Spain’s three Roca brothers, whose restaurant El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, recently took the No. 1 spot on Restaurant magazine’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, are back in Houston for a series of dinners at Caracol.

The Roca brothers – head chef Joan (photo above, right), sommelier Josep (photo above, left) and pastry chef Jordi (photo above, middle) – have shuttered their own restaurant for five weeks in order to participate in a global cooking tour sponsored by the BBVA Group, BBVA Compass’ parent company. BBVA is sponsoring the chefs’ tour as part of a three-year partnership with El Celler de Can Roca.

The Rocas’ second American tour – the guys were here last year, too – kicked off in Miami in early August and was followed by a stop in Birmingham, Ala. The U.S. portion of the tour concludes in Houston with three sold-out dinners, which began last night and continue tonight and tomorrow evening.

Chef Joan Roca is considered a pioneer in sous-vide, a cooking process where food is vacuum-packed and cooked in water. Josep Roca, the sommelier, meanwhile, has won over critics with his unorthodox wine pairings and techniques. And Jordi Roca, the pastry chef, won the World’s Best Pastry Chef Award 2014. The judges called him “part chef, part architect, part magician” and an “eccentric but modest genius,” citing his work recreating famous perfumes in edible form.

We’ll be joining tomorrow evening’s meal at Caracol. But in the meantime, we had a few nosy questions for the Roca brothers.

You operate one of the most famous restaurants in the world. If you weren’t in the restaurant business, what career path would you have taken?

Josep: Goalkeeper of FC Barcelona
Jordi: A retiree, because as a child I used to see retirees spend the entire day at my parents’  bar having a great time.
Joan: Architect

What is your favorite food and drink pairing?

Josep: Grilled shrimp along with a glass of Amontillado Viejo for the heads and a Palatinate Riesling for the tails
Jordi: Ibérico ham along with tequila
Joan: Oysters with a Chablis

Why a second tour in Houston?

All: We chose the cities for the U.S. portion of the tour together with BBVA Compass. Last year we perceived that people in Houston really wanted us back, so we’ve decided to return, and we are delighted for it.

What do you want guests to take away from this series of dinners?

All: A pleasant memory. An unforgettable experience.

If you could go back in time and discuss food culture with anyone, who would it be?

Jordi: Count Dracula
Josep: [20th-century French vintner] Henri Jayer
Joan: [18th-century French chef] Marie-Antoine Carême

What is your favorite childhood memory associated with food?

Jordi: Bollycaos [chocolate buns, very popular in Spain]
Josep: Sherried kidney sandwiches
Joan: Lamb on pan con tomate [fresh-crushed tomato on bread] with roasted garlic

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be? What would you talk about?

Josep: With Stephen Hawking, about holistic science
Jordi: With Buddha, about the meaning of life
Joan: With Harold McGee, about gastronomy and science

Your restaurant focuses on avant-garde cuisine. What do you enjoy cooking and eating at home?

Jordi: Tacos
Josep: Rice
Joan: Rice

What kitchen gadget/instrument could you not live without?

Josep: Corkscrew
Jordi: Spoon
Joan: Knife

Who’s the bossy brother?

All: Joan

Would you encourage your own kids to go into this restaurant business?

Joan and Josep: We encourage them to pursue whatever career they like as long as they’re happy.
Jordi: No, I wouldn’t.

What cuisines are you interested in learning more about when you’re not in the kitchen?

All: Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Japan, Korea, Turkey … we are interested in many cuisines and many different cultures from around the world. There is a lot to learn from all of them.

You are planning your final meal on Earth. Tell us about it.

Josep: I’d include a 1959 German ice wine.
Jordi: I’d eat an entire Ibérico ham, so that the dinner would last longer.
Joan: I’d have a roasted-apple ice cream from Gelateria Rocambolesc [in Girona, Spain].