c. Juan Ramón Jiménez, 37 (91-359-5696)
Sao Paulo (Brazil) is the place where I learned to like the restaurant activity that I'm doing most of the time now: the weekend lunch. Understandable, if you take into account that restaurants in the fashionable areas of Sao Paulo (such as rua Haddock Lobo / Jardins) are full of (apparently) happy families on saturdays or sundays at lunch hours. Moreover, they're usually devouring caipirinhas and picanhas...
That's why, when I read the news about one of the most famous restaurantes paulistas opening a branch in Madrid, I knew that this was one of our next visits. You know, for that (increasingly) classical weekend plan of dos personas y un carrito. Even if the Rubaiyat, although one of the preferred options of we Spaniards in Sao Paulo, was not among my favourites, not because of its reputation in terms of quality (rather good) but because everyone told me that it was a fantastic place to eat Spanish food (something I'm not very attracted to when I'm abroad)
But somehow thanks to that, or at least having a common cause with that (the owner being Spanish himself), they've opened in Madrid. Kind of close to where I live, also, in an area that we (and the carrito) are used to visiting on saturdays: Alfredo's Barbacoa and El Olvido are almost in the same block, Asador Frontón is within walking distance and Paper Moon is also not far away. And an area that, after our first experience in the Rubaiyat madrileño, I guess we'll be visiting even more in the near future.
First, because the place is very nice to go with carritos and all. The atmosphere is kind of similar to what one finds in Haddock Lobo (or Alameda Santos, where the paulista Rubaiyat is), if a bit biased to the senior sector of the population (like in Frontón, for instance), but this is Spain and the birth rate is not the same as in Brazil... There is plenty of space and natural light (this is the same local where the northern Spanish restaurant Cabo Mayor used to be), and if you don't consider these as crucial characteristics in a restaurant, just wait till you have a babygirl (or boy).
Food is rather nice, especially if you like red meat. It must be admitted that maybe some fanatic technicians of the flavor (like the food critic of a very well known madrileño newspaper) could (and do) take advantage of the brazilian origin to criticise south american meat (not "ferruginosa" like buey gallego or vasco, or so they say...), but leaving these romantic ilusions apart, the bife de chorizo is rather potente (ask for it very rare if you don't like it kind of "soft pink") and the picanha has a similar level to what they serve in Sao Paulo.
The entrants are served in a "set course" manner: some pao de queijo (the waitress says that it is very good for children, and I'm kind of offended); a big plate with cecina, red pimientos asados, aubergine (asada as well) and tomatoes; a medium level empanada (not so greasy as the ones they serve in De María for instance, but nothing comparable to what you can get anywhere in Santiago de Chile); and rather small pieces of chorizo criollo and morcilla. Then you only have to order the main plate (usually meat but they have some fish plates, too). Meat comes with patatas souflees (apparently you could order baked potatoes also, but the waitress seems not to have noticed...) Actually, my partner asks for them to change the patatas by some salad, but they bring us the patatas AND an enormous (but good) salad that we have to pay independently (the kind of gesture my partner loves...)
But in spite of the lack of rodaje of the operations, and in spite of that affecting even the delay in beer serving (something truly awful for this author), they win me for another visit. Why? Well, the most expensive dessert (crema de papaya at 9 Eur) is also tremendously successful in bringing me memories of those happy days in Brazil (although in this case the crema does not include some cassis liquor on top...) And the sensation is only reinforced by they inviting me for a caipirinha (nice!) and simultaneously bringing some pretty good mignardises that I sample while enjoying the creme and the caipirinha (for about 15 minutes I'm like a marajá, and surrounded by two women...)
Also, lack of rodaje seems to have its advantages, because the bill comes at a total of 80 Eur (for two people). Not bad at all...
Monday, May 15, 2006
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Bruselas
Avda. Bruselas, 53 (91-726-4535)
Not for the average tourist visiting Madrid, being a bit in the outskirts. More concretely, this is a typical 60s cafeteria installed in the typical (if rather wealthy) 60s-built quarter far off the centre of the town. Maybe foreigners installed in the NH Avenidas hotel, placed in the same quarter (Parque de las Avenidas) and supposedly attractive for those very interested either in attending bullfights (la plaza de las Ventas is quite near) or in experiencing suburban life in Madrid, would have a chance to go.
Still, it is not at all usual to find foreigners here. This is a family restaurant if there ever was any, with plenty of families among the customer base and plenty of family food in the menu. And with a lovely terraza that makes it an ideal sitio for coming in the summer (spring is even better if the day is sunny -not so hot as summer).
I particularly love the gambas con gabardina, a sixties/seventies-style ración that reminds me of those teenage summers I spent in El Escorial (full of people from the Parque de las Avenidas in that season), summers in which I (kind of simultaneously) discovered these wonderful gambas (something like shrimp tempura, but definitely less delicate and, if they are good and you are a 30/40-something madrileño, even more delightful), real patatas bravas (real means that they are not bathed in industrial tomato sauce or -worse still- ketchup, but in an orange pimenton sauce instead) and minis de cerveza.
