MMDDMM – H is for Hungry Hoard!

Lately guys i´d been thinking that MMDDMM had been missing something. We have our loyal gang of culinary cowboys(gals), an eyecatching logo, our own informative blog, even our own custom made and highly sought after T-shirts. Then it dawned on me what was the final piece of the puzzle. Our own RAP VERSE.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, THE MMDDMM R…AP.

 

On any given Tuesday, always in the afternoon,

MMDDMM cruises the streets, looking to consume,

quality dining experiences, and tempting tasty food,

MMDDMM is open to everyone, and always in the mood.

 

Anyway, enough of trying to keep you guys amused and more of doing what we do best, i.e, keeping you informed. Another Tuesday gone by and we have another eatery to review. Our hosts, Con-a-che in Plaza San Ildefonso, a hop and a skip from Metro Tribunal. Although the sun was beaming down, the posse elected to dine indoors as we were in summer saving mode and, to be honest, €2 extra just for the privilege of potentially having a pigeon plop on you is a tiny bit cheeky (minus point #1). We quickly announced ourselves and scooted on over to our starting positions. Decorwise, Con-a-che stands out with its mixture of modern furnishings and combination of iron and glass fittings. Think Game of thrones, hippystyle.

 

The menu, 2 starters, 2 mains and 2 desserts, all priced at €11 (minus point #2). My opinion, if you´re bar is called con-a-che (with H), maybe you should offer tHree and tHree. Just a suggestion! The contents of said menu; ensalada campera, pasta a la boloñesa, roasted chicken and Chiparrones. Beverage wise, it had been confirmed beforehand that wine and casera would be available but in the end we had to make do with poormans tinto de verano. NEVER lie to MMDDMM because we NEVER forget.

 

While our choices were limited, this was more than made up for by quality. The pasta, perfectly textured and delicious. The chicken, juicy and GINORMOUS. The salad, not overdosed with lettuce and the chiparrones, i have been told, were MMM, MMM, MMM. The presentation, highly commendable. Our waiter only merrited a 6 out of 10. There was no great delay on any of our requests but he still hadn´t managed the art of clearing one plate before presenting another OR preparing place mats and cutlery for our ends of table diners. As regards to atmosphere and ambiance, as usual we generated our own craic and enjoyed listening to the greatest hits of tupac (perfect dining music, bitches). All the above, applying our patented MMDDMM equation, works out at a healthy 3.25 out of 5. Our minus points, which were small but numerous, outweighed what has to be recognised as some of the best food we have ever tried. Que lastima!!

 

With our hard earned cash counted up and handed over, we took a leisurely stroll to soothe our bellies and surprisingly (NOT) ended up in what is turning into our favourite post meal haunt, J&J´s, home of all the literature you could ever want or need and Cajub Dave´s crazy 2 for 1´s. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

 

News of next week´s adventure shall be posted shortly but i warn you in advance – bring an empty stomach as next weeks dishes shall be of the german variety and you know how big german sausages are (GIGGIDY). Bis kommenden Dienstag mein MMDDMMers.

Through the eyes and ears of a newbie

The final chapter…

Dear Madrid! I will miss you! Why am I saying this? Well, it’s my last week in Madrid and I’m having mixed feelings. I don’t want to leave this beautiful place with amazing people, but I’m looking forward to seeing my family again. Living, working and going to school here has become my normal routine for the past 4 moths and I know that I have to get used to another life once I’m back in the Netherlands again. Madrid has been an amazing experience and I can look back at this adventure fondly. An adventure is a mystery and you never know how it’s going to turn out. I have experienced a lot of things, good and bad, but the bad didn’t make my stay in Madrid any worse.

Yesterday I had my last Spanish class and I have received my certificate. I really enjoyed taking my classes and I will miss it. One thing I learned is that learning Spanish in a not native country is not as good as learning in a native speaking country. When I left The Netherlands my European level was between A2 and B1, but now that I have had my classes in Madrid I know I wasn’t even close to that level. Now I can say I’m between A2 and B1 and I’m very proud of my achievement. Entiendo y hablo español mejor que cuando llugué aqui. I will continue my Spanish in The Netherlands on B1 level and hopefully in a few years I’ll speak fluent Spanish.

