A Girl and Her Monger: A European Adventure

Yes, it’s been a year. A year?! It’s been just about that since we’ve been back from our big cheesy European trip so I guess I should continue with some blog posts before heading out on our next adventure. I’m picking back up with our farewell to the Essex St. Cheese crew in Madrid. We had a fantastic week meeting the producers, the affineurs, getting to know some great mongers, and of course spending time with the lovely Leah and Rachel. So at this point in the trip Ziggy and I find ourselves in the heart of my other love, Spain. We are in Madrid and have the pleasure of one more weekend with CJ from The Cheese Shop of Des Moines. What to do...self guided eating tour? Of course. 

One of my favorite markets in the world and a place we found ourselves returning to more than once is the Mercado de San Miguel located next to Plaza Mayor.

 The beautiful glass structure invites you in from every side. Just off the entrance is the meat guy (Jamón) and the cheese stand, where of course we see the work of José Luis Martin with 1605 Manchego in the center of the case. Everywhere you look there is a place to buy tapas, get a drink, and talk, as Spaniards do. I could live in the olive and pickle stand, with every salty morsel I could ever dream of. We drank, we ate, and we talked a lot about cheese and work and family and the future, because that’s really the point isn’t it?

We next found ourselves walking the city in search of our next place to consume deliciousness. We stumbled upon The Beer Garden, a small beer shop with an international selection and a very friendly shop manager whose passion for beer and desire to interact with foreigners was all the welcome we needed. Naturally, we bought a few beers and drank them there in the shop while talking to our new friend. 

The day ended in an awesome bar, Animal, watching soccer with the locals and drinking beer and even tasting some international cheese selections while talking to the owner about the industry. 

The next day we started out with not so much of a big plan as more of a big appetite. While in our search for the next eating endeavor we stumbled upon El Campo de Cebada, a space in the heart of Madrid that you could miss unless you were looking. A place run by the people for the people, the concentration of culture is palpable...literally. There were stands offering food, political campaigns, small gardens, music playing and everything seemed to be run on a barter or donation system. Locals drank beer and danced to the music. The energy was contagious and I could have stayed all day, except that you got the sense that this wasn't a place for tourists as we did not have much to offer. This was a place for neighbors and locals and that really is how it should stay. 

From a local hangout to the prestigious place of the Poncelet Cheese Bar. Upon arriving to this modern and sophisticated cheese bar and restaurant, it is obvious that things just went to a whole other level. As we open the menu we see over 150 different selections of cheese from all over the world. The climate controlled cheese case uses the newest technology and is a beautiful sight to see. Warning: do not approach the cheese case (CJ) it is not to be touched or entered, just don’t.

As Cheesemongers, Ziggy and CJ were in heaven. From the cheese case, to the itemized printouts of the cheese we ordered, to the mongers trained at Mons Affineurs... this place is impressive to say the least. We each got 3 cheeses to taste and discuss; some were familiar favorites, some new to us all, and each one was out of this world. For those of us who live in foodie cities (San Francisco) this is the level we should be aspiring to reach in terms of the cheese restaurant game. Spain, you win. 

In our late night attempt to squeeze in one more meal we stumbled upon an adorable tapas restaurant that was about to close. We poked our heads in and they welcomed us in explaining that the whole menu was not available but that they could definitely accommodate us for a snack. We were soon informed that we had accidentally entered one of the best restaurants in the city. Just going off their tomato salad, Manchego, Jamón , and other small delights, I believed them. This restaurant was La Mi Venta and was a fantastic end to our weekend with CJ.