I am still reeling from the fabulous time that I had in Spain. I say this because I did not expect to have such a grand time. Interesting, maybe. Delightful, at times. But, I was completely seduced by Madrid, so much so that I am planning a return trip next summer. I adored the wide, leafy boulevards, the courteous, intelligent people, the interesting food, and the sense of contentment that I felt while I was there. I liked Barcelona and am happy to have spent five wonderful days there, but it was Madrid that really claimed my heart. Which fascinates me because I had not expected it. I felt such a familiarity there unlike anything I have experienced. When I am in Paris, I am just madly in love the whole time I am there, walking around saying quietly to myself, "je suis en Paris," and enchanted by every single experience. Which, let's face it, can become somewhat tiring. In Rome, I am mesmerized that I am attempting to buy a souvenir or have a meal next to a place where real life was going on thousands of years ago, so I am always slightly worshipful. But, in Madrid, I just felt happy.
While I had some wonderful meals, I am going to tell you in this post about some of my overall best experiences and I will post next week about the meals. They warrant their own post!
Best meal, hands-down: Just to whet your appetite (pun intended), the best meal on the trip, not to mention one of my Top Ten meals ever, was at Arola in Madrid. More to come.
Best taste--At another of Sergi Arola's restaurants, this one at the Arts Hotel in Barcelona, I had the most simple, yet flavorful, dish of the trip. I was served on the ubiquitous white dish--one fresh clove of garlic, one sliced tomato, a little pile of sea salt, divine olive oil, and a loaf of bread-voila, pan amb tomaquet. This was a dish that originated with the peasants who had very little to eat, but could always make a nutritious meal from these ingredients. So, I was instructed to spread the garlic on the bread, rub the tomato over it, sprinkle with sea salt, and pour a tiny amount of olive oil. Incredible. I thought that I could easily duplicate this in the triplex kitchen, but I am not so sure. The blue sea just beyond the window and the sheer perfection of those ingredients might make it tricky to replicate.
Best find--Gastroteca de Santiago was recommended in a New York Times article and was so good that I went there twice. Located just off the Oriental Gardens in Madrid, the restaurant is on a tiny square where only locals seemed to walk. To be continued.
Best hotel--The Palacio del Retiro exceeded all my expectations and now ranks as my second favorite hotel of all time. Located across from the beautiful Parque del Retiro, it is a seamlessly modern hotel in an early 20th century residence that has been beautifully converted. My room had four sets of floor to ceiling windows overlooking a courtyard and covered in gray sheer drapes that were like something out of a Catherine Deneuve movie. There was a comfortable sitting area, a fabulous king-size bed, lots of room, and, best of all, a four foot tall Phillips speaker on which I could play my iPod. The bathroom was equally posh with a wonderful shower and a soaking tub. Did I mention that I am going back next summer?
Best museum visit--I wandered over to the Prado on my first day in Madrid, having had a four hour nap in the Heavenly Bed at the Westin Palace where I stayed during the first part of my trip. I thought I would get the lay of the land, so to speak, something my father taught me on our many, many voyages through the 48 states when I was growing up. To my surprise, there was hardly anyone in the museum and I had quite a bit of energy. So, I toured a great part of it, having all of the galleries to myself. I was fascinated by the Titians and Tintorettos in particular. Although I will go back, I must remember that 5-7 on a Friday is the perfect time to go. The most interesting painting that I saw is by someone unfamilar to me and whose name I cannot decipher from my notes--Venenuano--and he painted A Last Supper that was very unusual as it depicted four dogs lolling on the floor and several of the disciples leaning back in an expansive mood. I must go see this again.
Best park--Yes, I love my dining experiences, but a close second is visiting parks and gardens. I carefully study the maps before I go to each city to find little-known parks and gardens, such as the one at Palau Robert in Barcelona. But, my complete favorite is Parque del Retiro in Madrid. So expansive, filled with such interesting architecture, such interesting people, and lots of venues to just sit and watch everyone. I loved that I was able to experience autumn and see lots of leaves on the ground, something that is foreign to the greater Miami area, of course.