But there are other nice things, among which we usually take the delicias de merluza a la romana, a very traditional dish that is a landmark here (maybe a bit expensive, but never disappointing). Meat is also good (I have sometimes taken the entrecot de buey) and so are some of the entrants (morcilla de burgos, several salads, verduras a la parrilla, habitas con jamón).
If you, like me, are within the baby carrito crowd, this place is only an option if you plan to go to the terraza (main indoors comedor is in the basement and you need to negotiate a rather narrow staircase). And it is ideal for lunch. Otherwise, if you are a double income no kids couple, this could be an interesting garito to go have dinner in the summer before visiting some of the very nice bares de copas in the Parque, where you can listen to wonderful new wave music... I'm referring to the Rowland, the Any Trouble (I don't know if it is still open) or the much bigger Barracudas.
Oh, and I would hate to forget telling you that the service is serious and professional, quite in the old 60s school. As we 30/40-something madrileños usually love (after all, we are so sentimental)
Not for the average tourist visiting Madrid, being a bit in the outskirts. More concretely, this is a typical 60s cafeteria installed in the typical (if rather wealthy) 60s-built quarter far off the centre of the town. Maybe foreigners installed in the NH Avenidas hotel, placed in the same quarter (Parque de las Avenidas) and supposedly attractive for those very interested either in attending bullfights (la plaza de las Ventas is quite near) or in experiencing suburban life in Madrid, would have a chance to go.
Still, it is not at all usual to find foreigners here. This is a family restaurant if there ever was any, with plenty of families among the customer base and plenty of family food in the menu. And with a lovely terraza that makes it an ideal sitio for coming in the summer (spring is even better if the day is sunny -not so hot as summer).
I particularly love the gambas con gabardina, a sixties/seventies-style ración that reminds me of those teenage summers I spent in El Escorial (full of people from the Parque de las Avenidas in that season), summers in which I (kind of simultaneously) discovered these wonderful gambas (something like shrimp tempura, but definitely less delicate and, if they are good and you are a 30/40-something madrileño, even more delightful), real patatas bravas (real means that they are not bathed in industrial tomato sauce or -worse still- ketchup, but in an orange pimenton sauce instead) and minis de cerveza.
But there are other nice things, among which we usually take the delicias de merluza a la romana, a very traditional dish that is a landmark here (maybe a bit expensive, but never disappointing). Meat is also good (I have sometimes taken the entrecot de buey) and so are some of the entrants (morcilla de burgos, several salads, verduras a la parrilla, habitas con jamón).
If you, like me, are within the baby carrito crowd, this place is only an option if you plan to go to the terraza (main indoors comedor is in the basement and you need to negotiate a rather narrow staircase). And it is ideal for lunch. Otherwise, if you are a double income no kids couple, this could be an interesting garito to go have dinner in the summer before visiting some of the very nice bares de copas in the Parque, where you can listen to wonderful new wave music... I'm referring to the Rowland, the Any Trouble (I don't know if it is still open) or the much bigger Barracudas.
Oh, and I would hate to forget telling you that the service is serious and professional, quite in the old 60s school. As we 30/40-something madrileños usually love (after all, we are so sentimental)
Friday, April 14, 2006
Maruzzella
c. Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, 28 (91-534-7732)
A rather obscure place, both because the place where it is (one would never expect such a restaurant in such a building) and because there is not much natural light. Not so much different from the Paper Moon in both aspects (even if in the PM the natural light aspect depends on the table you get)
Moreover some friends of mine had recommended it as an alternative to the PM, so I guessed that we were on track to another girl-oriented place, with lots of tias buenas and healthy salads. But it is not that way
Food is good. A purist could say that even better than the PM's, from the authentic Italian point of view. But I must say that, for me, the slightly un-Italian character of the PM is one of its main attractives. My partner and me (but specially she) started our lunch the other day by devouring a rather tasty caprese salad (tomato and mozzarella) and a rather vulgar (then again, which isn't in these days that are running) grilled vegetables plate. Then I ordered tagliatelle with scampi, in one of these ultra-cutre moments in which one wants to test the same things that Fernando Point from El Mundo said were remarkable, but just to discover that the cigalas came with all their (dirty) caparazones, so it was a very coñazo plate to eat. My partner enjoyed her carpaccio, according to what she has been saying ever after. For dessert I don't follow the conventional wisdom, that seems to be tiramisu (according to the long silence that follows the waiter's suggestion...) I order pannacotta and this is not bad, but it is not at the same level as the one from PM.
