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Cheap Eats in Madrid

November 29th, 2010 | Posted by sawidner in Food and Restaurants | Lifestyle | Stephanie - (1 Comments)

After living here in Madrid for a year, you finally start to figure out some great places to eat on a student’s budget. Believe it or not it is possible to eat cheap in Madrid, here are but a few that are our go to restaurants, especially when I don’t feel like cooking.

-La Sanabresa Amor de Dios, 12 Madrid  914290338  Metro Anton Martin  This is my husband’s and I’s all time favorite restaurant in Madrid, they have a little bit to please everyone’s palate.  You can’t wrong with their wonderful baked lamb and chicken, and their menu del dia starts at 10 euros for lunch and dinner.  It was written in the New York Times a few years ago as being a “French Bistro, Spanish style.”  Also make sure you sit in Joaquin’s section up front. (big mustache waiter)  If you go for dinner get there at 8pm when they open, otherwise a line forms out the door by 9pm, and they are closed on Sundays, and some Mondays.

-Taqueria Mi Ciudad C/ de las Fuentes 11 28013 Madrid  Metro Opera/Sol This is a little taqueria or taco stand near Sol.  The tacos start at 1.50 euros each, and a bottle of beer is 2 euros, and they are very authentic according to some of our Mexican friends from IE.  Plus, its a great place to stop by when shopping in Sol, or you need some good late night food. (note there are two locations, we’ve only been to the taqueria and not their restaurant)

-Maceiras Huertas 66, Madrid, 28014  Metro Anton Martin   My mouth just waters thinking about the pulpo (for 9 euos for 4 people) they serve here.  I’ve had my fair share here in Madrid and Galicia, and this is by far my favorite.  This is a little Galician style restaurant, so come here for the shellfish and fish like merluza, and don’t expect any other meat on the menu.  If you arrive by 10 for dinner every night you get the extra special treat of watching them mix their special traditional Galician drink that they set on fire, and serve out of a large cauldron.  Definitely a place to take visitors, and at no more than 15 euros per person, you’ll have enough left over to enjoy the many bars and jazz clubs up and down Huertas Street.

-Lamiak De la Rosa, 10 28012 Madrid  Metro Anton Martin  This is our favorite tapa’s place in Madrid, and the tapas are only 1.70 euros each!  They have two locations one near Anton Martin and the over in La Latina neighborhood, which is always packed, so we stick to the first location.  Their kitchen is open during the day, but we find the best selection and quality when they open the kitchen up again at 8:15pm at night.  They have wonderful wines by the glass starting at 2.50euros a glass, and canas for 2 euros.  I also like that they play a lot of jazz and blues music in the background. You must try the stuffed pepper, and the goat cheese with caramelized onions, after these two I’m usually full.

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Fancy a Macaroon?

November 26th, 2010 | Posted by allisonstendardi in Allison | Food and Restaurants - (Comments Off)

The first time I walked by Moulin Chocolat I was lured inside by the magnetic pull of chocolate.

My husband and I were talking a leisurely walk back from the park, we’d circled the Puerta de Alcala, and were headed up Calle de Alcala when we spotted it. Chocolate. Macaroons. Eclairs. Bonbons.

We stepped inside and were greeted by the lovely Sonja, who gets to spend all day amongst bonbons and eclairs. We made our selection (eclair) and stood taking tiny bites of the deliciousness that is this eclair. Upon leaving the shop I told myself I simply must take my friend Lisa there when she came to Madrid to visit. And oh did we visit. A box of ten macaroons later, I was really hooked on this place.

So, you think you know a macaroon? I thought I did. In North America macaroons tend to be of the coconut variety, and while I adore all things coconut, I know it’s not for everyone. These macaroons are different. They have a layer of creamy, frosting-type loveliness between two almost brownie-like layers. Not only this, they come in ten (TEN!) different flavors.

It was the first time I had tasted a macaroon like this, and trust me it won’t be the last.

If you’re looking for the perfect host gift, feel like indulging in some emotional eating, or need a snack to cap off a picnic in Retiro, head across Alcala for some sweets at Moulin Chocolat.

