Glass of Cava with Dinner?

For an effortless evening out, plan drinks and appetizers, or tapas, at up-scale Cervecería Catalana. This is one of the famous tapas restaurants of Barcelona, loved by locals and tourists alike. I adore their outdoor seating on the sidewalk, their wooden bar where they display piles of tapa ingredients, and the fresh flowers placed just so around this classy bar-restaurant.

Try a Spanish Red with Your Tapas

This is the place to go if you want to have an in-depth tapas experience or just a couple glasses of wine and a snack to start your evening off. They’ve got it all, from spicy potatoes, to garlic shrimp to Basque-style stacked tapas. At Cervecería Catalana order off the menu, or simply go up to the bar and point at what you want. I recommend a glass (bottle?) of cava, Catalan Champagne, your tapas.

Many times in Spain, tapas can be more than an appetizer, they can be a whole meal! Usually dinner is eaten around 9pm or later, but tapas and a couple beers or wine can be had, well, pretty much anytime of day. Cervecería Catalana is a popular spot and you may have to wait in line. If you are just having a drink and a bite before dinner or before a show, then sit at the bar and skip the queue.

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Address: Carrer de Mallorca, 236 (Barcelona)

Tel:93 216 03 68

Post by Regina Winkle-Bryan. See more on Spain at The Spain Scoop.com

Photo credit: xornalcerto & Keith Williamson

Pat O'Brien's at Universal Orlando CityWalk

It’s said the dueling pianos entertainment format originated in New Orleans, at the original Pat O’Brien’s. Almost 80 years later, it still remains a popular nightlife option at this Orlando outpost of the bar.

Pat O’Brien’s is located on the upper level of Universal Orlando’s CityWalk, an entertainment and dining complex located at the entrance to the theme parks.

The main room is where you’ll find the dueling pianos, and it gets packed, so you may find it standing room only sometimes. It also gets loud, so those with sensitive hearing may want to wear earplugs, especially when the crowd starts singing along.

There’s a smaller bar area across the hallway from the main room. They usually have a game on the TV and it’s a bit quieter.

Then there’s the back patio. The first time I came here, I didn’t realize we were actually outside until I looked up and saw the stars. It functions as the main restaurant area until later in the evening, when it becomes a nice area to just sit and drink with friends.

The drinks are theme-park priced, but you do get to keep the glass with the specialty drinks. This includes their world famous hurricanes, which I can attest to being especially yummy. Tip: ask if you can have a clean glass in a box to take home instead – sometimes they will do this.

Also, on the 17th of every month, they have a St. Practice Day promotion with drink specials and an earlier start time to the dueling pianos.

Pat O’Brien’s is open nightly from 4pm to 2am, but the pianists usually don’t start until around 9pm. Cover is $7 after 9pm, but if you want to club hop, the CityWalk Party Pass for $11.99 is a much better deal. $15 will get you a Party Pass with a movie option.

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Pat O’Brien’s
Universal Orlando Citywalk
6000 Universal Boulevard
Orlando, Florida 32819
Phone: 407-224-2106
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[Photo courtesy Michelle Snow]

Petrillo Music Shell at Taste of Chicago

The City of Big Shoulders revels in its dining scene and there’s no place where that’s more celebrated than at the annual gorge fest, Taste of Chicago. Hordes of hungry crowds descend upon Grant Park for 10-days of serious noshing but believe it or not, Taste of Chicago is not only about food. This free fest also features a diverse line-up of concerts every evening at the Petrillo Music Shell. Read More »

One of Barcelona's many Jam Sessions

As  summer sets in, Barcelona will come alive with concerts and music festivals, some free, some local and others international. Even when it is not festival season though, there are still plenty of spots around the city to go most nights of the week and catch a couple sets of live music.

I tend to prefer smaller concert venues, and feel overwhelmed by big shows (I saw U2 in Barcelona last year along with thousands of other people. Seeing Bono with binoculars just doesn’t do it for me). Harlem, El Monasterio, El Paraigua, Bar Electric and Big Bang Bar are all bars with live music most days that are small, accessible, in the center of the city, and multi-genre in their musical offerings.

The last time I went to Big Bang Bar, I went to see an experimental band. I wasn’t sure what ‘experimental’ was at the time, and I am still not sure. At some moments, there was a guy playing a bongo drum, and other times a few musicians strummed away on electric guitars. None of it made much sense to me, and I did not buy the group’s CD afterwards. The point is that it is a good idea to take a look at the Big Bang website before heading over, and see if you like what the evening’s lineup is.

To give you an idea though, on Tuesdays they do a theater show, on Wednesdays it’s Dixieland, on Thursday it’s Blues,  and on Friday it’s a Jazz Jam Session. So, a bit of everything.

Price Range: Budget

For the full lineup for the month, see their web here: http://www.bigbangbcn.net/

Photo Credit: The Spain Scoop