"Anyone planning a trip to Catalonia between January and April will want to slurp back a calçot, a.k.a. the Catalan national vegetable. It’s a cross between a leek and a spring onion that’s charred on the barbecue and doused in tangy romesco sauce before being dangled and lowered into the eater’s gullet. The downside is that most calçot feasts, or calçotadas, happen deep in the countryside, and you’ll need a car to get to one from Barcelona. Unless you go to Can Travi Nou. This pink bougainvillea-covered 17th-century mansion, known for serving carnivorous lunches to local businessmen in a faded vintage setting, also puts on a perfectly respectable calçotada (which includes lots of grilled meat and heavy pours of red wine alongside the onions). And it’s only a 20-minute metro ride from downtown Barcelona. photo credit: Sara Larsson RESERVE A TABLE" - Isabelle Kliger