My suitcase is already packed and my room is getting emptier by the minute. This means the ‘going away day’ is almost here. So, look back with me at my most funny and frustrating learning moments in Madrid and see if I have achieved my goals.

What did I learn most?

I have learned a lot about the language but to give an answer to the question I have also learned a lot about the culture and cuisine of Spain. Spanish people disfrutar de la vida and I love that! Tapas became one of my favorite ways of eating and I will make them at home definitely. I’ve got so used to the Spanish life that I enjoy living it, it will be a big adjustment when I get back home.

What was my most funny moment?

My funniest moment is probably the day that my abono didn’t work. It wasn’t fun that my abono decided to be ‘out of order’, but the part where I started communicating through a phone and computer screen with the lady behind the desk was. Google Translate was such help that day for me. I have mentioned this is my second blog and I had such a laugh there.

Also my first visit to the doctor’s office was fun even though I was ill. While examining me, she decided to teach me medical terms in a funny way and I even forgot I was ill at that moment. Thinking back about that moment, I learned a lot of important words that I could use for my other visits to el medico.

What was my most frustrating moment?

My most frustrating moment was when I had to wait forever to get my abono fixed at ‘consorcio transporte publico’. More than 30 people were waiting before me and only one person was working there. This was the low point of my trip and I don’t ever want to go there again. Another frustrating moment was when I had to go to the hospital and there were no door numbers. I arrived late and missed my appointment and eventually waited for an hour to make a new one and get declined because I don’t have a tarjeta sanitaria. Frustrations, frustrations, frustrations!

What is the best thing I did while being here?

The best thing I did was exploring Madrid. Taking trips through the city was one of my favorite pastimes. I have seen a lot of the city, but I believe there is more to see, so I’ll definitely come back. Another thing is spending sunny days in Retiro Park. Enjoying the weather and the beauty of Retiro was also on my list of favorite moments.

What do I like about Madrid the most?

I love the architecture. The buildings are incredible and the parks beautiful. Walking through Madrid is definite eye candy. There is always something to see.

What will I miss the most?

LLAO LLAO & bocaditos! Ice cream shop llao llao is my favorite place I love that yoghurt ice cream with all those delicious toppings! I have to eat it at least once a week, because it’s so good. There is no llao llao in The Netherlands, so I won’t be able to eat my favorite ice cream. About the bocaditos, I have to learn how to make them, because I am addicted to them. I will also miss the beauty of Madrid, the way of life, the easygoing people and the culture.

Did I achieve my goal?

YES! YES! YES! My goal was to improve my Spanish in 4 months and it certainly has improved. Going to school helped me improve my Spanish, but the day to day life made sure it improved more. For example: my visits to the doctor’s office helped a lot. You see it isn’t always bad to go to the doctor; it is good for your health and your language.

Hope you all enjoyed reading my blogs. I had a great time writing them for you and sharing my experiences. Gracias por leer!

Adios!

Dragana

MMDDMM – Back to the beginning – 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

At a time of crisis, we stand with our common man (and woman), side by side, we realise our mortality and discover that we are all but mere humans affected by the same tyrant. As we stand here now, we stand together and stare into the eye of that which now affects us all, our common enemy…The economy.  Do we run and cower? No, for the only way to beat a bully is to join forces, take them on and smite them with what tools you have to hand. Our tools for this fight however is our cunning ability to gather friends and break bread regardless of our financial flurries, our hawk eye to see a good deal and the always ever-present “craic” and “banter” to lift spirits on any given Tuesday afternoon.