Best cathedral--I also love exploring cathedrals. One of the most beautiful that I have ever seen was not exactly on the beaten path, but well worth the trip. San Francisco el Grande boasts the second highest dome in Europe outside St. Paul's in London and is so astounding and breath-taking in its majesty and elegance that I could not begin to capture it with a photo. There was a mass going on when I was there and it was a remarkable experience to see the parishioners who go there regularly in this magnificent space
Best concert venue--I was looking forward to seeing Brad Mehldau and Cassandra Wilson perform at Palau de la Musica as part of the Barcelona Jazz Festival. But, I was not prepared for the enchanting Art Nouveau architecture with one of the most stunning interiors that I have every seen. I was fortunate enough to be on the first row and so could appreciate every detail contained in the bas-relief muses on the back wall which can change color, creating a most magical effect. It was very interesting to be in an audience where I could not understand what was being said around me. It gave me a chance to really savor the incredible surroundings.
Most welcome meal--After a week of tapas and molecular gastronomy and sometimes not knowing exactly what I was eating, it was a pleasure to find a place simply called Entrecote, a short walk from my hotel in Barcelona. I now know that this is a "chain" called Le Relais de Venise, recently reviewed in the New York Times since an outpost had opened on Lexington Avenue , which boasts a very simple formula---wilted (not on purpose) iceberg lettuce with a mild dressing, nicely cooked and sliced entrecote in a tangy, yet soothing, sauce, and perfect French fries. Nice red wine and wonderful profiteroles. A very desirable meal, nicely executed.
Most overrated meal--Speaking of the New York Times, I could hardly wait to try the World's Best Sandwich, as touted by Mark Bittman. It was at a small sandwich shop called Viena on Las Ramblas. It is that wonderfully crispy bread with wonderfully salty Serrano ham, a bit of tomato spread, and olive oil. I could see that, at one time, this was probably a wonderful sandwich, but, in the three years since it had been so touted, I believe it had lost its edge. Let's just say that it cannot compare to the French dip at Houston's in the greater Miami area.
Another overrated meal (s)--I tried to like the gestalt at Alkimia and Cinq Sentis, both part of the "molecular gastronomy" scene. I had a better experience at Cinq Sentis where the tomato sorbet and the pan-seared scallop in sunchoke and onion glaze and the oxtail braised for 36 hours were all memorable, if not incredibly delectable. At Alkimia, I was given the worst table, in an alcove with no light. I asked for another table and was given a lecture on how lucky I was to have a table at all. Despite this unpleasantness, I settled into a nice routine with the servers, but I cannot tell you one thing that I had (they promised to give me a menu, so I didn't take notes) and I heard not one laugh, one chuckle, one guffaw in the dining room during the three hours that I was there. Dutiful is the word that I would use -for the service, for the food, for the experience.
Best hangout--I loved going into the huge, domed, somewhat shabby, but still sophisticated Lobby Bar at the Ritz. I went there after my exploration of the Prado and was fortunate enough to be in time for high tea which tasted just perfect. I went there several nights for post-dinner amontillado. My last day, I was so craving something "normal" that I went there for lunch for creamy vegetable (read tomato) soup and a plate of tea sandwiches. While I was there, visiting royalty prevented us from leaving the premises, so I was forced to watch as about twenty-four personages resembling younger Hillary Clintons and a man dapperly dressed in dark suit and sporting several medals entered the lobby. I never did find out from where he came. Still, an interesting way to spend an afternoon and much more satisfying to the soul than having to wait for an entourage containing the cast of Entourage to exit the Delano Hotel.
Best fancy meal--Beautifully prepared and served at Lasarte in Barcelona where Martin Berasategue earned his one Michelin star after only being in business for ten months. A striking and lovely 35 seat venue. More to come.
Most interesting meal--Viridiana in Madrid where the longtime chef openly scorned me, but I made the acquaintance of a lovely couple next to me--the woman named Marie-Jose!!-as well as an actor from the US who had gone to Duke and was a huge Yankees fan. As they say, what are the chances?
At this point, I will either need to say good night or book a trip for next week, so let me repair to my own kitchen for some spaghetti Bolognese and a glass of St. Emilion. To be continued with the emphasis on the five best meals.
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