Is it JUST me or does Spain have THE BEST food on the planet???
I almost ALWAYS gain weight when I'm visiting Spain with their wonderful bocadillo de calarmes (fried squid sandwiches), jámon serrano, cochinillo (roasted, suckling pig), tortilla patata/española (a potato, egg, and onion omelette), and all that wonderful Spanish beer (Mahou, San Miguel) and wine (Rioja by the glass full!).

Has anyone else tried the Museo del Jámon bar/eateries in Madrid? They have a website @ http://www.museodeljamon.es . These are among my favorites for faster/cheaper foods. I often go there for a quick bite and a caña de cerveza (glass of beer) when I'm in the old, city center - which is MOST of the time. I usually order the tortilla española at the bar with a beer and they always give you a free tapa like a small dish of chorizo (a kind of sausage), ham, or olives. The free tapa changes from day to day (or even within the same day), but you can almost be sure to get one if you order a beer.

I'm fortunate enough to have a small, latino grocery story in my town and last weekend I filled up on fresh chorizo español, cans of green olives stuffed with anchovies (from Spain), cans of mejillones (mussels, also from Spain), and MANY cans of fabada (a garbanzo bean and chorizo soup -- VERY salty). At this place you can also buy olive oil from Sevilla. WOW! I'm so happy to have this place.

What kinds of Spanish food do YOU like???

Saludos,

MadridMan

MadridMan,

Next time you are in albuquerque go to the Cafe Broadway. Really good tapas and spanish quisene. Flamenco on some saturday nights. ken in abq.

For an excellent dinner in Madrid, try the restaurant "Cuevas del Duque", near the Plaza de España. We had cream of asparagus soup, steak and potatoes, wine and ice cream. The steak was the best I had ever had. The atmosphere included bull fighting and art reproductions from the Prado. Our travel agent booked us a dinner there, and it was perhaps the best meal I ever ate in Spain.

I agree that Museo del Jamón near Puerta del Sol is a very good stop for food and drink.

[NOTE: I don't know which one is the authentic "Museo del Jamón".

The one near to Puerta del Sol has a website at
http://www.museodeljamon.com

the other "Museo del Jamón" is at
]http://www.museodeljamon.es]

[This message has been edited by Antonio (edited 05-28-2000).]

Sofia, what were the prices like? We're going in October and would like suggestions, preferably good but inexpensive food, where the locals eat. Thanks.

Unfortunately for my waistline, I, too, love Spanish food. I have visited Museo de Jamon, at least one or two of them, for a sandwich and a beer, always standing up at the bar!

Las migas, both made with bread and flour(the Andalusian style with melon), is one of my most favorite dishes, aside some all other Spanish staples that I enjoy.

Anyway, I am wondering if a restaurant in Madrid still exists. The last time I was there was November of 1998. It is called Isla del Tesoro and is on Manuela Malasana, 3. Has anyone been there?

