Mercado de San Miguel

If you get the chance to visit one place, and one place only in Madrid, you should definitely make it the Mercado de San Miguel near Plaza Mayor. This market has EVERYTHING.

Pincho Campero

 It's perfect for lunch or dinner, or simple tapas and drinks. They have foods of all sorts, small, bite-sized portions perfect for grazing with a glass of wine in hand. There's appetizers, skewers, italian, fresh pescado, vats of paella, cocktails, wine, beer, ice cream and sweets galore, and even trinkets such as fedoras and scarves.

Pincho con tomate y mozzarella

Brittany, Gemma, and I decided to go for a late lunch on Sunday and just take our time browsing the market. We started out with pinchos, which are bite-sized skewers with nearly anything you can imagine. I tried the caprese-style pincho (tomato, mozzarella, and a pesto-based dressing) and also the potato-salad-esque pincho (potatoes, olives, egg, red onion, and lettuce, all in a mustard-based sauce.)

beef and caramelized onions on bread; spanish egg-roll

 We then moved on to more of a tapas bar, where both Gemma and I chose the beef with caramelized onions on hearty bread. The carne was deliciously tender, and the onions just the perfect balance of sweet and hot. There were also some cooked carrots mixed in with the onions which gave it a nice roast or stew flavor.

Bacaloa

We then wandered over to the fish area; out of all the tostadas, I thought the Bacaloa looked the safest. It was a mix of codfish (bacaloa), tomato, and vegetables. 

with our drinks, courtesy of our bartender friend

 We quickly discovered why everyone was walking around, drink in hand. With all the nibbling, one becomes thirsty rather quickly. We remedied this with cocktails at the American Gin Bar; Gemma and I with Strawberry Mojitos and Brittany with a Strawberry Gin Fizz.

Strawberry Mojito

 It was sweet and minty, and quite refreshing. We took our drinks to one of the many bar/stool areas and sat and chatted til we were ready for more browsing.

Mozzarella Bar

 After that, we stopped at a mozzarella bar, where everything was mozzarella-based. I chose the slab of mozzarella on tomato on hearty bread with spices (very similar to our Italian seasoning) sprinkled on top.

Mozzarella, tomato, toast, and spices

Even with just a few bites at each place, it was very easy to become full quickly. But just wandering around and taking in all the bars and booths was fascinating. We killed about 3 hours chatting, nibbling, sipping, and soaking up the Madrileña lifestyle. I could definitely get used to this.

Paella, por fin!

Finally had my first Paella experience!! Saturday, before the big Spain/France game (which we dominated, BTW), Brittany, Gemma, Erienne, and I went to Plaza Mayor for a long lunch. And since I'd never had Paella (nor gazpacho) we decided there was no time like the present!

Paella with mussels, clams, shrimp (prawns) and chicken

 Our lunch came with 2 plates eat (2 courses) and a glass of wine. Brittany and I ordered the paella; Gemma and Erienne went with the gazpacho, and then we shared them amongst the 4 of us. I can honestly say I liked the paella more than I thought I would; it wasn't too fishy, and apart from the calamari rings and GIANT prawn (which I refused to touch), everything was delicious. The mussels have a unique texture, which I wasn't used to, but the chicken was perfect and the rice took on all the flavors of the mix.

Gazpacho

 I think the gazpacho took the cake for the first round though; with it being 40+˚ (Celsius!), cold gazpacho definitely hit the spot. The tomato-y flavor of the thick gazpacho was complemented nicely with the add-ins: cucumber, diced tomato, pepper, and onion, and it was perfect for dipping bread.

Our first course spread

With the trimmings: pepper, onion, tomato, and cucumber

MUSSELS

tiny shrimp

For the second course, we all chose one of the 4 options, again to split between the four of us. Gemma and I chose the 2 fish plates, and Brittany and Erienne went with the 2 steak dishes. My fish came out battered and fried, and for a second I thought I had ordered Long John Silver's. But it was delicious; the batter on the outside was thin and not extremely crispy, the fish on the inside was pristine white and very, very mild. 

2nd course: fried fish and veggies

 Gemma's fish had more spices added, but it was just as tender and white on the inside as mine. Her's came as a whole fish, which we just pried open and the meat fell right off the little bones. Very yummy.

Grilled whole fish and veggies

Both Erienne's and Brittany's steak dishes were good, but Erienne's was the better, by far. Her thin carne came with caramelized onions on top whose flavors completely soaked into the steak. We all took our time, sampling and savoring each dish - definitely a lunch to remember.

