City of the Week: Madrid, Spain

By Jamie Smith
While Madrid is the center of an extremely diverse country, it would be something of a misnomer to call it a melting pot. Those who have live in the capital often don’t blend in to the city but rather retain their fierce regional pride and provincial perspective, even if their family has been Madrileños for generations. In a country where no one hesitates to tell you what they really think, striking up a conversation in Madrid is one of the best ways to encounter a variety of Spanish perspectives.

And there’s no better place to talk to the locals than in a bar or restaurant (in Madrid, it’s often impossible to tell the difference between the two!). Spaniards tend to spend significant portions of their evenings at the corner bar socializing with their neighbors and whoever else is hanging out. Eating, drinking, and arguing are nothing less than national pastimes. But don’t be intimidated by the passion with which they discuss politics or soccer—most people are very sociable and open to being approached.

While you’re enjoying a cerveza and some conversation, impress your new friends by ordering some of these traditional dishes from Madrid.

Cocido madrileño: A hearty stew of chickpeas and root vegetables, beef, marrow, bacon, blood sausage, and chorizo.

Sope de ajo: A simple soup of garlic, bread, oil, and paprika. It may not sound like much, but in the hands of the right cook, it’s divine.

Manchego: A semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese with a distinctive, salty taste. Usually served with bread and cured meats.

Callos: Those with a weak stomach might be hesitant to try this dish, the main ingredient of which is stomach, or tripe. Give it a chance, however, as the tripe is simmered in a delicious tomato-based sauce with chorizo and ham.

To read more of Jamie's adventures, check out her blog, Shame on Seamus. Be sure to join us on Wednesday as Jamie takes us on a tour of Madrid's historic center.

Chicago Eats

If there’s anywhere in the world for a foodie to vacation, it’s Chicago. Many American tourists know the city as, home of the Chicago stuffed pizza, or hotdogs. But how unfortunate! Sure, the American Dog and Pizzeria Uno, or Gino’s East and Giordano’s are staples in the city’s history too. But given our Monday tour of Chicago’s colorful community, why wouldn’t you take advantage of the diverse cuisine? Especially the restaurants that line the Indian and Pakistani community on Devon Avenue, or the ethnic delights of Chinatown, Little Italy or Greek Town?
If you have time and don’t mind venturing northwest of downtown, we strongly recommend visiting Devon Avenue, where Indian and Pakistani restaurants serve accommodating dishes and delicious curries for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, at inexpensive prices. While in the area, you’ll also want to hit the international grocery stores, delis and boutiques selling sari-wraps, fabrics, shoes, rugs and jewelry.

First time Chi-town visitors are also encouraged to check out the novelty of the villages, Chinatown, Little Italy and Greek Town. Chinatown includes Cantonese dining, BBQ, and bakeries featuring shortbread and fortune cookies, also at an economical price. After lunch, you can buy an imitation Prada purse, nunchakus, or a folex at one of the shops in the area.

In Little Italy, (the original area on Taylor Street), privately-owned meat markets sell fresh prosciutto and formaggio, with traditional trattorias dotting the area. Francesca's is perfect for lunch, but for dinner, head to Rosebud where Frank Sinatra once ate. You can also find Rosebud on Rush (in downtown Chicago) or the steakhouse with the same name on Walton. Additionally,if in Chicago’s Loop, you’ll want to make reservations at the Italian Village. An establishment began by an Italian immigrant in 1927, the village offers three authentic Italian restaurants: The Village, La Cantina, and Vivere.

Since the turn of the century, Greek Town on Halsted has been home to Greek Hellenic Culture (modernly home to the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center). Summer festivals like the Annual “Taste of Greece” sample some of the community’s best food, with traditional Greek music and belly dancers, however featured restaurants are opened year-round and can be found at the following link. We really love the bakery/cafe, Artopolis!

Finally, if interested in the hip and chic Chicago restaurants of the moment, visit Chicago’s Fete Select, where the "newest and hottest restaurants around the globe are featured.” Currently, the founder, DC Crenshaw suggests dining at Bin 36, Japonais, Prosecco, Sushi Wabi, Quartino, and newcomer, Asian-inspired, Sunda.

What to Expect: Rome

Before dedicating this Friday topic to our usual restaurant tips, we thought we’d offer up the titillating truth about Rome first, so you’re not surprised. After all, if ever a gal was to have a dangerous love-hate relationship with a city, it would be with Roma.

The traffic in Rome literally stinks with overpopulated, exhaust -intensive buses and vespas zipping through winding rows of jam-packed cars, regardless of traffic violations or pedestrians. And heaven forbid you get sick at 1:00 PM, because the farmacia does not re-open until 3:00 PM. You can also forget about processing paperwork, be it your Visa, passport, plane ticket, or perhaps even a receipt from McDonald’s (yes, we already know Americans shamelessly love to visit McDonald’s during their ten tiny days abroad).

“Working just enough so someone notices you working at all” should be the motto, not "When in Rome," as the polizia proudly directs traffic with their right hand and smokes a cigarette with their left.

Additionally, in various parts of Italy, and especially in Rome, you mostly get Italian food, so don’t expect to find burger joints, the Outback Steakhouse or Vietnamese restaurants on every corner. Fortunately, today there's more “stranieri” restaurants popping up, so we'd like to recommend a few. If you’re in the mood for Asian, we like, Ci Lin (Ponte dell’olio 6, around the corner from Santa Maria in Trastevere). For Mexican, head to Cantina Mexicana (La Charreada, Piazza dei Quiriti 4), for Indian, try Surya Mahal (Via di Ponte Sisto 67). And, while you can go just about anywhere to find excellent Italian cuisine, for dinner, we love Taverna Trilussa in Piazza Trilussa (Via del Politeama 23; try the ravioli mimosa).

Keep in mind that like the farmacia, and chaotic traffic, finding food in Italy is difficult during certain times of the day (dinner typically begins at 8:30 PM or 9:00 PM). But, if you can get over the inconveniences of the chaotic city, then I promise you’ll find yourself having the most fabulous affair with Roma.