Thanks,
Kate

I certainly have to agree that food in Madrid and nearby is extrodinary.
I just returned 6-1-00 from 10 nights in Madrid with my wife and my parents. My parents are in their 70's and I decided it would be nice to explore our heratage with them. This was my 4th trip to Spain but their first. We got a great deal $926.00 per person for 10 nights at the Suecia hotel **** which was nice but had a strange quirk of turning off the a/c at 11:00 P.M.and air fare on BA,so you had to stop at Heathrow but what the hey these prices it was fine.
The dollar was very strong and we ate at very good restaurants for very cheap money.
We ate at the Museo de Jamon and had a very nice lunch one afternoon. A plate of their best Iberico was about $8.00 but everything else was cheaper and very good. One restaurant that was inexpensive and very good was La Trucha near the Plaza de Santa Ana off I believe Calle Principe. The fried green peppers and fresh trout was out of this world. The bill for 4 was about $45.00. with tip. Dinner at the touristy but excellent Sobrino de Botin with a bottle of Vina Monty Gran Reserva Rioja was $118.00 for 4. I traveled to Paris in Nov and the meal we ate at Botin would have cost $400.00 easily.Spanish food uses the best of ingrediants and cooks them so that their natutral flavors grace your palette. What they can do with Merluza (hake) is mouthwatering. We ate a nice farewell lunch at the Cafe Gijon a very upscale cafe made famous by Spanish literati for lunch. We were treated very nice by the totally professional staff and ate a fabulous Colgada of Merluza in a saffron broth with carmelized onions and of course the full Spanish meal from appetizers to dessert with a glass of Lepanto Brandy and again this bill was $125 for 4.
These prices for upscale restaurants are outrageously low. So imagine what the dollar will buy in Spain. Even sitting on the street in Plaza Santa Ana ordering 2 beers each 3 raciones and coffee was less than $25.00 for 2.
We rented a car and did day trips from Madrid for 6 days visiting El Escorial, Avila, Segiovia,Toledo,Cuenca (my favorite day trip) Chinchon and Aranjuez.
Ate at the best restaurants in those places and never topped $140.00 for 4. Again let me stress that these type of meals in NYC where I live would be between $250 and $300 meals.
Now is the time to go to Spain. You can upgrade yourself just because the dollar is so strong.
But it does seem to be going down this month so get their quickley.
In comparison, comparable meals in Paris would be astronomical. I ate at Jacques Cagna 1 star Michelin for my anniversary with another couple and dinner was $800. It was an excellant meal.In New York at comparable restaurant like Union Square Cafe that meal would have been less than $500
So you see currently Madrid is the culinary bargain of the western world

Hey, bbEddie: You didn't say where you dined in Segovia. IMHO there are two 'World Class' restaurants in Segovia that can make Botin's in Madrid look like a second class establishment: Meson de Candido and Casa Duque (where the Maestro Asador slices the cochinillo asado with a plate). If you missed that, you need to go back soon.

Eddie, during my first trip to Spain/Madrid in 1995 my lady-friend took me to Segovia and we had lunch at Meson de Candido and THAT'S where I had my FIRST cochinillo asado. OH MY GOD!! I think it was at THAT moment that I was absolutely HOOKED on Spanish food/cooking.

I think it's the grandson of the original owner of Meson de Candido that now runs the restaurant. I saw him interiewed on TV once, in the restaurant. He spoke English pretty well and demonstrated how one could cut the pork with the plate.

This restaurant is JUST beautiful! We ate in the dinning room on the second floor and had a BEAUTIFUL view of the golden, Roman aquaducto, glowing from the lowering sun.

I'm not entirely positive, but I believe we saw the original, older owner at the restaurant while we were there. I also believe he has since died.

It's true that Meson de Candido is known as THE place to get THE BEST cochinillo asado in all of Spain. I can't wait to go back.

Saludos, MadridMan

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[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 07-04-2000).]

Yes, but: I have to confess that I found a better place for roast suckling pig - it's in Portugal, in a region called Mealhada. There it is called Leitoao (lay-tone) and it is the specialty of that region.

Sorry, I have been unfaithful MadridMan.

To Eddie and Madrid Man, Sorry it took so long to get back to you. While at Segovia we at El Duque and of course you are right. The suckling pig there was fantastic far outshining Botin.Theu also had these giant beans Judeones stewed with bits of pork, blood sausage and tripe that were a meal in themselves. In 1997, my then girlfriend and now wife went to Candido's and had a memorable time. Sitting by t he window looking out at the aquaduct and being greeted by the Master himself. Don Candido was very gracious and extremely friendly to my wife. The fact that she is very beautiful didn't hurt.My wife told him she wanted to steal the picture of Antonio Banderas and him and Don Candido took her to a back room when she came out she had a small sangria jug with the words "Stolen from Meson Candido". My wife and I were saddened when we learned that he died in '89.
I must say that the cochinillo in El Duque was the best I've had.But my mother had it at the Casa Colgada restaurant in Cuenca and that also was excellant. I believe that this cuisine comes from the Cuenca area.
Have you guys ever eaten Cigales. Langostines I believe they are called here.
Expensive as hell, $58.00 for 4 not much meat but what a taste