Kalimotxo

the ingredients

 Kalimotxo (or Calimocho/Kalimocho) is a popular Spanish drink that is 50% red wine (the cheaper, the better, but please, no boxed wine!) and 50% Coca-Cola. It has many other names: Rioja libre (Rioja, a typical Spanish house red wine, and the Cuba Libre - rum and coke); in Chile it's known as jote (translates to the "black vulture"); Romanians call it motorină, meaning diesel fuel, and in Bosnia, Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, etc. (other former Yugoslav republics) it is known as bambus (meaning bamboo) and musolini (as in Benito Mussolini). In the Czech Republic it is known as houba (meaning mushroom), and in Hungary as Vadász (meaning hunter) or vörösboros kóla or VBK for short. In Mozambique and South Africa it is known as Catemba, and in Germany it is sometimes called Korea.

una mezcla - already mixed!

*And yes, I googled all those facts. I don't typically know the origins of all alcoholic drinks off the top of my head (but that'd be some party trick.)

calimocho

So Brittany came over to do some laundry and we happened to have both red wine and Coca-Cola in the fridge (left over from last Thursday's Spain soccer match pre-game fiasco) and we decided to try it out. It's what I like to think of as the poor man's sangria. It has the same kind of fruitiness and the Coca-Cola add both bubbles and a hint of sweetness that's typically in sangria. Definitely something worth trying!!

San Ginés

Chocolatería San Ginés

 Chocolatería San Ginés is the most famous chocolatería in all of Madrid, founded in 1894. Tourists come from everywhere just to order the Spanish churros con chocolate. The chocolate is extra dark and extra rich, and the churros are served hot from the fryer. I felt like I gained 10 pounds just breathing in when we got there.

Churrosssss

Erienne, Brittany, and I ordered 2 churros con chocolate (each order comes with 1 brimming cup of chocolate and 6 churros) and we shared them between the 3 of us. I seriously had to stop myself from taking the spoon and eating the chocolate right out of the mug after we finished the churros. They're that good. I'll definitely be making at least one more trip to San Ginés before I leave Madrid in one week.

Celebratory Sushi

Quickly running out of room at our table...

 Monday night's Spain-Croatia game was definitely one for the books! We were on edge for nearly the entire game, neither team having scored. And then for Spain to whip out an amazing goal with 3 minutes in the game...MINDBLOWING!

coming our way!

 Since we were so hyped about the win and already a few pints in, Brittany, Gemma, and I went for celebratory sushi at a Buffet Libre, which means an all you can eat sushi buffet. All the sushi (and wontons, and rice, and egg rolls) were on a conveyor belt and the servers just kept piling more plates on.

Noodles? Veggies?

 The three of us ate so many different things (and so much of each) that the wait staff had to clear our plates multiple time. While they're sushi variety was a tad limited (basically salmon and tuna, which the occasional crab roll), the variety of other foods more than made up for it. Also, the Antaño Rioja was one of the best house wine's I've had since being in Madrid. Very smooth, not too dry. Paired very well with everything.

House Red Wine - Rioja

Oh, and all this cost about €15. Wine, all you can eat sushi, and sides? Definitely a bargain. I actually think they may have lost money with us...

MIAU

if anyone could find this restaurant, it's be me.

So today after class and cañas (tapa-sized beers in Spain), my friend Brittany and I stumbled upon a cafe called Miau (pronounced "meow"). I have truly become THE CRAZY CAT LADY. It's like all things cat-related call to me in a secret language. 

chorritas, pimientas, y patata

 Trust me though, neither of us were complaining! Brittany ordered the albondigas (meatballs) which I've had before (tapas lunch earlier in my stay) and I went with Chorritas con pimientas y patatas. I wasn't even fully sure of what I was ordering since I haven't seen this on any menus yet, but I thought it was worth a shot.

a bite of chorrita, pimienta, and crunchy pan

 It turned out to be spicy red sausage, green whole peppers, and sliced potatoes. Very good choice! The sausage was spicy, but not overly spicy when eaten with both the pepper (not spicy at all - more like a bell pepper) and the potatoes. The helping was also HUGE; Brittany and I shared both of our tapas between the two of us and we both had leftovers.

the remaining bits that I wanted so desperately to eat but couldn't.

Churros!

churros, chocolate, y cafe con leche

 I FINALLY tried the signature Madrileña breakfast, churros and chocolate! The little cafe where I've been stopping for breakfast in the mornings (and prime Juegos del Hambre reading time) has been clean out of churros the past couple of days.

fried battery goodness

 Luckily, this morning they had plenty! Spanish churros are much like regular Mexican churros - deep fried tubes of batter. But unlike their Mexican cousins, Spanish churros aren't rolled in cinnamon sugar. They're served plain and with a giant, steaming cup of chocolate.

chocolate for dipping!

The chocolate itself is almost like an extra thick version of hot chocolate; it's not plain melted chocolate, but a very smooth, milky, mild chocolate. Perfect for dipping! And after I had finished off all the churros, I still had plenty of chocolate left (they seriously fill the mug to the brim) and I literally just started eating it with a spoon! So yummy!!

