Escorial Lunch, Spain

Typically, I don’t like to eat outside. However, there’s nothing like lunch with a view. We happened to be only a few blocks from El Escorial in Spain and there was a series of restaurants with outdoor seating that looked out over the palace. Therefore, I broke the rules, took a table, and settled in for a nice lunch. The menu of the day featured some interesting choices, none of which I can explain in Spanish. The first plate was a shrimp in cream sauce over a puff pastry as you can see here:

Tasty and light, despite the cream sauce. The other first plate was a mushroom concoction with the same cream base as you can see below:

You can see one of the Escorial towers in the background there and get a sense of the view from this table. Quite nice, eh? Well, there was a main course, it was a sort of lamb rolitini type of thing as shown in the next photo.

The meal was tasty as was the wine. Sadly, El Escorial was closed for a holiday. My sightseeing was limited to the outside areas, which are nothing more than stone plazas. Always good to call ahead or check the internet to see what attractions will or will not be open. Lesson learned.)

Published in: on May 18, 2010 at 8:19 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Churros y Chocolate

Churros y chocolate make an excellent snack on the way home from a night of tapas and wine. After several trips to Spain, I finally decided to indulge in this decadent treat, selecting the Chocolateria San Gines which lies between the Plaza Mayor and Plaza Isabel II. In other words, it was on the way back to my hotel from the aforementioned tapas rampage. Here’s a photo of the entrance:

It’s hard to miss with a neon sign up top that you can see glowing from a block away even if you can’t exactly see the sign itself.

The churro is a bit of fried dough extruded into a stick topped with sugar. Some purists avoid the cinnamon. However, I’ve had them with the cinnamon and it is a welcome touch. Here’s a view of a typical order of the regular variety:

A word about the chocolate. It is thicker than hot cocoa that many Americans may know, and yet thinner than you would expect. It is the perfect consistency in that when you dip the churro into the chocolate, it adheres without being gooey. How this is achieved, I have no idea. Doesn’t matter. Furthermore, the chocolate is not overly sweet and still possesses no bitterness. Amazing. This is a fine treat right before you go to bed. Good for your teeth, too. (Just kidding on the teeth part.)

Published in: on May 13, 2010 at 7:37 pm  Comments (1)  
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A Minor Feast, Spain

When traveling, it’s hard not to eat too much. For one thing, the portions are mostly out of your control. Then there is the menu of the day, which includes two courses for one price. Temptation takes over. However, a minor feast can be a good one, as I found in many parts of Spain. So long as you stay active, the pounds will stay off. For example, when in the handsome little town of Alarcón, we stopped in for lunch to the local meson, seen below.

This place was the Asador/Marisqueria Don Julian. Knowing a decent local joint when I see one, I popped in to see what was to be had. (Not to mention that those rain clouds were on the way in, signaling that the outdoor tables would be of no use.) Vegetables being necessary for a well-balanced diet, I started with the mixed salad. In Spain, this is a grand affair that includes hard boiled eggs, asparagus, and tuna, although I asked them to without the tuna. Check out how Don Julian serves the ensalada mixta here:

This went down easy, but as you can see, is quite a lot of food. Still, I pressed on with the second course, a pork loin pounded flat and grilled. Hence:

The roasted peppers were a nice touch. Plenty of flavor to them. By the time the meal ended, the rain had passed and we were back on the streets in search of history, culture, and fun, all of which are easy to find in Spain. Plus, after a minor feast like this, you have to walk it off.

Published in: on May 11, 2010 at 11:08 am  Leave a Comment  
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Museo Pan Gallégo, Madrid

Museo Pan Gallégo is located just a block and a half from the Plaza Mayor on the little Plaza de Herradores. This is a busy crossroads, with people coming up over the hill from the area of the Teatro Real. Here’s a look at the storefront:

I like small shops because they usually embody the character of their owners as opposed to the sterile environment of the big super centers. This place certainly fits the bill, starting with the sign out front.

There’s plenty of proclamations on the sign. Check it out carefully for a brief history of the shop. Inside you’ll find not only various types of fresh-baked bread, but plenty of Spanish treats from olives, to chorizo, to cured hams, and so on. Here’s a quick look at the interior:

When in Madrid, it’s hard to resist popping into one of the tapas joints for a quick snack. However, as mentioned in previous posts, why not pick up something at a little shop like this, heading to a park or your hotel room for a mini-fiesta of your own. You’ll get to interact with the people in the shop and be able to dine at your leisure afterward. This is a fun way to immerse yourself in another culture. Tasty, too!

Published in: on May 9, 2010 at 10:47 am  Leave a Comment  
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