Now, this, our culinary club that meets each week to explore the multiple pockets of gastronomic gems around Madrid was not always the juggernaut that you now see before you today, no no! You may ask “So where did it all begin?” Well, two Irish men walk into a bar… Only joking, well partly!  It was started by two friends who stepped out to lunch one day, meandered down Lavapies and stumbled on a restaurant that offered a 3 course meal and all wine included for €10, “why not” said one Irish man to another. That afternoon, galaxies were knocked out of orbit as the brainstorming came thick and fast as the seed was sewn and MMDDMM became real.

Two years on as we celebrate our anniversary, we look back at well over 100 restaurants rated and reviewed and all the fun in between with many post lunch watering holes discovered and many friends met along the way. So, “how ironic” you might say, that it was that this, the very first restaurant that those two Irish lads wandered into that faithful day was so aptly named, El Económico.

As it was early days and the reviewing process was only a twinkle in our eye, they escaped without evaluation of what it is that “menu del dia” means to them. So it was only fair to go back to where it all began and fill in such a paramount piece of this pabulum puzzle before we turn to what lies before us on this appetising adventure.

This week, El Económico Soidemersol on Calle Argumosa, a stone throw for Metro Lavapies, was our pre-determined diner and so with the troops in tow we descended on this lunchtime local to sample that which we have seen before but never reported, their menu of the day. So, what was on offer? Well, veggie soup, arroz a la Cubana and salad for firsts with beef stew and Calamares Andaluza for mains with plenty of grape goodness to wash it all down and all for €9. The food was hot, which you may think is an absurd aspect to point out but you´d be surprised by how many restaurants fall short on this fundamental property of the food they serve (obviously, we´re not referring to gaspacho, salmorecho, ect.). The choices however were limited but the quality was pretty okay and the service was certainly friendly and efficient. All this said, it really only made for a better than average experience and when all votes were tallied the best they could come away with was a 3.75 out of 5. So not mind blowing stuff and nor was it as galaxy displacing as we´d thought it was two years previous but they will send you on your way with a full tummy and a smile on your face.

We bade our fair wells and continued our journey along the Camino de MMDDMM as we´d done that first day and headed towards Plaza Lavapies. Deciding to take advantage of the sun drenched terraces for some thirst quenchers before then diving in and out of the sporadic showers that loomed overhead with the ever essential pit stops while en route to one of our favourites… Rastro bar. It was here that we decided to park our saddles for the night as dusk descended on the gang and another fine days dining.

Next week´s adventure shall be posted forth with but until then… I raise my glass to all of you fine people who´ve been a part of what has become and thank you for all of your help and participation, so here´s to you all, cheers!

MMDDMM – Duqing and Diving.

Roughly 2 years ago, a light bulb switched on in the brains of two borderline geniuses. Cheap food for all. Well, here we are, over 100 reviews later and the party shows no sign of stopping. And in memory of this momentous occasion, we would like to invite one and all to join us next Tuesday in the place where it all began. AND, as the following day is a festivo, your excuses as to why you can´t join us for lunch or post meal lubricants had better be pretty inventive.

But before we commence our celebrations of La Semana del San MMDDMM, this week´s adventure must be accounted for. COME ON DOWN La Pomerada on Calle Conde Duque 3. Two minutes strolling distance from Plaza de España, La Pomerada is another bastion of one of Spain´s most celebrated culinary comunidades, Asturias. Blue and yellow flags and bottles of natural cider greet you upon entering this tastefully decorated and spacious eatery. All that is missing is a picture of Asturias´ favourite son, San Fernando Alonso. Once ensconced at our banquet table, we quickly perused our options. 7 starters and 7 mains at a reasonable €9.50. Our choices were ample but the menu consisted of a roll call of all the usual suspects; salads, cremas, filetes, meatballs. We enjoy a different restaurant´s interpretation of a classic but we also liked to be surprised sometimes.

