Eidelweiss is still there? Ummm yummy! Been there, done that! Also we had a favorite Italian restaurant in the area of the blind school. I cannot think of the name, but it was full all the time!
Another favorite of mine was the Rib House out on the highway to the airport. We never went at the "American Hour" but the barbeque sauce was to die for!!!

Do you flip tortillas de patatas? I never fliped them. My mother showed me the easiest way to turn the tortilla. Once that the botton is cooked you put a big plate on top of the pan, put your hand on the plate and then turn the pan so the pan would be on the top and the plate on the botton. Then you just put the tortilla back to the pan (does this make any sense? I don't know if I am explaining myself in the correct way )

Ohhhh...Nocilla. Unfortunately, I've never seen Nocilla anywhere in the US. But I'll tell you what I did once. I was sitting at home, and all of a sudden, suddenly, I had a craving for Nocilla and this idea popped into my head. Substitute chocolate Betty Crocker Frosting for Nocilla. So Off I went to the store, I bought some Nocilla a la americana(chocolate frosting he he), came home and made a couple of sandwiches. I'll tell you what, that was the first and last time I ever used that crazy idea! What I thought might be a good idea turned out to be downright Nasty. I think The Nocilla company would have been insulted.

Nuria, your description to flip (flip = "to turn over" en inglés) a tortilla is, of course, perfect! And as rgf says, I too always do this OVER THE SINK just in case.

And rgf, yes, I know exactly the place you mean now. Imagine you're in the Plaza Mayor and walking towards the stairs of el Arco de Cuchilleros. BEFORE walking down the steps, the place you describe is on the right. I know it, but have never been inside. Always wondered though. And you're right, Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas is a bit touristy, but when I was there in 1998 it was almost 100% Spaniards eating there...maybe taking their foreign visitors there?? heheehe... But still, I loved the small dining rooms and brick-domed ceilings.

And Rubia66, while you can't get those yummy Spanish potato chips in the USA (I doubt!), you can find potato chips fried in olive oil at the gourmet food stores or even maybe at the regular stores, but they're expensive! My Spanish ladyfriend and I tried them once and she said they were just like in Spain. They are SO tasty, it's true.

Me gusta Cruz Campo tambien, pero prefiero Mahou , MadridMan
(Cruz Campo is made in Andalucia and not so readily found in central/norther Spain while Mahou and San Miguel is made in Madrid)

Check out that San Miguel interactive/animated/cartoon website. It's very cute! Just put your pointer left or right to make the fat man walk left/right/to the next screen...etcetera.

Good, MM, glad you can picture this place on the Plaza Mayor. My marido says it has some geographic name, and the vino de la casa was a valdepenas clarete. So I'm imagining it is called los llanos or los condes or some such thing!! As for the tortilla flip, claro que hace falta un plato! A GREAT Spanish beer that I've seen in the US is La Estrella de Galicia. Cruz campo is almost as good, though. San Miguel used to be good 50 years ago but not now... Mahou of course is great! Man, am i missing Espanya today. Think I'll make some sangria to make myself feel better! PS, now USAir and Iberia are offering really low r.t fares to Spain all fall. Too bad I have to teach!

For those of you, Nocilla lovers, check out its official site at http://www.nocilla.com.

In the UK they sell something similar called "Nutella". I wonder if you have it in the US.

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As for beer lovers, Cruzcampo has its own chain of cervecerías. They are called "Gambrinus". There is one at Plaza del Carmen and another one at Fuencarral (just beside the Municipal museum).

Regards,

Antonio

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The best tips from your favourite hostal in Madrid.
Hostal Chelo at http://www.chelo.com

I saw the very NUTELLA today in my humble supermarket! Looked as asqueroso as it does to me in Spain. But give me some REAL chocolate caliente anytime!

This thread is making me hungry.

RE: Flipping tortillas. If the plate method is causing problems, next time you're in Spain buy a two-sided tortilla pan (I never saw them outside Spain). The lid is the same as the base. When one side is done you just close the lid and turn the whole thing over.
!Chachi!