eulaliax's Profile
Great Churros
this is not, per se, a helpful post, but an important memorial: they just closed the churrería maribel in the plaza de lavapies, a wonderful place with great churros and chocolate, great castizo atmosphere, a devoted clientele and the coolest ratty piano-shaped bar in town. adios, maribel...
Help on a chefs tour of spain
hello.
i've never eaten in any of the 'great restaurants' but i certainly have scoped out pretty much all the markets in madrid and several of the ones in barcelona, and would be delighted to help out with basic products and simple delights from most of the regions. let me know if/when you're passing through madrid and what kind of things you might be looking for, and i'd be delighted to make suggestions. as morekasha says, the simple things are often the best, regional country foods...
Segovia restaurants
here's a vote for the cordero (lamb) over the cochinillo (pig). technically technically the ideal 'lamb zone' is supposedly farther north, in burgos, but i must say i've eaten some damn fine roast lamb in segovia, which is after all still in the middle of the 'mesta' (historic pastoral route).
for those that have a car, there's a little meson (don't remember the name) right in front of the turn off to the resevoir in revenga (on the small national highway going to segovia from madrid) which is cheap and excellent.
The best of Madrid
wow. you've done a lot of research.
-the best authentic/most unforgettable local travel experiences.
wandering through the "barrios bajos" (malasaña, lavapies, la latina) and enjoying the everyday bustle of the street and markets. the museums (prado, reina sofia, thyssen).
-memorable/dramatic scenery & landscape photography. Where do I find the best (viewpoints, city views, panoramas, skylines, sunsets, etc..)?
i'm especially fond of the broad intersection of gran via and c/alcalá, by the circulo de bellas artes. view of cibeles, gran via, etc. the rosaleda park between el templo de debod and moncloa. the view around las vistillas/puente de segovia/cornisa de san francisco el grande: excellent sunsets.
-the unique outdoors, hikes/hilltops/lookouts, and amazing views...
easy to get to: get the regional train to cercedilla and then to cotos, the hike called "siete picos" should take a few hours, mid-level difficulty, great views.
-lovely/charming streets,
the lower part of las austrias
-specialty/unique local cuisine, and gastronomy (under 15Eur/meal), the best freebies and/or anything else off-the beaten path.
lots of good cheap food! casa mingo, o barquiño, tapas joints all over the place... also very cheap fllms at the filmoteca (anton martin) and good free cultural programming at la casa encendida (lavapies)
as for your list, it all looks good (you'll be busy if you do all that!), but i add a few notes:
Reina Sofia (free Saturday/Sunday after 2:30), just for Eu citizens or everyone? for everyone, also at el prado.
Escorial/Valle de los Caidos, catch bus from Moncloa station in Madrid (el valle de los caidos is a horrible, scary monument to fascism which i would avoid...)
El Cocido Madrileño (the madrid soup) - don't expect a soup... its a hefty 3 course meal - the best in town is at Malagatín in c/ruda, near La Latina.
bocadillo de calamares (where can I find a good quality calamari sandwhich) - the classic bocadillo de calamares is in the little holes-in-the-wall around the plaza mayor. try one called 'el ideal'. always packed, cheap, cheerful.
andalusia - flamenco, or jewish spots?
hi
this not be exactly what you're looking for, but i strongly recommend La Casa de la Memoria (c/Ximenez de Enciso) a sort of cultural center and museum of sephardic culture in the center of the barrio Sta.Cruz. they have nightly performances of flamenco and sometimes of sephardi music in a handsome old patio. there's no food or drinks and no flashy showmanship for tourists, but the performances are of extremely high quality and very inexpensive. the area is full of good tapas places, you'll not want for food.
Need Suggestions for Christmas (Madrid) and New Years (Barcelona)
yeah, my suggestion for christmas day would be to enjoy the burgeoning world of cheap simple neighborhood non-spanish restaurants, either in the emerging china-town near plaza españa/tribunal or in the new row of bangladeshi places in c/lavapies. its a whole different world from el botín and other tourist classics... but there will be time for those during the rest of your stay.