La Pomarada´s dining hall had more than sufficient space to ensure no elbow wars broke out as we tucked in to our first courses. However, a common complaint we´ve made throughout our numerous reviews cropped up, AGAIN. Food temperature. Those of us who chose the crema were served mildly warm dishes. You know how we feel about microwaves but this is one area where it is of much benefit. And the gazpacho should have been re-labelled sopa de tomate, although they didn´t skimp on the usual gazpacho extras. Our second dishes did help turn things around as they were simply HUGE. The secreto iberico was a hefty slab of meat, the albondigas were the biggest balls i´ve seen in a while, and the fish looked like it had been working out before jumping into the oven. And all with a healthy helping of home made fries.

Servicewise, La Pomerada´s camareros were just about competent enough. All requests for mas mantequilla and casera were met post haste. But if someone asks you to reheat their crema, please return said crema to the correct customer. Not that difficult really. The food was good but not good good. They´ve got the quantity angle down ( I was practically bursting at the seams ), but they need a few tweaks in the quality department. Ambiance and decor were quality with a healthy mixture of business bodies and obreros passing through, coupled with our usual self generated ribald racousness and banter. All these ingredients add up to a slightly generous 3.5 out of 5. You´ll leave stuffed but you might have to bring a microwave with you.

With no nasty hidden extras hidden on the bill, we excused ourselves and made our way up to Plaza Guardias de Corps where we basked on La Cajita de Nori´s terraza and worked on our tans and blood alcohol level. With the sun slowly melting away, an executive decision was made to continue the fun in one of our favourite hangouts, J&J´s. The rest of the night, a happy dreamy haze.

As mentioned previously, next week is our birthday. We encourage you all to come along and see where this juggernaut was first concieved. Even if you can´t make it to lunch, we will be cruising through Madrid´s city centre post feast, sampling as much grain and grape as is humanly possible. Come on, you know you want to . And before we wrap up, may i just say a big thank you to ALL of you for your continuous donations to our swearing is caring movement and a special thank you to the head of our media department, Alitas. Her Tarantino-esque productions of where your money goes should be enjoyed by all. Until next time MMDDMMers.

MMDDMM – Ach aye, noo in the highland´s of Madrid!!!

Here at MMDDMM, we do love themes! By this I mean a centre piece to which we venture to any given restaurant, especially if it´s a different culture. This week´s focal point was Scotland and all the glory that comes from this fine Celtic stronghold but was it going to stand up to that which we have sampled from other Celtic kingdoms such as Ireland and certain northern Spanish territories? There was only one way to find out…

 

Now it is rare to come across Scottish gastronomy but as we were armed with the tools for the task and a hunger for haggis it´d be fair to say we were fit for the fight and wandered up into the highlands of Madrid to a disclosed vantage point by metro Tetuan to a calle known to many as General Margallo, St. Andrew´s Cross was where we were going to replenish our famished food foragers.

Surrounded by those who work and play in this, the business district of Madrid and distinctly recognisable by their plumage and strut, not too dissimilar to that of a pheasant, it was just as well we had called on reinforcements from as far away as Dublin, Asturias, Tennessee and somewhere that even they themselves cannot even tell you (a-hem Cristina). We were welcomed with open arms and a smile and led to our table. It was evident that this was quite the popular local to meet, greet and eat as many a table had already been taken.

 

We were swiftly provided with our menu´s, bread and beverages. We were satisfied; the choices for our first course were plentiful with at least 15 to choose from and 5 for mains for €11.50. It all looked good until we found that there were no Scottish dishes on the menu, in fact one of our options was German sausages with sauerkraut?! Had the influence of the Spanish bailout from German banks fed so far into the culture as its cuisine?!?! This moment of ponder came to pass as the wine hit my glass and we proceeded to chow down. Before we knew it we had called for the bill and were sipping our coffees while discussing what we should award this slightly deceptive diner. With all aspects of our criterion called to attention, a 3.25 out of 5 was deemed the most that they could muster. So just above average with a shout out to service being a plus point here.

 

We disbanded and went our separate way with some of us taking the high road to more things not in the slightest Celtic to Monks Irish bar on Calle Capitán Haya where one can find a bottle of wannabe Irish cider or Bulmers as its known (not Magners) for a smidge over €7 (yes €7!!!) while others took the low road to work and responsibility.

