The fussy, buttoned-down fine-dining model has been on deathwatch for a while now. And while there’s been plenty of speculation about its merits, drawbacks, and whether it’s a trend that’s indeed waning, nothing points to its impending passing quite like this week’s opening of world-renowned chef Ferran Adrià’s new tapas bar, 41 Degrees, in Barcelona. We say that because the announcement of its opening came on the heels of the announcement that Adrià’s crazy-famous El Bulli, where dinner for two (without wine) costs upwards of $650, will be closing next year. Perhaps the world really does just want mind-blowing creations like crisp mangoes with tagete flowers, crunchy tomatoes with basil butter, cornets of salmon roe with egg yolk, and black-olive cake, without having to sit through a five-hour tasting-menu experience? [Herald Sun]
