causing a great family dispute after her death that is still waiting to be resolved.
Behind the bar with Asín? His son Dídac and his wife María José Diez, the same as always. To the other side? The faithful parishioners who, like Joaquim Laguarda, a resident of La Rambla for more than 50 years, do not hesitate to cross the Raval to sit on the stools of the Pinotxo Bar again. In the kitchen? Xavi Robleda, Asín's left hand because he is left-handed.
In the pots that crowd the kitchen there are stews to feed a regiment, the same ones that made this house great: fricandó, lamb in tomato sauce (which, due to the hustle and bustle of the first days, arrives somewhat cold to the diner), beans from Santa Pau with squid... At the moment they have not even had time to write the dishes of the day on that blackboard that always accompanied them, but it is already clear that they will continue to be faithful to the most traditional and popular Catalan cuisine. And the traditional tapas - demonstrated by the ham croquettes - or the usual seasonal recipes from market cuisine, such as the delicious scrambled mushrooms with trumpets of death, ox tongue, camagroc and chanterelles that are served during this season. season. Also the fresh seafood of the day, only cooked with a touch of grill.
María José Díaz continues to be in charge of the desserts. On our visit we couldn't try any because they couldn't keep up after the opening, but she swears and swears that nothing is going to change: there will be fruit salad, flans, mel i mata and the legendary dessert of “yayo Albert”, an orange juice which they accompany with a ball of sorbet.
The suppliers have not changed either, they remain the same as always, their former neighbors at the La Boqueria market. Although Asín is clear that to make a true market cuisine, he will have to forge new alliances.
“I get the feeling that we would never have left the other place,” he says these days, and says he feels happy with the change. “La Boqueria is becoming a PortAventura. Our project makes much more sense here.”