Maruzzella is also not the same thing as the PM in terms of tb's, of course. Even if it is true that the apparent Maitre d' is a rather exuberant woman of peroxidish hair and exotic (Italian?) accent. And that in a table close to ours, two gran hermano fashion victims wanna-be's with extremely adjusted jeans and tatoos on their shoulders were visiting someone called Giorgio from the kitchen. And they ordered coca-cola with red wine to make it even more trendy.
The final impression is that the place is quite alright, although I still prefer PM for the not-so-orthodox Italian material, and the Casa Marco (Gaztambide / Argüelles) for the orthodox one. But in any case this is definitely an option
A rather obscure place, both because the place where it is (one would never expect such a restaurant in such a building) and because there is not much natural light. Not so much different from the Paper Moon in both aspects (even if in the PM the natural light aspect depends on the table you get)
Moreover some friends of mine had recommended it as an alternative to the PM, so I guessed that we were on track to another girl-oriented place, with lots of tias buenas and healthy salads. But it is not that way
Food is good. A purist could say that even better than the PM's, from the authentic Italian point of view. But I must say that, for me, the slightly un-Italian character of the PM is one of its main attractives. My partner and me (but specially she) started our lunch the other day by devouring a rather tasty caprese salad (tomato and mozzarella) and a rather vulgar (then again, which isn't in these days that are running) grilled vegetables plate. Then I ordered tagliatelle with scampi, in one of these ultra-cutre moments in which one wants to test the same things that Fernando Point from El Mundo said were remarkable, but just to discover that the cigalas came with all their (dirty) caparazones, so it was a very coñazo plate to eat. My partner enjoyed her carpaccio, according to what she has been saying ever after. For dessert I don't follow the conventional wisdom, that seems to be tiramisu (according to the long silence that follows the waiter's suggestion...) I order pannacotta and this is not bad, but it is not at the same level as the one from PM.
Maruzzella is also not the same thing as the PM in terms of tb's, of course. Even if it is true that the apparent Maitre d' is a rather exuberant woman of peroxidish hair and exotic (Italian?) accent. And that in a table close to ours, two gran hermano fashion victims wanna-be's with extremely adjusted jeans and tatoos on their shoulders were visiting someone called Giorgio from the kitchen. And they ordered coca-cola with red wine to make it even more trendy.
The final impression is that the place is quite alright, although I still prefer PM for the not-so-orthodox Italian material, and the Casa Marco (Gaztambide / Argüelles) for the orthodox one. But in any case this is definitely an option
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Paper Moon
c. Concha Espina, 55 (91-564-9940)
One of our favourites, but one that my partner and I use to visit much less frequently than some time ago, because -you guess- of the parental duties... There were times when we went every tuesday, and we never seemed to get tired of it
If one had to describe it in a simple way, it is the kind of place that women usually love. They have great, albeit modern salads and italian food -pasta, pizzas and so on. They also have many couples dining around, some of them kind of extracurricular, if you know what I mean. And many tables full of girls, a feature that I must admit can be attractive for the middle aged married man (some visual exercise to go with your tagliatelle may sometimes be a rather good idea). The atmosphere reminds that of these typical modern italian restaurants in London's Soho, or something like this.
The place is small, but not at all unconfortable, and the service is great, frequently led by our friend Nacho who used to have a long tail and now wears a bold head and a rather strange chinese tattoo in his neck.
From the menu, I would recommend the spinach salad (with bacon, mushrooms and cheese), the rucula salad (with cheese and baby tomatoes), the tagliatelle con verduras a la soja, the integral spaghetti, and some of the definitely unhealthy desserts, such as the tarta de mousse de chocolate (impressive cholesterol tsunami, but wonderful), the pannacotta and the tarta de manzana con helado de vainilla.
One of our favourites, but one that my partner and I use to visit much less frequently than some time ago, because -you guess- of the parental duties... There were times when we went every tuesday, and we never seemed to get tired of it
If one had to describe it in a simple way, it is the kind of place that women usually love. They have great, albeit modern salads and italian food -pasta, pizzas and so on. They also have many couples dining around, some of them kind of extracurricular, if you know what I mean. And many tables full of girls, a feature that I must admit can be attractive for the middle aged married man (some visual exercise to go with your tagliatelle may sometimes be a rather good idea). The atmosphere reminds that of these typical modern italian restaurants in London's Soho, or something like this.
The place is small, but not at all unconfortable, and the service is great, frequently led by our friend Nacho who used to have a long tail and now wears a bold head and a rather strange chinese tattoo in his neck.
From the menu, I would recommend the spinach salad (with bacon, mushrooms and cheese), the rucula salad (with cheese and baby tomatoes), the tagliatelle con verduras a la soja, the integral spaghetti, and some of the definitely unhealthy desserts, such as the tarta de mousse de chocolate (impressive cholesterol tsunami, but wonderful), the pannacotta and the tarta de manzana con helado de vainilla.
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