Tabla de Tapas

Our spread.

 More tapas! Ordering the Tabla de Tapas (para compartir - for 2) is always a good idea! And every place has something different on their tapas menu; last night it was pan con jamón serrano (bread with serrano ham and a mayonaisse-based orange sauce), mini american hamburgers with barbeque sauce, bread with goat cheese and pesto, fried white fish with grilled eggplant on skewers, potatoes in a spicy orange sauce, and croquettes.

Bread with Serrano ham and a mayo-type sauce

The Serrano ham is always amazing; I particularly liked this first tapa because of the soft bread and mild flavored orange colored sauce that paired well with the chewy, stronger flavored Serrano ham. 

Sliders (mini-burgers) with Barbeque sauce

The mini burgers were also fun, since they were very much like American sliders. Lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty, and barbeque sauce. 

Bread with goat cheese and pesto

The bread with goat cheese and pesto may have been my top pick of the tapas of the night! The goat cheese used was a very, very strong flavored cheese and the pesto was a nice complement on top. The toasted bread served as a base and didn't distract from the cheese or pesto. 

fried white fish with grilled eggplant

As far as fried fish goes, I'm not usually a fan, but this was a far cry from your fried catfish or bluegill. It was a very mild, white fish fried in a batter rather than cornmeal or breadcrumbs. It was skewered with grilled eggplant and was actually very refreshing.

Croquettes

 Croquettes are generally a staple on tapas menus, and these were very good as far as croquettes go. The inside wasn't too moist (to the point were it's gobby) as I've found a lot of the croquettes here to be. Just right.

mini potatoes with a spicy sauce

The potatoes were also amazing, but man...were they SPICY! The orange sauce was a different one used than with the Serrano ham and instead of being mild and cooling, it was probably a 3 on the 1-5 spicy scale. But since it was paired with potatoes (being a starch) the spiciness wasn't overwhelming.

no leftovers. not one.

Between the 2 of us, we managed to clean house with our Tabla de Tapas! I definitely plan on trying all the different varieties I can get my hands on while I'm here in Madrid!

Tapas: allday, errday!

Daiquiris!

 So with tapas being a BIG part of the madrileña diet (twice a day, in case anyone forgot) I've eaten so many these past 2 weeks!

Calzone Romano

 Food wise, they have been American cupcakes and hot dogs, Italian: a HUGE calzone with ham and mozzarella cheese, EVERYTHING fried: croquettes, fried shrimp, fried fish pieces, mini-empanadas, and lots and lots of Patatas!

Fritos variados

 Drinks wise, I've become a really big fan of the cerveza clara, which is a drink that's half beer/half fresca limón. I've also been sampling all the wines: white, rioja, and of course, SANGRIA.

Cerveza clara

Vino blanco

cupcake with "m&ms"

 And luckily, or not luckily considering my waistline, my friends from TEFL and I found a cupcake shop!It's filled with cookies and muffins and cupcakes upon cupcakes. It's all really frilly and adorable, and it just so happens to be right down the street from my classroom.

American hot dogs, complete with mustard and ketchup!

Dinner a la Madrid

 So since I've been here, I've been meaning to get into the Madrileña eating schedule - breakfast, 2nd breakfast, tapas, lunch and so on. And that means late dinner. So far, I have had 2 really great, late dinners! For the first, my TEFL friend Brittany and I walked around the streets of Sol and picked a restaurante con terraza (an outside terrace) area at random. We enjoyed a glass of Rioja (the typical, Spanish house wine) and an appetizer of marinated olives while we waited for our food. I ordered to Cerdo Solmillo, which was pork tenderloin in a glaze sauce and Brittany went with some simple fajitas. And with all the walking we've been doing, we went ahead and splurged on the Brownie Especial - brownie with raspberry flavoring.

Pork tenderloins

marinated aceitunas (olives)

brownie especial

 The second dinner was at a restaurant call Los Marcianos. Yes, the Martians. Complete with alien-theme decor. But luckily, we didn't let the eccentric outlook throw us off; the food was delicious! We split a tapas platter, which was actually a series of tapas served as separate courses. First, was the tomato/cheese salad, similar to ensalada caprese.

Chicken cordon bleu with squash

 That was followed by boiled potatoes served with little bowls of mustard, a spicy tomato sauce, sour cream, and goat cheese. The tomato sauce is the same used for Patatas Bravas, and it has a really big kick. Third was a kind of like a breakfast dish - crumbled sausage (possibly chorizo) and fried potato strings were served with an over-easy egg on top. Very yummy!

sausage, fried potatoes, and eggs over-easy

 The final dish had small chicken cordon bleu (filled with the ever-present jamón) on a bed of squash.

JAMÓN.

 And for dessert, we were brought a small torta (we think it was a rum-based cake) with a huge dollop of helado on top!

torta con helado - we think it was rum cake.