Moulin Chocolat
C/Alcala, 77
28009 Madrid
(34) 91 431 81 45
www.moulinchocolat.com

Barrio Hopping in Madrid: Last Take [Opera/Plaza Mayor]

November 23rd, 2010 | Posted by aarontoddsmith in Guiri Guest | House Hunting - (1 Comments)

Friend of the Guiri Guide, Kathleen Hershner, has lived in Madrid now for nearly 8 years and has experienced living in many barrios. She shares with us attributes of each, with her own personal flare. This segment will have multiple installations in order to provide you with the greatest of detail as you work to select your ideal home.

I tallied up the places I’ve lived (while bored, on a flight back from Menorca), and was surprised to find that I’ve averaged one move per year during my extended ‘visit’. Some have been short-lived and some long enough to feel like a real home. In order:

OPERA

As much as I was in love with living alone, I found a shared flat opening near Plaza de la Encarnacion that was do-able. I moved into a tiny, recently renovated flat with a 25-year old computer animator (very convenient having a techie within arms’ length) who was perfectly pleasant and not a permanent fixture in the flat which is KEY if living in close quarters. My room was a monk’s cell with no windows, but it didn’t matter because I had finally reduced my belongings to an 8-suitcase/3-trip expedition. This barrio isn’t technically Opera or Austrias – both are on the other side of calle Arenal from me, but Opera is how most refer to it. I’m equidistant from the Opera, Santo Domingo, and Plaza de España metros; lines 2, 3, 5 and 10. At the onset of the financial crisis, my roommate moved in with his girlfriend giving me 2-weeks notice, (ouch) and my landlords Tomas and Ursula (who own the wonderful and charming restaurant El Mollete down the street from me) gave me an extra month at my shared rent rate to decide where to go next. Spaniards can be really understanding when they know you’re under stress! I could have stayed there and found my own roommate but I wanted more space.

PLAZA MAYOR

There was a temporary (and lovely) bedroom available in a charming old flat right on Plaza Santa Cruz, which is just on the edge of Plaza Mayor where I stayed for 3 months before going back for my annual visit to San Francisco. I liked the central location of this area, but felt a bit claustrophobic here. Since I don’t lust after the notion of walking out my front door to intermingle with thousands of tourists, I knew that living in the dead-center was NOT for me.

OPERA

When I returned from annual April émigré to the USA, I took a little stroll down my former street in Opera one day and saw an alquiler sign in the building next door to my old one and called the movil number on it. It’s a rather urban way of flat-hunting, one that I had tried a few times when I lived San Francisco, but had always come up short. This time, my future landlord Juan met me the same evening and as soon as I walked into the flat, I knew immediately that if I could afford it, I was living in it.

The experience of dealing with Juan, who is a lawyer and NOT the owner of the flat or building, has been superb. Juan has made things so easy for me here that I’ve tried to return his kindness by finding two more tenants for the vacant flats in the building. (Note: there are no more available). He even convinced me after 8 months to move from the peaceful, cave-like tranquility of my cozy interior studio to the lighter only slightly more expensive exterior on the next floor up. He kept insisting that I ‘needed light’….. “We Spaniards need a lot of light!” he kept mantra-sizing and I felt his fatherly concern for my well-being, even though I’m older than he is….

I’m not planning on exploring any more barrios in Madrid. The next move I make will be either to the countryside or another city. It took 7 barrios and tens of dozens of characters along the way to be able, finally, to call Madrid ‘home’. But the 7-year itch needs to be scratched and I’m feeling my old vagabond/gypsy self starting to tingle. To those of you who are ‘fresh off the boat’ here, happy hunting. If you have any questions about my experiences, feel free to email me at khershner@yahoo.com, or visit my public page on Facebook.

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(Quiet) Weekend In: Ibiza

November 22nd, 2010 | Posted by jodiehop in Jodie | Traveling outside Madrid - (1 Comments)

Whilst I know that Ibiza is more known for it’s party lifestyle, off season it is a wonderful quiet getaway.  My boyfriend and I went to Cala Boix, a lovely little cove on the east of the island and didn’t leave for 3 days.

Surrounded by small cliffs there is a steepish decent to a lovely beach with grey sand. It’s ideal for children as it is ideal for sandcastle building, has rock pools at either end of the small stretch of sand, the water is shallow for a long way out and the waves are small. Admittedly I only ventured waist high but given that it was mid October and 22 degrees outside, I thought that was quite impressive.