 

As we downed our drinks and paid up there was a slight feeling of being wrongly served without the lubrication and the remaining brave souls left this immoral monk and headed around the corner to the Irish Rover to recap on what felt like a day full of all that could´ve been. Not to say that we didn’t have fun, we always have fun, but there was a serious lack of authenticity. That is of course except for the one thing, the sausages were genuinely German!

 

And so, with another menu under our belts, our hunger grows ever stronger to find that ever-illustrious best diner for menu del dia and next week, another restaurant comes up for review. Invitation shall be posted forthwith, but until then all you loco luncheoners… It´s chow for now! 

Through the eyes and ears of a newbie!

Something new and fun!

Holalalala everyone! Que tal? So, my last blog was all about comida! Hope I didn’t get you too hungry! I have to be careful these days not to rush to a pasteleria and get myself into delicious bocaditos! Because I have an addiction! I love cooking and baking, so I have to teach myself how to make those things. Enough about food! I spent too much of my last blog on that.

This week I did something that was so much fun! Maybe my ‘Hola’ gave you an hint? Yes, it has something to do with cantar(singing). My roommates and I went to a Spanish karaoke bar called Katakana near Avenida the America. I have to say this was my most fun night out so far!  There were big books on the table full with Español and English karaoke songs. This bar has almost any possible song there is in their books. My roommates and I we did a lot of English songs. At first it was a little scary, but nobody there is afraid to sing a song! The bar was full of people and everyone was so friendly there. Besides singing I enjoyed listening to other people singing. In the bar there were a lot of Spanish people. They were singing songs in their own language. I listened very carefully to the music and read the lyrics on the screens. Once I got the feeling, I started singing along. It is a good way to practice, because the songs go fast, this way I train my speed of Spanish and learn to pronounce the words correctly at the same time. This bar is such a great night out and I definitely want to do it again! I have to say a lot of people were very talented there. But then again I noticed in Madrid that almost every Spanish person sings or plays music. There is not one day that I don’t see a musician in the subway or on the streets. I enjoy music everyday and it’s something I will miss a lot!

Juego

I have to say that speaking sentences in Spanish is something I will have to work on for awhile, because it’s not easy. At school I try to speak as much Spanish as possible. Because if I say it wrong my teacher will correct me. The other day we had such a fun class! We played the game ‘Party and Co’. I don’t know if you have heard about it, but it Is a fun game. The game has different themes and questions.  You throw a dice and the color you stand on will decide what you assignment is. Sometimes you have to answer a question; sometimes you have to mime a word, etc. The juego was of course in Spanish, which made it a little bit more difficult. While playing it, I noticed it was harder than I thought it would be. I was lucky that there were not all questions about Spain, but also things that I can know. I sure did help me lose the tensions of the Spanish language. Because if I had to mime I would have to do it and if I have to give hints in Spanish about a person I just had to do it. I had such a fun time and actually learned something. This was one way to exercise my vocabulary!

Madrid Marathon

On Sunday I went to check out the Madrid Marathon. I took some photos for the English Warehouse and followed the runners from place to place. The day was also an important day to support Boston! A group of Guiris came together to show their support for Boston by running the 10K race of the Madrid Marathon. I have a lot of respect for all those runners that showed their support by running! So I have to dedicate this part to all those great people! It is great to see how the guiris came together and did a great job running! The marathon was also great to look at. I saw some people running by with the craziest outfits! The marathon is great if you are a sports lover but also if you want to put a smile on your face! Respect to those people who dare to be different! I saw some very awesome outfits! Check out the Facebook page of English Warehouse!

So that it for now, but I’ll be back soon! Don’t know what ill be doing this week, but I hope something good!

Hasta pronto dear readers!

Dragana

Through the eyes and ears of a newbie!

Family fun, sweets and tapas!

