El Museo Del Jamon

Located in several outposts all over Madrid, this is one of my favorite spots in all of Spain. The museum of ham as it translates into English celebrates serrano and Iberian hams displayed all over this cafe and restaurant with hoofs in. El museo offers breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as ham and cheeses to go. The location near Puerta Del Sol is where we started our day's and they offer several breakfast specials of ham(serrano) with or without cheese(manchego) as well as the famous zumo de naranja(house squeezed juice) and cafe or hot chocolate for abut $5 U.S. Standing at the counter with tourists and Madrilenos is unbeatable Spanish experience.

Choclateria San Gines

Some many spots to blog about, Madrid is a vibrant city with wonderful day and night life, great restaurants and tapas spots. One famous gem is this 100 year old restaurant located between near Puerta Del Sol on a quaint street near a streetside bookstore looking straight out of Harry Potter. Churros and hot chocolate are a Madrid tradition and this spot serves them made to order. In this charming old-school European cafe you can watch them drizzle the batter swish and remove and cut the churros. The hot chocolate is like molten lava and absolutely killer. Dunk your churros into the chocolate and go straight to heaven. Sitting or standing at the counter, for an afternoon snack this is as close to feeling like a true Madrileno.

Traveling to Spain

Sothy's spa is my last official N.Y. post before heading off to Spain tonight. Any great spots will be posted upon my return. In the meantime enjoy the beautiful weather and be an urban explorer!

Franny

Sothys Spa

This was my Spa Week option and I could not be more pleased. L'Institut Sothys has one branch on West 57th. and one branch in Paris. This is a classic European Spa and it shows from the moment you walk in. I booked the Eau Thermale facial for the $50 spa week special and it was a special service. The reception person was an older very stylish woman and the feeling here is European orderliness without the bells and whistles available at some downtown spas. Vera was my facialist, a beautiful Russian woman also north of 50. The room looked like a real facial room. The facial bed was heated so it was an ahhhhh from the jump. Vera looked and was an expert at skin care and facials. With expert hands and top of the line products, the facial was phenomenal, and even some extractions were done gently and quickly. I was given a spa menu and $20 off my next visit which for a fancy West 57th Spa was not unreasonable at $115 for a European facial.

Jungle Lime Mexican Grill

Located on ninth ave. between 53rd and 54th diagonally across from El Centro a great corner Mexican mainstay, Jungle Lime serves healthier Mexican fare. A narrow space with jungle vines and exposed brick, the design makes good use of the small space. A bottomless chips and salsa was the really like a limey pico de gallo and was great. The cheesey Mexican corn was slathered with a bland Mexican velveeta. My chicken fajita was served with brown tortillas and the chicken itself was tough and flavorless. Oh, the accompanying guacamole was very good and served cleverly in a wooden salad bowl. The place was crowded and so was El Centro, so this spot hasn't really affected it's business. This Jungle Lime restaurant is very cheap with most dishes, like fajitas, burritos, and tacos are under $10. They also serve organic wine here, so it is a healthier option if that is what you are seeking.

Artichoke Pizza

A couple of guys from Staten Island open a pizza place on East 14th. Street and there is a line out the door. What is their secret? Is it the thickly charred crust or tangy tomato sauce or combo of cheeses? One thing is sure, it is definitely one of the the best pizza bangs for the buck on this islan, at $2.50/slice. This was my second trip, because the first time, I passed right by after seeing no less that 4 other pizza spots in a two block radius. So, after braving a 10 minute line while grooving to Nirvana and Guns and Roses blasting from the radio, keeping the 4 pizza making men rockin' and alert while producing pies and slices for the masses waiting. A guy in front keeps the customers in order and explains the offerings here. There is a photo of Elvis in the window and a few restaurant size cans of pommodoro to look at as you salivate for your pizza. There is literally standing room only and that is a sliver of a spot near the napkins and condiments which are in one spot. Better to bring your pizza home or eat it on the way on a nice day. Artichoke offers stuffed artichokes which look very rustic(good) as well as lovely well baked large free form peasanty loaves. Now for the pizza. I ordered a square and a round which by looks only, look great. I sort of preferred the flavor of the round more, though both were very good, nicely charred, thick crusted with a little fresh basil. The square offers multiple cheeses (pecorino, parmigiana, and polly-o) and fresh basil adds a a nice touch. Maybe, the pizza is just a tad thick to enjoy the ragin. flavors. It is definitely damn good pizza for this island, though it can be hard to please the pizza palate of a born and bred Brooklyn girl. A new pizza with crab is pictured above. After a second visit, and third and fourth, I am starting to like/love the pizza here and the great guys who serve it, reminding me more of very fond Brooklyn pizza parlor memories each time, though I wish the condiments were more plentiful.