Lunch in Madrid
hi. the first things that come to mind:
mid-range:
al-mounia, c/recoletos (off of paseo del prado). high quality moroccan food
le petit bistro, c/matute (anton martín). french/spanish mix bistro
champanería gala, c/moratines (b.de las letras/anton martín). paella y solo paella.
la tragantúa, c/veronica (antón martín). stylish traditional spanish.
cheap, ,:
o barquiño, c/torrecilla de leal (lavapies). authentic home-style galician (better to order a la carte, not menu)
la viuda de vacas, c/cava baja (la latina). home-style castillian (menu)
casa mingo, paseo san antonio la florida (near principe pío). asturian roast chicken and cider, family style.
enjoy!!
Planning a week in Turkey
only a week! and all of anatolia!
my first impulse would be to go southeast, but since the shit is hitting the fan these days, maybe its best not to. my next suggestion would be to follow the black sea coast eastwards at least to safronboglu for some of that unique hazelnut-based black sea cuisine. but the black sea is in a bad way these days too... so my third suggestion is to stay in istanbul and really explore, cause its a magical city and in a week you hardly scratch the surface.
food in istanbul: great everywhere, and the farther you get from touristy sultanahmet the better. try the little family fish joints up the bosphorus in arnavutkoy, for example. or, for more refined fare, try the restaurant (i wish i could remember its name!) right next to the kariye church museum, way out in edirnekapi near the city walls. they do a pretty fabulous reproduction of old ottoman cuisine...
figueres
just had a memorably nice meal at a weird little place in figueres: its called 'dynamic cafe bar', c/monturiol 2, right in the center of town. the place is unassuming from outside but inside has a fabulous old pop-modernist design, a great menu of very fresh very local specialties (both tapas and full meals) at very reasonable prices, and a generally very laid back and friendly atmosphere.
Notes from Spain
i totally disagree, LRS. there is nothing like a caña. its not fancy, its not rich or heavy or scented with this-and-that. its tiny, cold, frothy and perfect. there is no fuss about long beer lists or opportunities for connosieurism. beer is beer, generally mahou or estrella, the only question is size: caña, tubo, pinta or jarra. of which the caña is without any question the best: you drink it fast so it stays supercold. its no commitment: 'tomamos una caña' is the lightest and easiest form of sociability you could ask for. and cheap!
for long lists and lots of choices and rich subtle flavors we have wine. but at the corner bar on a hot day: ¡viva la caña!
New Year's In Madrid
if you're up for it, the place to be on new years is puerta del sol, in the center of town, where the official count-down to midnight takes place, then 12 grapes are swallowed in succession as the bells toll 12 times, and everybody goes bonkers. its a lot of fun if you like crowds. if you don't, stay away.
the standard thing most people do for new years is have dinner with the family then go out and party after midnight, so the whole 'new years dinner event' idea doesn't exist so much except at swank hotels, etc. if i were you i would have tapas and drinks either in the streets between sol and santa ana and enjoy the mayhem in the streets...
Visiting Madrid 11/18 - 11/24
hi all.
as butterfly says, la latina is probably a good area for tapas dining, though it is certainly a major center for social buzz, so if that's intimidating (and i understand that it can be)... then probably the way to go is either a) getting together with others (i live in madrid and would be happy to meet one evening) or b) go to an area where the feeding regime is more sitting-at-tables and less crowding-around-bars. this inevitably means that things are more expensive, but definately requires less prowess with the elbows. suggestions in this regard: in huertas around pza. santa ana (touristy but pleasant), in chueca between pza.chueca and gran via (c/libertad and the surrounding maze of streets).
i can't believe i'm recommending that you go to a more touristy area - its sort of against my nature - but i understand that for solo diners the tapas crowd can be a bit much.
if you're interested in meeting write me at mangui at sindominio dot net.
Help! in Madrid - any thoughts on Corral de la Moreria
its alright, the flamenco show is a bit schmalzy, the food is pretty good. for the dinner/flamenco deal i would recommend casa patas (near tirso de molino) without a doubt, and failing that, las carboneras (near santo domingo). i think both are more reasonably priced, with better food and better flamenco.
at casa patas the simple things are extraordinary: consomé and steak...
Top Institutions in FLA
can't believe shorty's bbq (US-1 by kendall station in south miami) has only been mentioned once and in passing. a pilgrimmage site every time i'm in town.
alas, wolfie's...
Pernil vs. lechon
depends on the spanish-speaking cuisine you're working within. in spain pernil is catalan cured ham (delicious!) and lechón is roast suckling pig...
