What a great find this board is! I am originally from Madrid and finding this site is like visiting my home a little every day. I now live in New York. How nice this is!

- Micaela

Pues, ¡bienvenida! Siendo de Madrid, seguro que tienes mucho que compartir...¡adelante abogada!

Muchisimas gracias, CaliBasco! I am not a lawyer though, business development analyst at a very large corporate law firm in Manhattan. I look forward to many an interchange on one of my favorite (if not THE favorite) subjects in the world --- Madrid!

Gracias otra vez y hasta pronto!

- Micaela

Hey--another New Yorker, and a business development analyst at that! I'm in investor relations (by day--freelance essayist and reporter on my own time) so we're geographic AND professional neighbors. Good to have some company here from someone nearby--welcome!

Well, let's have a NYC reunion for MM board members! If they did it in LA... how's that tapas bar downtown, XUNTA? being a total gallego-maniatica, i could go for some pulpo y un buen vino do albarin~o...

[This message has been edited by rgf (edited 02-06-2001).]

Count me in!!!. I'm also in NYC.

What's the scene for Spanish restaurantes and bares in NYC? Rgf was making me salivate with the pulpo references...I too am a Galizaphile!

Hola y buenos dias! What a warm reception! I'm glad to see that there are some of you here in Manhattan! The situation for good (read: authentic) Spanish (and I mean REAL Spanish) bars and restaurants here in NYC is, in my opinion, pretty good. I will gather a list of my favorites and post. Mmmmm... pulpo.... don't get me started!!

Xunta is a really wonderful tapas bar on the lower East side of Manhattan! When I've been there, I have felt like I was in Galicia! The whole ambiente is so great, it gave me a litte morrin~a!!...

I've been to Meigas on Hudson and they had very good food and a great selection of wines and finos. Has anyone been to Toledo on 36th Street? I've walked by it many times but have never eaten there. I'll post some other faves later.

Hasta luego!

Mica

Welcome Michaela, Madridman's board is the best!

rgf and Calibasco- Pulpo is my absolute favorite! I could live on boiled pulpo served cold and bathed in olive oil, vinegar, cebolla y pimentos. What are some other ways to prepare it that you guys like?

Micaela, welcome to the board!!!!! YES!!! Last spring my ladyfriend and I spent 4 wonderful days, staying in Chelsea, saw "Annie Get Your Gun" on Broadway, and went to Toledo (Spanish restaurant), just across the street from the Empire State Building, to celebrate her birthday (she's from Madrid).

What can I say, but WOW!!! What a fine dining experience we had!! POSH, full of Spanish businessmen, embassy persons (no doubt), and others. We both agreed that we'd NEVER had SUCH and expensive dinner in all our lives ($180 total after tip). I had garlic chicken over rice and she had the lamb I believe. Both had sangria and a number of different delicious tapas to start off and coffee & dessert to finish.

This place was so elegant that I felt VERY out of place in my jeans, tennis shoes, and button down shirt (we'd spent the whole day touring the city and didn't return home first to change).

It was a one-time event and I didn't care less HOW much we spent. It was worth every penny and we were SO happy to be eating Spanish food in such a fine place in NEW YORK CITY(!!), great location, and on my ladyfriend's birthday too.

Saludos, MadridMan

P.S. You're killing me with the pulpo talk! YUM!

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 02-06-2001).]

That's great to know, MadridMan! I had been a bit skeptical. I shall make a reservation there for this Friday night as soon as my fingers leave the keyboard! And may I congratulate you, once again, on maintaining this wonderful site. I suddenly am in the mood for conejo al ajillo (sorry if this upsets the animal lovers out there!) My grandmother used to make it so very deliciously!

- Micaela

Also you might want to head to ñ which is in Soho/Tribeca. I lived in NYC too, until I moved to Barcelona.

I have enjoyed this board this afternoon very much. I'm going to Spain in April for the fifth time with a small group of high school students. It has been three years since my last trip and I wanted to see if any major changes have occurrd. We will be in Madrid for three days, pretty much on our own instead of at the mercy of the tour company. I have a couple of questions for those more savy than I. What part of the day should we try having churros and chocolate? I would like to take them to a small local bar if possible for that. Also, I would like them to have tapas, but, of course, they can not have any alcohol. Is there some protocol I should observe in the bar, especially with teenagers. To those of you who think these questions strange. Have mercy, a sofisticated traveler, I'm clearly not and its important that the students believe that I know what the heck I'm doing for their peace of mind.

Your questions are perfect!! Probably you should ask them under FOOD DRINK etc, but don't worry, MadridMan will do it for ya! He 'cleans up' every night. For churros y chocolate, there are two times: breakfast (8-11, mas o menos) or merienda/snack (4-6+). If you are in central Madrid I recommend HONTANARES, right at Metro Sevilla (it's a tiny street, and Hontanares has a cool electronic "ticker" sign on the outside. You just saddle up to the bar, or sit at tables, and say, churros y chocolate para doce! Or whatever # of students. For tapas, there are two main areas. One are the streets in the Huerta district around the Plaza de Santa Ana. The other is the Arco de Cuchilleros off the Plaza Mayor. When I have taken groups to one of those Mesones (meson del chaminon, meson de la tortilla etc), i walk in WITHOUT the students and NEGOTIATE the price. Otherwise they do tend to, um, throw on a tourist tax! Queremos doce refrescos, pinchos de tortilla, champinion, y queso. Cuanto nos cobraria? Read next post

Hey, I was wondering whether this Madrid Reunion ever panned out? Whether it did or didn't, I would like to have one sometime soon in New York City... anyone interested? Please reply, and maybe in 2 or 3 weekends we can get a group of people to meet for drinks and dancing!

- Bobby

Hi all..

Been lurking the boards.. and would love to see a NY get together.. lets see if we can all plan one..

Rori

Hi Rori! You're in luck! One is planned for THIS Saturday in NYC, August 17th, I believe. You can read all about it in the thread named " Madrid Reunion in NYC?!?!?!? " in the "Classifieds & Personals" forum. Hope you can make it! Sounds like fun.

Saludos, MadridMan