Today we’d like to introduce you to Guy Neil.
Guy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started my restaurant career from the very bottom. I made my big debut with the glamorous job of scrubbing pots and pans, eventually graduating to becoming a short order cook at my local college pub. After leaving university, I went to bartending school, and so began my life in front of the house. I ran high end, celebrity-owned (and filled) restaurant groups in New York City. I also oversaw restaurants and restaurant groups in Boston. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with wonderful staff and meeting countless guests that over time have become not only lifelong friends but an extension of my family.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest obstacle I’ve faced in the industry was the ramped up level of partying that went on back in the day. It ultimately came to a head, and I knew I had to take action. I cleaned up my act and am proud to say that I have been clean and sober for several decades now.
Barcelona Wine Bar (South End) – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant is a tapas bar inspired by the culture of Spain. The menu is constantly evolving and has a central focus on clean flavors, seasonal ingredients, specialties from both Spain & the Mediterranean, and rustic small plate presentations. Barcelona was founded in Connecticut in 1996 and now also has restaurants in Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Philadelphia, Virginia, and Washington DC. Barcelona is the essence of true hospitality. At Barcelona, our goal every day is to make sure that each and every guest leaves feeling better than they did when they walked through our doors. We will do absolutely whatever it takes for people to leave saying “Thank you, we had a terrific time!”
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My mother used to tell me stories of her grandmother being a gun smuggler during the resistance in the “old country.” My great-grandmother would take my mother for walks as a young child, and they would end up in the back room of a local bakery where the guns were hidden. They would make a payment or take the guns to another location. At the same time, my grandfather owned a nightclub in town that the occupying British soldiers used to frequent, and boy there were some stories from those times… on the other side of my family, I heard tales of my family drinking during prohibition at a bar on the NYC upper west side. Decades later, I was offered my first bartending job at that very bar before I even had a high school diploma. My love
of restaurants and genuine enthusiasm for the pulse of the nightlife and bar scene is deep-rooted, to say the least!
Pricing:
- Tapas range between $4.50 – $14
- Entrées (to share) range between $16-$26.50
Contact Info:
- Address: 525 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02116
- Website: https://www.barcelonawinebar.com/location/south-end/
- Phone: 617.266.2600
- Email: southend@barcelonawinebar.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barcelonawinebar/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bwbsouthend/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/barcelonawineba
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/barcelona-wine-bar-south-end-boston-6
Image Credit:
Tom McGovern, Manny Vargas
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