¡Bienvenido! As my title says ‘Family fun’, that’s what I had last week! My mom and sister came to visit me for three days. Three days is not enough time to show all of Madrid’s beauty, but we had so much fun together and developed a new addiction to Spanish pastries! Yum yum yum! Usually it’s the chocolate that makes the women crazy, but these pastries in Spain are so delicious! Disfruta reading my story!

Once again I was a tour guide. I showed my mom and sister around the most beautiful places in Madrid. I showed them The Royal Palace, Plaza de Oriente, Sol, Opera, Plaza Mayor, Almudena Cathedral, Jardin Botanico, Gran Via, Calle de Fuencarral, Retiro Park, El Rastro market, Mercado San Miguel and much more.

Sweet, sweeter, sweetest

I noticed a few weeks ago that on Sol there is a Pasteleria named ‘ La Mallorquina’. Their windows has a nice display of cakes, cookies and pastries. Just by looking at it, it makes you want to eat it. Where I come from cakes and pastries are more popular than breakfast, lunch and dinner. My mom always makes delicious things and it’s no wonder that now and then I gain a pound. So I decided to take my mom and my sister to try Spanish deliciousness! We bought a big cake of Selva Negra a piece of ‘Milhojas de merenque’, a few ‘Bocaditos’, and a few ‘Erizos de chocolate’. We skipped our healthy lunch and traded it for a lunch of sweetness. The bocaditos were my favorite! The nata here in Spain is so good! I could eat a dozen of these things! My favorite cake in Spain so far is the ‘ Selva Negra’.  We enjoyed the Spanish sweets during a visit in Retiro Park while the sun was shining bright!

El Rastro experience

Have I ever told you I like ‘ El Rastro market’? Well, I love it! As you might know this market is huge and it has stands with different things and it seems there is no end to this market. We don’t have these kinds of markets in The Netherlands unfortunately. My visit with my mom and sister to this market was very nice. We were enjoying the street artists while looking at all the beautiful things people were selling. I bought some typical Spanish handmade and painted tapas dishes (mini-platas, mini-cuencos and mini-jarras) for my house in the Netherlands. It is always nice to have a ‘recuerdo’ from where I’ve been. A visit to this market is a recommendation!

A ‘taste of Spanish’

On Friday there was a mini-market on the plaza of Teatro Operá and Metro Operá. This market was called ‘ A taste of Spanish’. Like the name says all things were typical Spanish. I couldn’t resist but to go and check it out. There were stands with huge round breads, different sausages, cheeses, wine, olive oil, natural sweets and  much more. As curious as I was I took my mom and sister by the hand and said let’s go taste Spain! The people were very friendly who worked there and the let us taste their products, if we wanted to. We bought a big BROWN bread for breakfast the next morning. Why do I write brown in capital letters you might want to know? Well, in Holland we have all kinds of bread and also different kinds of brown bread. I always eat brown bread, but since being here in Spain I haven’t found any brown bread that isn’t sweet or full of conserving stuff. So I was happy that I found it at this market. It is not the same as in Holland, but I can’t complain, I was very happy with it!

Interesting ‘San Miguel’

Okay, one thing I haven’t seen before in my entire life is aMercado like San Miguel. Wauw! I love this place! It is a supermercado that looks like a market. My mom and my sister were also very enthusiastic about it. We took time to look at every stand and buy a tapa to try it out! A mozzarella roll with salmon, olives with cheese or olives with sundry tomatoes, an ice-tea in all possible flavours, bread with jamón, etc. We tried so much stuff and we were full! Everything was so delicious! We had the time of our life in here. That might sound crazy to people for who this is nothing new. But we never saw anything like this, so we enjoyed every piece and bit of it! One thing! There pastries are very yum too!

These three days I spent my time trying out Spanish food and tastes as much as possible.  They were three fun and tummy full days. I’m going to miss Madrid when I leave. So far I love so much about this place! Of course it has downsides, but the goodsides make up a lot!

Hope you have enjoyed reading my blog and not got too hungry. If so! You know where to go!

Hasta Pronto!

Dragana