Perhaps one of Barcelona’s most creative, authentic, and sustainably-minded chefs, Santi, delights citizens and tourists alike with his daily vegetarian and organic specials. Centered in the heart of Barcelona’s El Raval neighborhood and located a mere stone’s throw away from the famous Mercat de la Boquería, Organic, the restaurant—and more appropriately, the kitchen—over which chef Santi presides bustles with vibrant energy, mastered flow, and fragrant aromas spilling forth from the open kitchen.
Santi has served as chief culinary genius for the past six of the restaurant’s seven years, creating seasonal and colorful dishes to order. Sourcing most of his products directly from the Boquería market and the remainder from local natural food shops and distributors, nearly all of the products used at Organic come from within the Catalunian province, including even the wine served. Although Santi possesses no formal kitchen training, he pulls polenta and chard cakes from the oven, enriches a butternut squash soup with a swirl of a spoon of curry powder, and adds the finishing touch of hijiki (seaweed) to a tasting plate of a mixture of legumes and vegetables like a seasoned professional. 
Interestingly, the majority of his clientele is not vegetarian, nor is he. “People are increasingly searching for healthier options for dining out in the city,” he explains. He caters to many mothers and women, though the numbers of males customers are increasing compared with past years.
“From where is much of your inspiration derived,” I asked. “When I was first learning to cook, a creative chef in the city took me under his wing, and from there I learned the basics—bases, sauces, soups, etc.—and I began to experiment, to investigate new flavors and work with different combinations of ingredients, and got really creative,” Santi responded. “What I enjoy most is the contact with the people, serving them their plate of food through the open kitchen window, and being able to see their reactions to the different flavors, textures, and aromas,” he added.
A usual day for Santi begins when his wife wakes him up, usually just 15 minutes before he leaves the house to head to Organic, and just enough time to take his first espresso of the day (he averages 4 or 5 per day at the moment). He finishes his espresso while sitting on his couch with his cat, then mounts his motorcycle and heads off to meet the morning produce purveyor at the restaurant. Come 8:30 AM Santi is in the kitchen, prep list in hand, eyeing the fridge to see which ingredients remain from the day before. During this time he whips eggs, prepares a dessert or two, ignites the fire on the large gas stove and gets the ovens cranked up to temp. Next it’s time for his second espresso of the day which he is served at a nearby café. Everyday he picks up a newspaper along the way and reads it at the bar. Santi is back at Organic by 9:45 AM where he finishes the prep for the evening and the next day until service begins at noon.
Although he doesn’t find the time in his schedule currently to pursue other interests, Santi would like to start offering cooking courses and to be able to incorporate internship and apprenticeships in the Organic kitchen. Until then, however, he passes the few spare moments he finds in the day trading on Wall Street and making an occasional trip to the gym.
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Organic : c. de la Junta de Comerç : Barcelona http://www.antoniaorganickitchen.com/home.html
If you go…make sure to try the vegan orange sauce from the salad bar, any of the desserts from the cold case (mousse du chocolat and the crema catalana are especially good), and of course you can’t miss with any of the specials. All pizza dough is made in house and hand tossed to order.
Bon appétit! 
