Got Spicy?…
by The Frog on Aug.13, 2010, under Eating out Trends
Got Spicy? …..
My girlfriend calls me a sadomasochist, someone who enjoys suffering,….and you know what?….
I am and I can’t help it!
It’s something that’s embedded in my nature and is beyond my control!
I’m always up to experience anything hot and exciting, something to give me a good rush…something that elevates my body temperature makes me sweat and feel like I’m on fire!
Whoa whoa whoa!! I’m talking about the use of chilies (chilis) as part of our diets.
The use and adoption of chiles in our daily foods, varies from person to person, and from place to place, and while there is people (like me) that absolutely loves spicy, there are others that cannot even stand the aromas of chiles.
The use of chilies is nothing new, it have been a part of the human diet in the Americas since at least 7500 BC. With more than 3000 varieties of known chiles, in other countries like Mexico chiles are a key ingredient in their cuisine and diet.
In the USA the use of chiles in foods is spreading at a fast rate, and when it comes to food it seems like, we always have questions that we have to ask like…..
Spicy? ….
How spicy? …
Like spicy spicy?…
I love trying new kinds of chiles in my cooking, but when it comes to cooking for friends or family I always have to leave out the spicy part or put it on the side so I don’t ruin the taste of others people’s palette. Although it is still good, well… it’s not the same blend of flavors when cooking everything together.
To me not having this spicy burning after taste in my mouth after each bite of my meal it’s like not having salt on my food, as simple as that…can you Imagine not having salt in your food whatsoever?
It would be a dull flavor, edible but without the level of satisfaction that your palette is used to having.
But what makes chilies spicy? The answer is Capsaicin; this is the active component of chili peppers,
which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals,
including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact.
Capsaicin and several related compounds are called capsaicinoids and are produced as a secondary metabolite
by chili peppers.
Despite their spiciness and variety, eating chiles have some benefits to the human body:
Red chilies contain high amounts of vitamin C and carotene (provitamin A). Yellow and especially green chilies (which are essentially unripe fruit) contain a considerably lower amount of both substances. In addition, peppers are a good source of most B vitamins, and vitamin B6 in particular. They are very high in potassium and high in magnesium and iron. Their high vitamin C content can also substantially increase the uptake of non-heme iron from other ingredients in a meal, such as beans and grains.
Capsaicin is a safe and effective analgesic agent in the management of arthritis pain, herpes zoster-related pain, diabetic neuropathy, post mastectomy pain, and headaches.
It’s becoming a matter of taste and kind of like an addiction for the individuals that are looking to have some sort of excitement or want to experience a rush while eating.
Some psychologists suggests that eating chilies is an example of a “constrained risk” like riding a roller coaster, in which extreme sensations like pain and fear can be enjoyed because individuals know that these sensations are not actually harmful.
If you are looking forward to be initiated into the world of spicy and are up to the challenge of trying some chiles in your food for the first time, come in to Barcelona Tapas and Bar and try some of our spicy tapas such as Patatas Bravas, diabla shrimp or our delicious spicy Pork Scalopinni. My suggestion is GO FOR IT! BUT make sure you have something to ease the burning before you even try. An effective solution against the burning sensation is cold milk.
So, enjoy walking in my shoes as a sadomasochist….. but before initiating your experience, make sure you got milk before you got spicy!
Marketing at Barcelona Tapas and Bar
by The Frog on Jul.10, 2010, under Marketing
Phototgraphy by : Angelica Ibarra
Hello, I’m Christian Rene AKA La Rana (The Frog). At Least that’s how my friends like to call me…and I like it….it sounds cool…
I think Frogs are cool…and funny.
I’m a Graphic/Web Designer/SEO specialist, currently being in charge of Marketing and PR at Barcelona Tapas and Bar…yes, the new place in town!!!….
And when I say the new place in town, I mean it!
The idea of opening a restaurant came out in a time, where the worst global recession in decades, as the fallout of the most severe financial crisis since the Great Depression, took a toll first on the U.S., and then on the rest of the world!
I remember somebody told me once “Life is a gamble and if you aren’t willing to take the risk, you are not taking the winnings either, but ….it might be losses also.”
I think Edgar Montesdeoca knew this very well when he decided to risk it all for pursuing his dream of having his own restaurant.
Putting it all in!….and there was no way back!…
A lot of people were telling us “Are you guys crazy!?, How are you going to open a business in an economy like this….that’s suicide!”
Well with economic times like this sometimes comes opportunity… and that’s exactly what happened here.
We found the perfect location to start, a location were a former restaurant had closed before…..oops!
But we were very confident that we could turn things around, if we offer something different, and do things right.
By the date this blog it’s been written, our first year since we opened it’s coming up, and it hasn’t been easy, it’s been a lot of work and a constant challenge to put the word out there and position our name among the best restaurants in Las Vegas.
From the beginning there was always a question:
Which is the most and effective way for promoting our Restaurant, but at the same time the most cost efficient?
Well…..there are a lot of options out there and we always have advertisement companies coming to us offering all kinds of marketing packages for TV, Radio Promos, and print advertisement. In our Marketing campaign we’ve decided to give it a shot to some of them, some campaigns had worked fairly good and others definitely had to be cancelled.
Having a limited budget, it always makes you think in ways of how to save money, without sacrificing end results.
Personally I think, one of the aspects that have help a lot our Marketing from the very beginning has been our decision of making the internet our main source of advertisement.
Thank you to the opportunity that was given to me in getting involved into this project from the very beginning, it has helped a lot in developing strategies in creating a highly effective marketing thru the use of the internet.
