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Exciting October Events in Madrid (Part 2)

Exciting October Events in Madrid (Part 2)

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Midsummer Night’s Dream

Face 2 Face Production’s adaptation of Midsummer Night’s Dream is coming to Los Teatros Luchana this October and November and you’re in for an absolute treat! This team of talented actors ensures that both native speakers of English, together with learners of all ages, can enjoy this wonderful story of love, magic and mischief.
With over 15 years of experiimg_5503ence and in excess of 100,00 audience members coming to see their shows every year, Face 2 Face have found the perfect formula for bringing great English classics to the Spanish stage. Midsummer Night’s Dream is no exception. This Shakespearian comedy set in India at the turn of the 20th Century cleverly mixes lines from the original play together with modern English and the end result is an incredible production that sweeps the audience away. You’ll certainly come out of this brilliant production by Face 2 Face with a huge smile on your face and a spring in your step.
As well as the fantastic acting, atmospheric live music created by David Cobo brings the performance to life. It really is an innovative and exciting way to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the great Shakespeare’s death! The show is running from Saturday 1st October until Saturday 26th November at Los Teatros Luchana, Calle Luchana 38. (Metro Bilbao).

Tapapiés! Multicultural Tapas and Music Tour in Lavapiés

Lavapiés, a beautiful district of Madrid, is holding Tapapiés 2016! Tapapiés is an event whtapapies2ere a large number of bars and restaurants, based in the district of Lavapiés, offer a wide array of food and drink. The food on offer during the event combines traditional Spanish recipes together with gastronomy from all over the world. There are over 110 different types of tapas for you to discover!
Over 90 bars and restaurants take part in this event and during your culinary tour around the world, you can pop into traditional Spanish shops and delis in the beautiful markets of San Fernando and Anton Martín.
Not only is there a wide selection of food and drink, but there is also a total of 60 music concerts that are put on throughout the Lavapiés neighborhood. These concerts take place on the weekends from 21 to 23 and 23 to 30 October. It doesn’t stop there! Outdoor plays and circus shows complete this fun filled programme which are especially targeted towards the little ones! What a great way to spend a family weekend!
Enjoy Madrid this October!

Food Trucks in Madrid

Food Trucks in Madrid

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As we all know, Madrid is one of, if not the best city in the world for eating and drinking until your heart’s content. If you think this is purely down to the plethora of tapas bars and typical Spanish restaurants, you are mistaken. The concept of food trucks and mobile food carts has hopped across the pond from the United States and is fast seeping into this magnificent city!

The History of Food Trucks

The concept of the food truck was born in the United States in the mid-19th Century. A food vendor decided to cut windows owwii_mobile_canteen-e1341243390391ut of a wagon, park it on the street outside a newspaper shop and sell sandwiches and coffee to journalists. They were also widely used during both World Wars to feed the soldiers. This concept has since spread across the globe and food trucks have become places from where respectable chefs can launch their careers. It is now even possible to track your favorite food trucks via social media! In the US, food truck rallies are also growing in popularity – they provide a great way of bringing cultures together and allow you to discover your favorite cuisine!
So, these food trucks provide a fast, easy and reasonably priced alternative to other casual restaurants. However, compared to other countries like England and Belgium, it has been hard for the concept of a food truck to break into Spain. Why, if there are so many restaurants and tapas bars selling affordable small eats, would you take the risk of going to a food truck where you have to eat on the street standing up?

Where can you find Food Trucks in Madrid?

It’s true that the idea hasn’t spread across Spain as quickly as other countries but in Madrid you won’t have any trouble finding a food truck! To whet your appetite, here are a few food trucks that you csigaelfoodtruck-eatstreet-madreat-foodtruck-madrid-salchichen-1an find in Madrid:

1. Salchichen – German street food that brings authentic sausages and burgers to the streets of Madrid. Here you are guaranteed good quality, traditional German food.

2. MadrEAT – this event aims to bring top quality street food to Madrid on a monthly basis. MadrEAT is a celebration of “exceptional gastronomy” and the variety of food trucks has to bjc6iqyq3e seen to be believed – you’ll find Japanese food, Peruvian food and Greek food just to name a few! Do not miss out! The upcoming dates are as follows: September – 23, 24 and 25. November – 4, 5 and 6. October – 14, 15 and 16 at Plaza Pablo Ruiz Picasso, Azca.

3. Peggy Sue’s – an American style food truck where you can enjoy typical hot dogs, burgers and fries.

And you’ll find many more food trucks in these popular places:
4. Matadero Madrid – this is a very trendy, modern place in Madrid and you’ll be sure to find food trucks from all over the world.
5. Stock! Feria Outstock-feria-outlet-madridlet Madrid – escape from the hustling, bustling centre of Madrid and enjoy a day out with your family. In and amongst all the shopping and live music, explore the wide variety of food trucks on offer. Make sure you’re there on 14, 15, 16 October.

Five Restaurants that Make A “Madrilena” Miss Madrid

Five Restaurants that Make A “Madrilena” Miss Madrid

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Pilar Orti lives in London and is the author of The A to Z of Spanish Culture. Here, she shares the Five Restaurants that Make A “Madrilena” Miss Madrid – and not all are Spanish, surprisingly ! And they are so different from the typical, trendy places in all guides. All yours Pilar …

I left Spain over 20 years ago out of choice. What I didn’t expect was that I would never get used to not having excellent food within arms’ reach. I go back to Madrid often and spend most of my time eating out with friends or buying food to bring back to London with me. The relación calidad-precio is difficult to beat anywhere else. I usually go back for just a weekend, but if I’m there for a week or longer, I make sure I visit the following places. If you have some time in the city this summer, you might like to try them too.