Dirty Bird to Go

At this quintessential fried chicken joint your bird is perfectly cooked with a side if so desired. Dirty Bird to go or a few seats to eat in dishes fab fried bird in a small store on West 14th. St. The two piece with one side is $7.49 and is served with delish cornbread shaped like toast. The peices are smallish, but perfectly fried with a buttermilk tasting crust. The sides today were garlicky kale and cauliflower. I have tried to kale and it has a kick. The cauliflower was roasted and tasty. A dab of hot sauce and some homemade lemonade and you are feeling like a warm southern day is on the way. Dirty Bird also serves a soup of the day, chicken usually featured and a nice salad with lettuce, egg, Maytag bue cheese, rotisserrie chicken and a homemade buttermilk dressing for $8.39.

The Sheep's Station

On the up and coming Fourth Ave., yes you read that right is a few new places sprouting up. Wait a few years with a new plan for redevelopment and all. Anyway, more Aussie have opened this corner restaurant/pub. Wide wood plank floors and a wooden bar and benches as well as worn tin ceilings give the place a very organic feel. I was here for brunch and having read about the burger opted for that. This is no ordinary burger, but a super burger. Not only was the meat cooked to perfection, but the beet, lettuce, tomato, fried onion, pineapple and added Aussie cheese made this burger rock. Yes, all that was on the burger. Fries were very good, but the burger was one of the most interesting I have ever had. There is a daily scramble with home fries and toast for $7. and most items are under $10/cash only.

Homemade Ice-Cream

Since on a ice-cream roll here, I must give honoroble mention to the little bakery I like very much on Fifth Ave. near Carroll in Brooklyn. They make a few select flavors here and are top-drawer. Today, I had the strawberry and my all time fave caramel crunch. Costing $4. for two flavors a virtual bargain for such high quality stuff, their flavors rock. The strawberry was intensly flavored and creamy and the caramel is one of my top flaves of all time. The texture is smooth and insanely caramely with crunchy pieces of caramel included. Flavors change daily and they are all delish.

Cones

Located on the ice-cream triad in Greenwich Village on Bleeker, this mainstay gelateria opened by Argentinian brothers has been serving homemade gelati and sorbets for years. My favorite flavors are banana and chocolate followed by dulce de leche and dark chocolate. The Argentines have a great history with gelato given the number of Italian immigrants there and I remember yummy gelato when I spent a month there in 2000. I have read some reviews that find the brothers unfriendly and only allow you to try two flavors. They arrange a tasting on a double sided spoon which is very smart as some folks taste endlessly before deciding. The service is always friendly here based on my experience and the price is $5 for two scoops with the first requested flavor being the larger serving in the cup, Cones is a reliable place for ice-cream in the Village. It will be interesting to see how the newly opened Groms down the street affects the business at Cones. My guess is that the folks at Cones really know their customers and have a reliable repeat customer base where Grom hires kids to work who are not as interested in getting to know customers.

Grom

Opening yesterday for the start of ice-cream season on the corner of Carmine and Bleeker, Grom was celebrating their grand opening with free gelato all day. This is significant because Grom is the most expensive ice-cream store in NYC and with some reason. They use imported high quality ingredients from Italy in much of their creamy gelato as well as the top machinery to produce their product. Pistachio, tiramisu, chocalate with Ecuadorian chocalate and cinnamon with "regina" cinnamon from sri lanka are some examples. The flavor of the month is bacio a chocalatey concoction with pieces of imported hazelnuts- perfetto! The fragola or strawberry had an authentic strawberry taste and creamy consistency. I have eaten many flavors uptown and they are all top of the line in terms of taste. The cones are not out of a box and have a nice bite and crunch. The store serves a little biscuit with their gelati- which is very European style. All this yumminess costs 4.75 for a small cone or cup and $5.75 for a medium cup or cone. Uptown swallowed these prices pretty readily, let's see if downtown follows suit.

El Paso Taqueria

Located one block north of the DMZ on 96th Street and Lex is this tiny Taqueria. It is a busy little restaurant shaped like a box with a pretty Mexican inspired mural and a small kitchen with lots of activity on a block of tenements on east 97th Street. Service is a little brusque as the turnover is quick here. Channel 47 is the featured entertainment with a large t.v. facing the dining room. The salsa was homemade and had a nice kick to it. My sopa of the day was mushroom and well flavored with some mozzeralla cheese of the top. The entree of chicken chimichanga one topped with green salsa the other with red was muy delicioso. El Paso is known for it's guacamole which you can order mild of spicy was very good. The entree is served with rice with veggies(frozen) and black beans for $11.50. Many families and locals filled this joint on Friday so it is quite popular though not a bargain. The bathroom was small and smelly with a heavy door to enter.