The way the internet and new technologies have changed the way businesses reach the public or target audiences requires new ways of interaction.
The old days when TV ads and appearing in big publications or in the Main News Papers was the most effective way of Marketing and PR are definitely being replaced by new concepts, like Blogging and the implementation of effective SEO and use of Social Medias. This days in order to be more competitive and effective and let people know about a new product on the market, the use of TV, Radio or Printed Ads is not enough. Here in Barcelona Tapas and bar we had learned this by our own experience.
This is why working constantly in developing and updating Barcelona’s website is very important to us, so customers and friends are able to communicate with us and express their concerns, give us feedback or simply keep in touch with us easily. I think in creating this blog we will achieve this goal more efficiently.
We believe that investing time and effort in reaching people and new customers is very important, but keeping and maintaining customers and fans happy and satisfied is fundamental to any successful business.
Being involved with the opening, planning, branding and marketing of Barcelona’s Restaurant has been a terrific experience …I’m proud in being part of a great team that believes in what we’re doing and a brand new business with a lot of potential for growth…
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please feel free to leave us your feedback….
“Every day a new lesson is taught”.
Frog
Big Portions Meals?…..Not any More!!
by The Frog on Jul.10, 2010, under Eating out Trends, Recipes
One of the things that I enjoy the most is definitely traveling and get to know new people, new places, their way of life and of course….food!!!
You bet!….when it comes to food, I’m down to try almost everything that is unknown or exotic.
We are living in a world where globalisation and Immigration brings cultures together, and every day is very easy to come across and discover new things in our daily life. This enrichment of cultures that goes into every aspect from the knowledge, customs, ways of life, makes it these days very easy to find new types of cuisines even right around the corner from where we live!….and I find that Amazing!!!.
The way the restaurant industry is changing trends in worldwide cuisines is also due to this diversity that fusion cultures together and this is reflected of course in the way we are eating today.
Something that is very true is that people are always looking for new things and flavors to experience
and ordinary foods are being replaced by new concepts that people are embracing as their own.
One of these concepts is what is called “TAPAS”. This cuisine concept that originally comes from Spain has evolved through Spanish history by incorporating ingredients and influences from many different cultures and countries; is basically the way of cooking and serving small food portions, and today this new trend is actually being adopted in a lot of countries as a World Class Cuisine.
Here in The USA couldn’t be the exception and despite of “TAPAS” being a new concept, Americans are starting to discover it; being every time more and more the restaurants that are switching the concept of serving big portions Meals for small portions kind of appetizers.
TAPAS cuisine offers a lot of advantages and cool things:
Among those are that you don’t get stuck with a big meal that it might or might not be what you were expecting and you have to finish it. It also brings people together…as you share and enjoy with friends the variety of foods being served at the table. It stimulates conversation and definitely good times!
I think this is one more reason why TAPAS are becoming so popular… and here in Barcelona Tapas and Bar, people are loving the experience of sharing great foods, trying new flavors and having a great time.
One thing is for sure:
You don’t have to travel to another country anymore to experience rich, exotic and out of the ordinary foods.
Frog.
The Chef
by The Frog on Jun.09, 2010, under The Chef
Photography by: The Frog
Edgar Montesdeoca. He is the owner and Executive Chef of Barcelona Tapas and Bar.
Originally graduated from Saint Agustin College in Chicago in Culinary Arts.
Personally, I have to say he is one of the most hardworking people I ever met… and he loves cooking; creating new recipes for everybody to try, is one of his passions.
Every day since the minute he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep, he is constantly thinking in new recipes to experiment with and give to people so they can try it out .
This passion for cooking has made him a thru kitchen-Guru .
But, how did he learn about his passion for cooking?
In his own words :
“ I don’t really know how my passion for food began….I guess everything started when I was a little Kid, while I was living in the city going to school back in Ecuador, being away from my family…I had to learn to cook the hard way or at least try to cook, so I didn’t starved myself. It was a matter of time before I learned the tricks and polished my cooking skills to the point where I knew the does and dont’s of cooking and the best way of mix together the ingredients to bring out the best flavors.
Now I realize, this was the best school I could ever had,… life itself.
I always had a dream of myself owning a small restaurant-bar back home, in a small town like the one I come from, with a small beer brewery and great food were locals can get together,share and enjoy good times…”
Well opening a restaurant and getting the support or become a favorite spot for people, it’s not easy.
It doesn’t matter what kind of business it is, staying in business is the hardest part of all, and Edgar being on the Industry for so long knows perfectly that having a good product it’s not enough. Excellence in Customer service plays a fundamental role in the whole process of operating a business.
So after a lot of years of working in the Restaurant and Service Industry, the opportunity to open his own restaurant in 2009 came up and guess what?…He took it!
It hasn’t been an easy task to be in the position where we are now, It’s been a whole year of hard work and sacrificies, but sooner or later everything pays off and Barcelona Tapas and Bar is now a reality. A new restaurant offering a new concept in the restaurant industry not only in Las Vegas but in the USA .
Being located in the Southern Highlands Area, and thanks to our always increasing customers that are showing us their unconditional support and loyalty, we can definitely say:
That our restaurant has been a total success! …. Yes! Barcelona Tapas and Bar is not going anywhere!
Thank you to the effort and hard work of a great team that works in this place, from our Executive Chef ,the marketing director, the bartender, all our staff , our unique recipes and our great customer service ,our place has become one of the peoples first choice to hang out and dine out; people from all over the places locals as well as tourists are just simply lovin’it!
If you are one of the few people that haven’t visited Barcelona’s Restaurant yet,
Come and check it out!!!… We guarantee you, you would fall in love with us also!