The beach has a little beach bar that servers reasonable drinks but slightly over expensive food. The pizzas are the best bet if you are looking for value for money.  There are beach chairs that you can rent for 4euros per day, which I think is pretty reasonable. And with this you can use their big umbrellas for shade.

There are three restaurants other than the beach bar. By far the best one, overlooks the cove, out to sea and serves phenomenally good home cooked Spanish dishes. It’s open 12-5.30 and we ate there twice. Once opting for the paella marisco (seafood paella) at 17euros, and once for their special: bullit de peix y arroz negro - a fresh fish and potato stew, followed by rice cooked in squid ink and calamari. It was well worth the 45minute wait wand was the only meal we neede that day!
Our research showed that hotels were almost exclusively resort based, and villa hire was frequent and preferable. As we only stayed for three nights we chose the Hostel Cala Boix which was incredibly basic, but clean with en suite bathrooms for 40 euros per night including breakfast.

We spent a few hours hiking around the rocks from Cala Llonga, the next beach down. It’s a rough hike but if you like walking, it’s well worth it for the views, the sea air and working up the appetite before a big lunch!

Las Salinas beach is the famous beach on the west side of the island. We went for a long walk from one end of the beach to the fort, and then watched the sun go down over the hill. It was a beautiful setting.

The old town is also worth at least a short visit and walk around. There is the old walled city, with a cathedral and plaza at the top. We stopped for tapas at a cosy place next to the bridge to the fort which was charming.

If you have more time than we did, try a day trip to Formentera, the smaller island on the south east side, to try out the mud baths.

Where to get Thanksgiving fixings in Madrid

November 20th, 2010 | Posted by allisonstendardi in Allison | Food and Restaurants | Shopping - (1 Comments)

It’s almost Thanksgiving, or should I say, el dia de gracias? For the Americans out there, this is understandably a hard time to be away from home. Ah, Thanksgiving. Family gatherings, grandma’s homemade pies, football games on the television, the Macy’s parade, and a viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life, The Wizard of Oz, or, my all time favorite holiday movie, A Christmas Story. And, the best thing about Thanksgiving, the FOOD!

With 5 days left to figure out a dish, acquire ingredients and, for some, figure out how to operate an oven/toaster the size of a shoe box, we had better get on this.

Looking for a piece of home? Here are some tips on how you can make your own Thanksgiving here in Madrid.

Pumpkin and other yumminess – There are two American stores in Madrid. One is appropriately called the American Store. The other is Taste of America. I took a little trip over to Taste of America yesterday to see what this place is all about.

You can get many essential Thanksgiving ingredients here, including brown sugar and canned pumpkin. Don’t be fooled by the two cans of pumpkin here in this image – there were boxes of canned pumpkin just waiting to be stocked. They have marshmallows for candied yams, should you want to show your new European friends just how versatile marshmallows can be. And, although not necessary for Thanksgiving, if anyone is craving SPAM (does anyone really eat SPAM?), cheddar cheese in a bottle, or Jim Beam wing sauce, rest assured you can buy these at Taste of America as well, along with enough Duncan Hines to rot your teeth right out of your mouth. Although the size of a 7/11 (a teeny 7/11), it carries some much needed American products for this time of year. There is some sticker shock (6 Euro for a box of cake mix?), but sometimes it’s just worth it.

Veggies and Sides – Your local grocer should carry most of what you need. The Mercado de Ventas has actual corn on the cob, along with pretty much every other vegetable you could ever want.

Basic vocab list for the market: sweet potatoes (batatas), green beans (judias verdes), corn (maiz), pumpkin (calabaza), potatoes (papas), onion (cebolla)

Turkey – the staple of Thanksgiving. We are surrounded by meat in Spain, yet somehow turkey always seems to be left out. Rest assured, there are bird options here in Madrid. You can order a turkey from a polleria, or you can buy one at a market, like the Mercado de Ventas. I was there earlier this week and at the sight of me the men behind the meat counter started shouting about my upcoming fiesta, and how I should buy a pavo from them. There were a bunch of turkeys right there, ready to go.

Measuring -  Avoid measuring disasters by converting to metric correctly.

Happy cooking and happy Thanksgiving!