www.barcelonabistrobar.com Barcelona Bistro Bar Food & Friends It’s true that food and friends feed the soul, and when the two are combined it’s a magical feeling. That’s why we feel so honored when we are invited into someone’s home for a meal that they have thoughtfully and lovingly prepared for us. Honored is exactly how we’d describe walking into Barcelona Bistro Bar, located in the heart of Jeffersontown, Kentucky. This hidden gem, set just off Taylorsville Road across from the Police Department, is the only authentic Spanish restaurant in the Louisville Metro area. Ted, Alba, and Becky The Chef’s Message We recently sat down with owner and chef Alba Clementson, as she shared the fascinating details of her life. Instantly drawn to her beautiful Spanish accent and gorgeous smile, we were captivated by her infectious energy and passion for life. She began by pointing to the message that greets her guests, handwritten on a black chalkboard as you enter the restaurant: “My house is your home. Come in and relax, talk, enjoy, and live in the moment.” Barcelona Bistro Bar was designed to be a place where time has no purpose other than slowing down so you can enjoy yourself. Alba's Message to Her Guests Herbs & Spices A Taste of Home Barcelona’s menu offers all of Alba’s favorite childhood dishes–her mother’s recipes. Alba told us that 90% of mothers cook in Spain. Every menu item is made from scratch and served fresh daily. Alba starts each morning shopping local markets and carefully handpicking the ingredients she’ll be cooking, which is important to the quality of a dish. Her mother taught Alba how to choose only the freshest ingredients–like with fish, “Look at the eyes. If you see that the eyes are grey, it is not fresh.” A lot of flavors in her dishes come from the vegetables themselves, and she adds a bit of olive oil, cayenne pepper, rosemary, chile, parsley, thyme, garlic, cloves, and salt and pepper to season. “A bit of soja herb, just a touch but not too much,” she said. “The food is not spicy but very flavorful.” Alba makes different sauces for all of her dishes as well. “My Home” Alba wants her restaurant to feel like a home because, to her, “it is my home.” Its decor is aRead more