La Terapia.

Let’s face it, this is just a cafeteria, but the food is really superb. And so is the service.

It is located in the relatively new neighbourhood of San Chinarro, in the North of Madrid. The barrio is populated by young couples and so there is a really laid back feeling to the neighbourhood. La Terapia has a large terraza and this is for me, its main attraction. The terraza is situated on a large bit of sidewalk and so you can comfortably enjoy your food without the traffic bothering you.

La Terapia. c/ Príncipe Carlos. San Chinarro.

(Located around the middle part of the street.)

Entre jamones.

As its name suggests, if you fancy tasting some quality jamón, this is the place to go.

Entre jamones is situated near Avenida de América, and like La Terapia, it has a decent terraza (although this one is quite close to the traffic). If you are the kind of person that likes hopping from place to place, this might be a good choice as there are plenty of other bars and terrazas in Corazon de María to choose from.

Entre Jamones. Corazón de María, 46. (Note that there are two restaurants, pick the one on the corner.)

Chin-Chin

This might be an odd suggestion, but if you want to spend hours talking with your friends in a quiet terraza, while you taste different kind of Asian dishes, this might be the place for you.

Chin-Chin has a sitting-down all-you-can-eat buffet. This means that you sit at your table and order the different dishes as they take your fancy. It is the best way to have a bit of sushi with a bit of rice, some meat dishes, some noodles…

I can’t really say that it is the best Chinese restaurant in Madrid, but if you find yourself in the Arturo Soria/Avd de America area, it might be worth a try.

Chin-Chin. c/ Torrelaguna, 69.

El Automático

As you might have guessed, I like quiet places and one of the reasons why I continue to visit the three other places I’ve mentioned, is because, unless I turn up at a particularly busy times, I can always find a table.

This is not the case with El Automático. This bar is located in the middle of the neighbourhood of Lavapiés, bang in the centre of Madrid. However, what this bar has that makes me cross Madrid at the risk of having to sit uncomfortably while I eat my food, are its croquetas. They really are pretty amazing. And if you also order dátiles con bacon, then your culinary paradise will be complete.

El Automático. c/ Argumosa, 17.

Jamón José Jiménez

Lastly, I have to mention this charcutería.

 The thing I miss most in London is the jamón. Even since I was a student, my mother used to order jamón from José for me to take back. It meant I could always prepare a decent meal in a few minutes: eggs with ham, pasta with ham, peas with ham, rice with ham or just ham and bread, the best way to enjoy this ham.

Twenty years ago I used to travel with a kilo of sliced ham wrapped up in its own fat, to make sure it didn’t dry up. Now I travel with five or six vacuum sealed packs, which last me much longer.

So, if you are a fan of jamón or any other pig-based ibérico products, pop in to see José and send him my regards.

José Jiménez. c/ Gaztambide, 68.

 

Tapas Fair

Tapas Fair

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After seven successful installations, the Tapas Fair has returned to Madrid. Starting tomorrow, Thursday June 21st, the Palacio de Deportes (metro: Goya) will convert itself into a giant bar of sorts where you can sample some of Madrid’s best tapas accompanied by a caña of Mahou.

Thirty-eight different bars and restaurants will participate in this year’s feria, each with their own small stand offering a few of their signature dishes from madrileño classics to inventive new plates.

Each tapa will cost €1,20 and each caña will also cost €1,20. There also non-alcoholic drinks available at the stands. In past years, these transactions have taken places using fichas – small commemorative coins that you must purchase in advance at the Palacio de Deportes ticket window or at special stands within the event, so keep that in mind as you rush in with an empty stomach!

This year’s Tapas Fair runs from Thursday, June 21st to Sunday, June 24th, with a split timetable of 1200-430pm and again at 8pm-midnight. Entrance to the event is free.

Madrid Food Tour

Madrid Food Tour

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…is through your stomach.

Lauren, founder and tour guide. Photo by Cassandra Gambill

I would like to introduce you all, faithful guiris, to Lauren Aloise’s Madrid Food Tour. This tour provides a custom assortment of Madrid’s finest cuisine, hand-picked by one very passionate guiri.

Lauren is an expat from Massachusetts who has lived in Granada, Sevilla, Cádiz, and Madrid. Her already existing passion for food increased immensely after living in Spain, marrying her very own Spaniard, and meeting her suegra, Antonia. Thanks to time abroad and the lessons learned from her mother-in-law, Lauren has learned a great deal about Spanish cuisine and has found a way to share it with the world! In addition to running Madrid Food Tour, Lauren writes both Spanish Sabores (in English) and Recetas Americanas (in Spanish), two excellent resources for anyone interested in Spanish or American cuisine.

Madrid Food Tour’s “signature tour” includes samples of various Spanish treats widely available in Madrid at both popular and unique stops around the city. The tour typically takes from three to four hours during off-peak times so that those on the tour can see Madrid in a way that most tour groups don’t typically get to experience. Not only does the tour hit all the general flavor groups–sweet, savory, and everything in between–Lauren shares some history and information about every plate sampled. Want to know what’s in what you’re eating? Where it comes from? Just ask!

Does the signature tour not sound like what you’re looking for? Want to try something a bit more off-beat or specific to your tastes? Do you have the most discerning of palates? Again… just ask! The best part of these tours is that they are almost entirely customizable based on what you like, so if Andrew Zimmern’s bizarre tastes inspire you to try something completely new and different, let Lauren know!

The Madrid Food Tour website can be found here, and tours are available now! Tell them Guiri Guide sent you, and then let us know how much you loved it!