By Celia Hernando
Tapas are going mainstream in Connecticut. This New England state, a stone’s thrown from NYC, is not necessarily a place you would expect a Spanish restaurant to succeed, and yet, Sasa Mahr-Batuz and Andy Pforzheimer are proving the skeptics wrong. What began in 1996 with a tiny, 38-seat wine bar is now – with its six locations – the biggest tapas chain in America. Even so, Barcelona Restaurant Group is not yet complete. The owners strive daily to extend this venture to new territories. Boston? Atlanta? It’s just a matter of time till they do. We sat down with co-owner Sasa and wine director Gretchen Thomas before dinner service to share the story of Barcelona and discover their long lasting love affair with Spain

None of you are from Spain… why then a Spanish-themed restaurant?

Sasa: Believe it or not, I played tennis at a professional level and, luckily enough, that passion took me all around the globe. My first overseas tournament was in Murcia, Spain. I fell in love with the country, with a beautiful girl whose name I still remember, and with its food, which I had the chance to taste in my different visits during eight years, on and off.

Do you have any particular memories related to Spanish cuisine from those days?

Sasa: I was amazed by the lively, informal ambience of tapas bars and the easy dining attitudes of Spaniards. It is as simple as sitting at the bar, enjoying some small plates, having a glass of wine and then moving to the next bar for another round of tapas and drinks! I loved this “barhopping.”

Paella, gazpacho, boquerones, cabrales cheese…The menu is not solely based on Barcelona and Catalan tradition. How did you come up with the name then?

Sasa: Barcelona is a modern, cosmopolitan, pan-European city. As we planned to feature a wide-ranging selection of Mediterranean food and wine we thought Barcelona would be a terrific name, avoiding at the same time any link with South American cuisine, very different from what we do. Fresh, seasonal food and great ingredients are the driving force of Barcelona group.

What do you buy at the local market and what do you import from Spain?

Sasa: Most vegetables come from local sources. One nearby farm even grows padrón peppers for us. Funny as it may sound, we have our tasty chorizo made in New York, and our morcilla made for us in New Haven! But we always rely on Spanish cheeses, cured meats, olive oils, saffron, canned tuna… and lots of wine.

Speaking about wine… You spend a tremendous amount of time touring around Spanish wine regions.

Gretchen: When we hire new managers and chefs, very few of them have actually ever been to Spain and understand it on a cultural level. So I host them on wine journeys featuring Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Montsant… One of my favorite stories is from the trip in which I brought our West Hartford assistant manager, Anna Beyer, who was only 19 years old. The very first winery we saw on that trip was Vega Sicilia, a place that most wine professionals fantasize about some day visiting, but Anna was experiencing Vega Sicilia as the first winery tour and professional wine tasting in her life! It’s like getting a Ferrari as your first car, just setting the bar so high.

What region are you always looking forward to exploring again?

Gretchen: Visiting Priorat is always a highlight on these journeys. It’s one thing to be told that the terrain is difficult and very unique, but to actually experience those incredibly steep, terraced vineyards and to see slate soil, something that looks like nothing could possibly grow in...It’s all very humbling. We always stay in Falset, at the only hotel that seems to be available, and it’s like stepping back in time with the ancient streets and gothic style architecture. And the unforgettable complex reds of Prirorat are as unique as the "terroir"! Full-bodied wines, full of ripe fruit, minerality, tannins and alcohol.

How do you convey the love and excitement of your trips to your customers?

Gretchen: It’s such a domino effect – Spain is abundant with passionate and enthusiastic winemakers and it inspires me every time I’m there. For example, when I visited Sara Pérez in Priorat -- at the moment we are serving her Martinet Bru from Clos Martinet -- she explained to me that her concrete tanks were not epoxy-lined, like all other concrete tank facilities I’ve ever known. This unique detail may not translate easily in the dining room, but my overall impression of this dynamic winemaker and her wines is easy to describe with energy. My customers now are very accustomed to me coming home from Spain filled with excitment from new experiences and ready to introduce them to my new favorite wine.

So what would you say to those diners who usually stick with the more familiar California Cabernet?

Gretchen: This has been a hot topic at my staff wine classes for years! And it’s not just Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s all the familiar varietals in the American market that we have to relate Spanish wines to, guiding our customers to a wine with a similar profile. So, if they are California Chardonnay drinkers, we try to point them to a barrel-treated white from Spain, for example ‘As Sortes’ Godello by Rafael Palacios. If they are asking for Cabernet, we introduce them to red wines featuring oak, alcohol and fruit, preferably all at high levels. The modern style wines of Ribera del Duero, Toro and Priorat never fail to impress. Vina Solorca, Hacienda Monasterio, Bodegas Aalto, or Juan Rojo, to name a few, are favorites with our cabernet-drinking customers.

Is there any wine that matches the entire menu?

Gretchen: It’s tricky to pair any wine with such a huge span of flavors. Many of our tapas contain garlic, sherry vinegar, pimentón… When in doubt, never underestimate the food pairing ability of a Cava – the sparkling wine of Spain. Made from native varietals, Cava can be just as good as many top Champagnes, but typically at a much lower cost. Its high acidity and generally lower alcohol are all very food-friendly elements.

At the moment which are the regions on your list that you are most excited about?

Gretchen: My newest obsession these days is Rueda, for its fresh and minerally Verdejos. Even the least expensive versions are enjoyable. El Hada, served by the glass at $6.5, has an unbeatable price. Rioja will always remain the “love of my life” though. It’s definitely not the newest wine region on the market, but it still offers something extremely unique – well aged red wines! Not to mention that I can easily pick up a bottle of Gran Reserva Rioja at the store, with perhaps 10 or more years of age, and spend maybe $30 or $40 a bottle. Try to buy a Grand Cru Burgundy with 10 years of age at a wine store, and it would be impossible to find one at that price!
Barcelona Restaurant Group, 63.65 North Main St., South Norwalk, CT 06854, Tel: 203.899.0088. Look for their other Connecticut locations in Greenwich, Stamford, Fairfield, New Haven and West Hartford. www.barcelonawinebar.com.

About the author:
Celia Hernando is a food, wine and travel writer. She has contributed to several magazines including Spain Gourmetour, Lonely Planet, Ronda Iberia, and Vino y Gastronomía. Celia currently lives in Manhattan.

The Barcelona Cookbook, A Celebration of Food, Wine, and Life (Andrews McMeel Publishing), by Sasa Mahr-Batuz and Andy Pforzheimer, was released in July, 2009. This colorful book is filled with mouth-watering images, and contains over 200 pages of drinks, tapas, and the most enticing signature dishes of the Barcelona Group. It is available at www.barcelonawinebar.com, Barcelona restaurants, and major bookstores.