Anyone up for lunch in Madrid on Friday, June 2? Let's start planning now. As a teaser, I'll be bringing along someone special (unless she cancels, saying "something suddenly came up" i.e. Marsha Brady. MARSHA MARSHA MARSHA! (USA pop-culture joke) hehehe..)

Where shall we go? Someplace new to our "Lunch Bunch", preferably. We have more than 1-week to plan. Message board member Mercedes always seems to have GREAT ideas. Let's try to make it someplace Spanish, either with a Menú del Dia or not but affordable.

Can't wait to see some of you again and to meet new people as well.

Saludos, MadridMan

I do fancy coming along for one of these "lunch bunch" meetings but so far have been unlucky with the dates, and again with this one

If by any chance not enough can make this date I can the Friday after and will continue to watch for future dates. Have fun and a glass of wine for me.

Boy I'd love to join you guys, but the lunchtime slot will never work for me, especially during the school year...how about a dinner-bunch one time...or, now that the warm weather has arrived, a nice evening event...

Hey MM, I wish I were there to join in next week. But I will be there from 23rd June to end of July with my daughter and hubby. Hope you have another gathering in July!!!!

Well i´d be up to it, butit seems everyone else is busy !! I must be living a life of leisure !! If not this time I´ll certainly do other dates .
I´ll try and keep an eye on the message board .

Any ideas as to where we should lunch this time? Mercedes is always great with suggestions. We hope to be there at 1:45pm at the latest so as to avoid the crowds.

Saludos, MadridMan

One place i´m desperate to try is " La Paella de la Reina " on c/Reina 39 . I´ve looked at the website ; www.lapaelladelareina.com but can´t get a real idea on the price . it opens at 13:00 and i´ve seen some great reviews . It may be a bit expensive for some , so i´ll check alternatives . Hope you´re all enjoying the weather !

Sign me up as well.

For everyone else, Chris and I would be glad to plan something else on a Saturday some time, just let me know dates that work for everyone

rob

Mercedes, do you know of any other restaurants in Chueca which might be worth trying?

Saludos, MadridMan

I wish I could come but I am back in FL roasting to death in the heat... I wont be back until July and then probably not until Xmas as I am due to have a baby in Sept and cant travel after July and will need time to get a passport for the baby so probably wont be back in Madrid until Dec. Hope you guys have fun - plan something in July and I will be there!

Seems to me someone mentioned MEMENTO (website @ http://www.restaurantememento.com/ ) for a possible lunch get-together earlier in the year. I'm pretty sure member janel recommends it.

I'm not even sure they're open for lunch or if they have a Menú del Dia. Might we need reservations? Hope not.

We could always go to my old stand-by Restaurante Sanabresa on Calle Amor de Dios. GREAT place, good food, and very good prices. I know Mercedes has been there already - that's where we met, in fact, but we'll keep this place in mind if we can't decide on some other restaurant.

Saludos, MadridMan

Well, I´ve been doing some cuisine research. If people is interested in asian food, I certainly am, two places: The Wok C/ San Marcos 31, crossing street Libertad (no web site found, just good reviews). Circus C/Libertad 13 (creative nooddles) . They both sound good and reasonably priced.
Steve, Paella de la Reina will be ok too, thanks for considering low budget people like me, but it looks reasonable too.
Memento, Madrid Man, on the other hand is expensive, I called them up and menu del dia costs 18 euros...
So, let see what people feel like it, asian side or rice side, personally I´m happy with any of the two choices.

Ciao

Mercedes

Just a comment on The Wok...I went there a couple of months ago and, although it is quite trendy and well decorated, etc., I though the portions were on the small side. After eating the menu del dia, I walked away a bit hungry (and I'm not a crazy eater). So, just know you might need to order a bit more, especially if you're a big eater. FYI: The Wok is owned by grupo vips.

I'm game for what ever! just tell me where and when!

Perhaps one of these times we can do suckling pig, had a friend who spent a few years here and said he'd kill to have suckling pig and crackling again.

BTW have we decided on a place yet?

Nope. No decision yet. Should come tomorrow though. Suckling pig would be good but that averages about 25 Euros per person. Maybe we'll schedule a special trip to Segovia someday and have cochinillo in the most PROPER way.

Any more ideas on where to have Friday's lunch? If not, I'll choose.

Saludos, MadridMan

Let's meet to eat at 1:45pm @ La Puebla @ Calle Ventura de la Vega, 12 , near Puerta del Sol on the edge of the Huertas neighborhood. We had one lunch there last February ( see thread & photo here of Mongo, Mongo's brother, SRedw, and rocketshipjack-not pictured).

[img]http://qdqphotos.mappy.com/1/c/tbf/user=esphoto;uri=XHI2yGfU9OoT8TRmVoWolKpiMP91PJQVcLyG9a1UJfb8mG40oUXwV6aglK3yWsEnVaogfrEKppmRbdeuCMJeE6Dt/8iQpRxB99+iLGb8wq0pufm5mHPNpGFXiLCpHtO6MPBArHS/Sc7XEJZ4nytwxJjG8g7KeqSMNgwYKbF/r5q3m76SQDWHPA==[/img]

It was typical Spanish food, good portions, they had a menú del día, and they put a few tables together for us. Plus, there weren't many people there when we met at 2pm - but by the time we left it was FULL FULL FULL.

I chose La Puebla because I'd been there before and it's late to discuss more WHERE we'll meet. Shame we couldn't have decided earlier. Maybe we'll start planning the lunches 3-weeks in advance next time. Anyone who isn't completely happy with my choice of restaurant and decides not to come I understand. No problem. There'll always be more lunches in the future.

See you all on Friday! And if there are others reading this who are NOT message board members - no problem. Come anyway! WE'LL be standing outside the door at 1:45pm.

Saludos, MadridMan

See some of of you at lunch tomorrow! Looking forward to it. It'll be good to be downtown again.

Saludos, MadridMan

Hey! See you all tomorrow, typical spanish food sounds good to me,

ciao,

Mercedes

Ummmmmmmmm. Sounds good. What I wouldn't do for a bowl of gazpacho and a morcilla sandwich right now.


Be there in spirit and I hope everyone enjoys a good lunch. Meanwhile, I'll be gainfully employed by my taskmasters.

Good lunch! In addition to me and my significant other, members Mercedes Pacifica, Tim Hortons Man, and steve robinson attended.

The three (guys) non-Spaniards had the Menú del Día for 9.40 Euros and the two Madrileñas both had paella. (edit: actually, Mercedes had the paella WITH the Menú) The Menú del Día had an amazing number of choices for each course - maybe 15!! I had the Madrileña soup to start. For the second course I chose the garlic chicken with boiled potatoes. For dessert I had the "pudin". All good stuff! I think we shared 2 bottles of white wine.

And the place, "La Puebla", is fine, rustic, large, cool and comfortable - thank goodness. Cloth napkins and table cloths too.

Good conversations too; mainly about our travels, learning foreign languages, the differences/similarities in language and cultures, and how to get tan without being in the sun.

We'll have to do this again sometime. Hope you were all more-or-less satisfied with my restaurant selection.

Saludos, MadridMan

Excellent choice for lunch MadridMan!!! Reasonably priced and large selection of meals, of course I had the gazpcho soup, excellent as usual.