Madrid Redux Part II – Casa Lucio

Earlier in the day at Los Asturianos I ate morcilla, or pig's blood pudding, a delicious dish. This night I ate morcillo, a boneless osso bucco or veal shank. The flavors were rich and robust, satisfying as winter fare. Interestingly, it came with a side of fried potatoes. Clearly this is
not nor should it be a modern restaurant. Though the potatoes on their
own are good, I find it amusing that they are served with so many
dishes here, much like many restaurants used to (and some still) do in the U.S. This little anachronistic touch is cute, albeit somewhat surprising to me.

Callos means tripe, The next dish, which was called callos had that as well as all sorts of other fine offal including pigs' ears and trotters. Prepared as a stew, the dish had great flavor as well as textural contrast.

It was interesting to observe the area around us as we were eating. Three Spaniards sitting at the table next to us had ordered angulas, or baby eels, and were each delivered a steaming bowl of these expensive, coveted and unfortunately endangered morsels. Often, substitutions are made like is done with surimi or imitation crab for which pollock and other fish are substituted for the real thing. In Spain, people have gone so far as to paint eyes on the fake product with squid ink to give an air of greater authenticity. If what these people ate was fake, the people who prepared them did a great job of making them look like the real thing. While Spain has wonderful artisans, I don't think that was the case here.

Lucio himself made his way up to our table as he made his rounds through the restaurant greeting his guests and embracing old friends. Of course he knew and embraced Gerry and they spoke as old friends, but he treated everyone else just as warmly, even displaying a special medal that he had received. There is something to be said about the personality of a restaurant and that personality emanating from an individual or individuals. That is often what makes  a restaurant special. There is no doubt that the personality of Lucio casts a glow on his place, giving it the warmth to make people feel at home and comfortable. Make no mistake, the food is very good, but it is Lucio himself that elevates the restaurant and makes it special.

It was fitting that my first day back in Madrid, i would return to some traditional places from a year ago. It was a comfortable way to settle back into this lovely, vibrant city. I toyed with the idea of returning to Casa Botin on this trip to re-taste their cochinillo or suckling pig. Not having been there since 1974 and having a special memory from that visit, I ultimately decided not to return. I preferred, in this case, to leave that memory alone. I have heard that it is still good and their cochinillo still fine, but the restaurant could not possibly live up to the memory nor should it have to. It has simply been too long and too much is now different with both myself and Madrid.