I am sitting at my desk at work, reading these posts instead of working. As so often happens when I look at this site, my mind is wandering to Madrid...I am imagining myself strolling around the streets and looking for a great restaurant for lunch.

Help me out, all of you that are currently in Spain! What are YOU having for lunch today? And feel free to be descriptive! Make my mouth water!

Meanwhile, I will continue to daydream at my desk....

I don't know this woman... and I suppose I shouldn't be posting her photo here (and it's about 80kb size too) but you can read her Spain Story and see more photos of her trip at http://www.taekwondo-itf.be/pics/spain2003/

Thought this might help "take you there". I found this, and others, through the Google.com IMAGES section @ http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=tapas.jpg+%2Bmadrid

I´m not in Madrid (arrived in Barça from there yesterday)but I just finished a plate of conejo con tomate after appetizers of pinchos and cider at Sagardi.

I have developed a taste for "zarajos" in Madrid. Anyone else like them?

well, thanks for the info above. I am clearly not going to get any work done today either!!!

OK...I need this topic resurrected today. I am having a major case of "I wish I was in Spain Blues".

I just booked my trip for Apr 27 to May 11. You would think I'd be excited, but it just seems so far away.

Will someone please indulge me and let me know what yummy things you ate today for lunch? Or even yesterday...last week??????

Hahahaa.. I can't say I blame you, sparkalina. You can only live vicariously through those of us living in Spain, watch those Spanish TV programs online (or on your own TV maybe), or buy those super expensive important Spanish food items in your specialty grocery store there in Naples, Florida USA.

So let's see.... Today for breakfast I had porras (which I'd gotten from a nearby bar) and coffee. For lunch I had a simple chicken noodle (actually, they were fideos) to which I added green olives. Mmmm.... For dinner, I don't know. It'll probably be a salad, some fruit, and some white wine. For lunch today I had originally planned to go to the bar across the street for their delicious menu of the day - Thursdays they serve COCIDO MADRILEÑO (as the second course) for 8 Euros. But in the end I didn't go.

I'm sure ANYONE can outdo me for today's food fare.

Saludos, MadridMan

Anyone able to update with what they had for lunch today?

I will be in Spain in about a week and the anticipation is KILLING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need some food talk....

I´m still salavating at the thought of the "Matanza de Cerdo" I had with MM and others .. A huge plate of fried potatoes topped with thick bacon , beautiful spiced sausages and Morcilla ... And a big jug of wine ... Oh , abd the Leche Frito at that restaurant was to die for !!

Thanks, Steve! I needed that

sparkalina, today I prepared (for friends at home) broiled chicken (lightly dusted with pan rallado and spiced with curry, parsley, salt and topped with pineapple) and a good rice dish with peas, roasted red peppers, chicken bouillon, green olives, and oregano. With it, we shared a bottle of Spanish sidra and had yogurt for dessert. It all turned out very well - all my own recipes, by the way, and not all that Spanish either, but my guests liked it a lot.

Saludos, MadridMan

MM, what is pan rallado?

Oh, only 2 more days and I will be on a plane!!!!!!!!!

Pan Rallado is finely ground bread. See photo below. It's the same stuff they use to "roll" the dough in croquetas.

Mmmmmmm, croquetas, my favorite snack....I'll be in Madrid for 2 weeks the end of August, first of September, maybe we can meet up for lunch...

I can't wait for my first bite of jamon on Thursday. Or my first cafe cortado, to see what the first free tapa we get is (bonus happiness if it is not olives or potato chips). Oh - and vermut al grifo - of which there is no equivelent in the US that I can find.

Sigh. So near but yet so far. I hope all of you that live in Spain realize HOW LUCKY YOU ARE!

When I go home tonight I am going to stick my nose in a bottle of olive oil and breathe deeply.

My lunch? a cup of coffee and a Zone bar.

Ha! For my last U.S. breakfast (at a diner) I had a fried egg, link sausage, French toast, and hash browns. Mmmm... No more of that after returning to Spain.

I'm looking forward to my first Spanish meal tomorrow; LUNCH! Maybe a simple bocadillo de calamares before a long nap. Can't wait.

Surely our food-lover steve robinson can happily recount his foodie exploits of late.

Saludos, MadridMan

Did you go to Cracker Barrell????? LOL

Actually i´ve not been eating out that much . My Peruvian friend loves to cook so
i´ve been treated to Huevos Rotos , Revuelto de Gambas , Ensalada con Jalapeños , Steamed chicken .. mmmm
We recently had an Argentinian girl staying with us ( She lives in Zurich ) ... She had a blast here in Madrid ! One day we went Japanese ( I love Japanese food ) .. but we went to the terraza in Calle Ibiza where my Romanian friend works and had a ración of chopitos ( Maybe the best i´ve had in Madrid ) .. The patatas bravas are excellent too ! And my friend brought us some tapas ( free ) of little sweet bread rolls ( brioche ) filled with a garlic cream cheese .
For drinks we´ve had wonderful Granizado de Limón ( so refeshing ! ) , Tinto de Verano , and Cerveza .
And we took our Argentinian friend to the Estanque .. the lake in Retiro Park .. We hired a rowing boat .. On a mighty hot day it was nice to splash water over your head and face . My room mate was rowing .. first time .. we had a few collisions , but we got too close to the fountains and got soaked ... Hilarious !
I´m really enjoying the Madrid summer .

Steve

Yeah let´s meet up for lunch . I have a "Corte Ingles" department store near me and they have an area for "platos preparados" .. Croquetas de Jamón , bacalao and pollo .. . I often buy 15 ( 5 of each ) and eat them ( with a bravas sauce ) watching a film at home ..

well I am going for my vacation to Florida USA next week so will be able to savored some good American food ::) and big breakfasts....

I had cocido for lunch, follwed by a lovely siesta under my mosquito net!! My boyfriend is a great cook, i love his tortilla, albondigas, cocido and croquetas, fabadas too.

For breakfast I'm planning on having toasta con tomato at the renfe station, I know it's not lunch but done right it's my favourite Spanish dish!!!

Ok .. well I just spent 15 days in a town called Tamariu .. near to Begur ... In Catalunya . And the food was incredible ! I absolutely recommend the beachfront restaurant of the Hotel Tamariu ... astonishing food .. This will be in Catalan : Sonsus - Sand eels ... Sort of like whitebait .. absolutely delicious ! But they are eels ! Navalles a la planxa .. Grilled razor clams .. man they were good .. Llamànto a la plantxa o gratinat amb alli-i-oli ( lobster which was wonderful ... and at 25 € . it was a bargain ) . Xipirones .. so much better that i´ve had in Madrid ! ... And let´s not forget the desserts ( postres ) .. Formatge Fresc amb Figues confitados ( Cream cheese with figs ) .. Totally the best ! Recuit de l'Empordá camb miel ... fresh cheese with honey ( Very Catalan ) ... And my youngest niece went crazy for the Maduixots amb Nata .. Strawberries and cream ... A great holiday by the sea !
Ask for Samir or Jordi ... great waiters .. The manageress is a diamond too .